The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is the oldest natural history museum in the Americas and the first in the world to display a fully mounted dinosaur. Today the museum engages visitors of all ages with towering dinosaurs, captivating live animals, a live butterfly garden, dynamic changing exhibits, and hands-on experiences that bring science to life for visitors of all ages. Founded in 1812, the Academy is a leading natural history museum dedicated to advancing research, education and public engagement in biodiversity and environmental science. For 200 years the Academy has been at the forefront of scientific inquiry into the natural world, from the study of the animals, plants and habitats to investigating the impacts of people on these natural systems. The Academy's scientific collections of more than 18 million specimens serve as a record of the world’s biodiversity and contain valuable information about environmental changes over the course of history.