By Carolyn Belardo
Dinosaurs, weird specimens in jars, live animal shows and live reptile encounters are all in store for All-Star Days, Saturday, Dec. 26 through Wednesday, Dec. 30.
For five days, the Academy celebrates the most popular of its family programs with engaging activities, rare fossil displays, new live animal shows and crafts to create and take home.
Each day features a different nature theme, so there’s plenty to do by coming more than once to All-Star Days. Check out these highlights and buy your tickets today!
Dinosaur Day
Saturday, Dec. 26
Come face to face with fossils, meet living relatives of these ancient beasts, and explore the world of the dinosaurs.
Live Animals of the Academy Show, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Discover the stories about some of the Academy’s live animals and learn what you can do to help their wild cousins.
Rad Reptile Relatives: Dandy Dinos and Bodacious Birds Show, 1 p.m.
Though dinosaurs are extinct, their legacy lives on in their closest relatives: birds. Meet the Academy’s live birds and reptiles and learn how they are related.
Story Time in Outside In, 2 p.m.
Enjoy an interactive dinosaur story with Marty the Moose and a favorite live animal.
Closer Look
Examine live brine shrimp and insects in amber under a microscope. Meet weird live reptiles.
Fossil Forensics
Touch real fossils and use your dinosaur detective skills to solve prehistoric puzzles.
Dinosaur Crafts
Make a prehistoric craft to take home.
Bug Day 
Sunday, Dec. 27
Embrace the creepy crawlies and learn what makes spineless animals so special.
Live Animals of the Academy Show, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Discover the stories about some of the Academy’s live animals and learn what you can do to help their wild cousins.
Creepy Crawlies Show, 1 p.m.
Discover the spineless wonders of the Academy’s live invertebrate collection with magnified details on the big screen.
Story Time in Outside In, 2 p.m.
Enjoy an interactive insect story with Marty the Moose and a favorite live animal.
Closer Look
Examine a butterfly wing and a spider molt under a microscope. Meet weird live reptiles.
Investigating Invertebrates
Investigate the spineless stars of the live invertebrate collection up close.
Buggy Craft
Make a special buggy craft to take home.
Reptiles: The Beautiful and the Deadly Day
Monday, Dec. 28
Celebrate the special exhibit Reptiles: The Beautiful and the Deadly with a day devoted to the cold-blooded critters.
Live Animals of the Academy Show, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Discover the stories about some of the Academy’s live animals and learn what you can do to help their wild cousins.
Reptile Dinner Party Show, 1 p.m.
Meet some live animals that might be predators or prey if they met a reptile at a dinner party.
Story Time in Outside In, 2 p.m.
Enjoy an interactive story with Marty the Moose and a favorite live animal.
Scale Tales
Examine reptile scales, scutes and osteoderms under the microscope and find out what they are made of.
Local Herps and Venomous Snakes
Pennsylvania is home to a wide variety of cool reptiles. Find out what may be living in your backyard.
Closer Look
Meet weird and wonderful live reptiles up close.
Cold-Blooded Craft
Make a special reptile craft to take home.
Fur, Feathers, and Scales Day 
Tuesday, Dec. 29
See firsthand how the Academy takes good care of its live animals and learn from the stars of the dioramas.
Live Animals of the Academy Show, 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Discover the stories about some of the Academy’s live animals and learn what you can do to help their wild cousins.
Critter Capers, Noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
See a live animal enjoying its exercise time and get your critter questions answered.
Story Time in Outside In, 2 p.m.
Enjoy an interactive story with Marty the Moose and a favorite live animal.
Closer Look
Examine fur, feathers and scales under a microscope and compare coverings from all over the world. Meet weird and wonderful live reptiles.
Diorama Diversions
Touch real furs like on the diorama animals and see the striking skulls of the animals of North America.
Critter Crafts
Make a special animal craft to take home.
Weird Things in Jars Day
Wednesday, Dec. 30
Science is surprising, inspiring and weird! Come see the weirder specimens in our collections all day at the Academy.
Animals of the Live Animal Center Show, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Meet some of the live animals that that live at the Academy. Discover their stories and learn what you can do to help their wild cousins.
Weird and Wonderful Show, 1 p.m.
They might not be jarred, but the live animals of the Academy are plenty weird! Meet the inhabitants of our Live Animal Center during this live animal show.
Story Time in Outside In, 2 p.m.
Enjoy an interactive story with Marty the Moose and a favorite live animal.
Closer Look
Investigate the amazing techniques scientists use to preserve Academy specimens for research. Meet weird and wonderful live reptiles up close.
Cool Collections
Peer into jars from the Academy’s collections for some weird and wonderful surprises.
Crazy Crafts
Create a creature of bizarre adaptations to take home.
Photos by Mike Servedio/ANS