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It’s finally here. The Philadelphia Shell Show. Taking place at the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Philadelphia shell show is the largest in the Northeast, bringing with it a wealth of activities, giveaways, and shopping opportunities for the entire family. I attend the shell show every year, and it never disappoints.

As always, this year’s shell show will feature the standards; competitive shell displays created by artists from around the world, workshops where you can learn how to create your own Sailor’s Valentines, a shell market where you can buy rare shells, and a large bin full of free shells for kids (or sneaky adults like myself) provided by the Academy’s malacology department.

New things to expect? This year, the Academy is offering up guided behind-the-scenes tours of their malacology collection, which houses over 12 million specimens, and is the oldest collection of mollusks in the United States, fourth largest in the world. Evolutionary biology, Geerat Vermeij will also be on the scene, giving lectures about mollusks, hermit crabs, and other sea creatures.

With all of these events and more (a film about the octopus, story telling time for kids, a touch tank filled with sea creatures, etc) it’s a great way to spend a Saturday (and Sunday!) with the family. You can check out the entire schedule of events on the Academy’s website. I’ll see you there!

The Philadelphia Shell Show
October 10th & 11th, 2009

Academy of Natural Sciences
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 299-1000
www.ansp.org