Spooktacular Science Day
Celebrate Spooktacular Science Day at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia on October 24 with trick-or-treating, seasonal live science shows, costumes, slime, and family Halloween fun.
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Celebrate Halloween with hands-on science, live demonstrations, festive photo opportunities, and family-friendly activities at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. Spooktacular Science Day takes place Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm and is free with general admission.
Featured Halloween Science Programming
- Trick-or-Treat: Visit themed doors throughout the museum to meet witches, mummies, and other frightful friends while collecting sweet treats. Bring your own bag!
- Squid Dissection: What has large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles? Take a closer look at these deep-sea creatures and discover the real science behind some legendary sea monsters.
- Costume Parade: Show off your Halloween spirit and join fellow guests for a festive parade down the Atrium ramp. All ages welcome.
- That’s Gross! Live Science Show: Explore, test, and dive deep into some of the grossest facts about the human body in this live science show. 11 am and 2 pm, PECO Demonstration Theater.
- How NOT to Carve a Pumpkin Show: Pumpkin carving gets messy in this live science demonstration exploring the chemistry and physics behind an over-the-top Halloween experiment. 1 pm, PECO Demonstration Theater.
- The Electricity Show: It’s alive! Explore the powerful forces that bring light and energy to the world around us, from lightning storms to glowing bulbs and all the shocking science in between. 12 pm and 3 pm, PECO Demonstration Theater.
- Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty Slime Drop: Watch different types of slime take the plunge and discover how chemistry affects viscosity, then explore hands-on slime demonstrations and activities.
- Hands-On Play: Shrinky Dinks, Pepper’s Ghost illusions, and electrifying Jacob’s Ladder demonstrations – oh my! Hands-on play with the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania.
Location:
The Franklin Institute, 222 North 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, United States
See map: Google Maps
*Times, dates, and prices of any activity posted to our calendars are subject to change. Please be sure to click through directly to the organization’s website to verify.
Dates:
10/24/2026
Time:
11:00AM-3:00PM
Price:
Free with General Admission ($23 - $29)
Ages
All Ages Adults & kids togetherWeb Service