Visited the Academy of Natural Sciences museum in Philadelphia to see the place one last time before it closes. Was inspired to create this ghostasaurus based on the museum’s Hadrosaurus exhibit.
September 28, 2026 at 2:23 PM
Visited the Academy of Natural Sciences museum in Philadelphia to see the place one last time before it closes. Was inspired to create this ghostasaurus based on the museum’s Hadrosaurus exhibit.
"Real fossils." Charlie's excitement makes Alan excited, and it makes him seem like a kid. He guides them to the mantel and shows them his greatest discovery.
"Baby hadrosaurus. Mom and I were the first ones to discover a ton of nests of this species... And we found out they had family dynamics."
"Baby hadrosaurus. Mom and I were the first ones to discover a ton of nests of this species... And we found out they had family dynamics."
September 28, 2026 at 3:15 AM
"Real fossils." Charlie's excitement makes Alan excited, and it makes him seem like a kid. He guides them to the mantel and shows them his greatest discovery.
"Baby hadrosaurus. Mom and I were the first ones to discover a ton of nests of this species... And we found out they had family dynamics."
"Baby hadrosaurus. Mom and I were the first ones to discover a ton of nests of this species... And we found out they had family dynamics."
Doodle from Thursday's flocking #paleostream featuring Hadrosaurus. But as for why it was featured...
September 28, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Doodle from Thursday's flocking #paleostream featuring Hadrosaurus. But as for why it was featured...
Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences will permanently close September 30 The Academy of Natural Sciences. this is where the first dinosaur skeleton in the world, Hadrosaurus, was mounted in 1866 Make your voice heard. Help save the Academy! save-the-academy.org
September 27, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences will permanently close September 30 The Academy of Natural Sciences. this is where the first dinosaur skeleton in the world, Hadrosaurus, was mounted in 1866 Make your voice heard. Help save the Academy! save-the-academy.org
And this place has a cool ass dinosaur hall with several cool ass dinos on display like the Hadrosaurus foulkii, Avaceratops, Pachycephalosaurus, and OF COURSE THEY GOT THE T-REX!!!! You can even do a cut little fossil dig too!
ansp.org/experience/e...
ansp.org/experience/e...
The Big Dig | Academy of Natural Sciences Exhibits
Dig for dinosaur fossils in a hands-on exhibit at the Academy, where kids uncover bones, identify species, and explore like paleontologists.
ansp.org
September 27, 2026 at 7:02 AM
And this place has a cool ass dinosaur hall with several cool ass dinos on display like the Hadrosaurus foulkii, Avaceratops, Pachycephalosaurus, and OF COURSE THEY GOT THE T-REX!!!! You can even do a cut little fossil dig too!
ansp.org/experience/e...
ansp.org/experience/e...
My unfinished contribution to the ANSP #paleostream
I've been very privileged to grow up with and later contribute to the Academy, it is a second home and fundamentally responsible for me as a person. To close it is to kneecap the future, erase the past, and cripple our heritage...
#savetheacademy
I've been very privileged to grow up with and later contribute to the Academy, it is a second home and fundamentally responsible for me as a person. To close it is to kneecap the future, erase the past, and cripple our heritage...
#savetheacademy
September 27, 2026 at 3:56 AM
My unfinished contribution to the ANSP #paleostream
I've been very privileged to grow up with and later contribute to the Academy, it is a second home and fundamentally responsible for me as a person. To close it is to kneecap the future, erase the past, and cripple our heritage...
#savetheacademy
I've been very privileged to grow up with and later contribute to the Academy, it is a second home and fundamentally responsible for me as a person. To close it is to kneecap the future, erase the past, and cripple our heritage...
#savetheacademy
And finally, here's my Flocking #paleostream art of a Hadrosaurus foulkii--the first dinosaur species mounted in America, currently at the ANSP--on the move with a bristly baby (representing science's continuous advancement). My bad for any inaccuracies--I misheard the time limit 😅
#SaveTheAcademy
#SaveTheAcademy
September 26, 2026 at 9:38 PM
And finally, here's my Flocking #paleostream art of a Hadrosaurus foulkii--the first dinosaur species mounted in America, currently at the ANSP--on the move with a bristly baby (representing science's continuous advancement). My bad for any inaccuracies--I misheard the time limit 😅
#SaveTheAcademy
#SaveTheAcademy
Hadrosaurus on #paleostream this week in support of Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences, which is being inexplicably shuttered despite its incredible + historically significant collections (such as this dinosaur)!
September 26, 2026 at 7:39 PM
Hadrosaurus on #paleostream this week in support of Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences, which is being inexplicably shuttered despite its incredible + historically significant collections (such as this dinosaur)!
Hadrosaurus foulkii, the first dinosaur discovered in North America and one whose holotype is housed at the currently-threatened Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. If the academy is shut down, this and thousands of other irreplaceable specimens will likely be lost. #SavetheAcademy #sciart
September 25, 2026 at 9:31 PM
Hadrosaurus foulkii, the first dinosaur discovered in North America and one whose holotype is housed at the currently-threatened Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. If the academy is shut down, this and thousands of other irreplaceable specimens will likely be lost. #SavetheAcademy #sciart
As an avocational paleontologist, Del helped collect new species out in the field, fabricated new exhibits, and even maintained the collections — where in 1993, he helped repair the bones of Hadrosaurus foulkii, to slow the inevitable march of pyrite disease in these invaluable specimens.
September 25, 2026 at 12:55 PM
As an avocational paleontologist, Del helped collect new species out in the field, fabricated new exhibits, and even maintained the collections — where in 1993, he helped repair the bones of Hadrosaurus foulkii, to slow the inevitable march of pyrite disease in these invaluable specimens.
In 2025 — a month or so before the museum's hours were reduced from five days a week to three amidst another round of staff layoffs — Haddy finally returned to Dinosaur Hall in all its glory, only a short distance away from where Hawkins' mount originally stood.
September 25, 2026 at 12:55 PM
In 2025 — a month or so before the museum's hours were reduced from five days a week to three amidst another round of staff layoffs — Haddy finally returned to Dinosaur Hall in all its glory, only a short distance away from where Hawkins' mount originally stood.
The RCI mount was recycled for use in a rotating gallery where various local artists would draw their interpretation of Hadrosaurus in chalk on the wall directly behind the skeleton. A new drawing would appear every year until the exhibit was shuttered after COVID
September 25, 2026 at 12:55 PM
The RCI mount was recycled for use in a rotating gallery where various local artists would draw their interpretation of Hadrosaurus in chalk on the wall directly behind the skeleton. A new drawing would appear every year until the exhibit was shuttered after COVID
However, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its discovery, the Academy put together a special exhibit on the history of Hadrosaurus foulkii, featuring a brand new cast mount by the crew at Research Casting International (and a special cameo from Hawkins' old skull sculpt).
September 25, 2026 at 12:55 PM
However, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its discovery, the Academy put together a special exhibit on the history of Hadrosaurus foulkii, featuring a brand new cast mount by the crew at Research Casting International (and a special cameo from Hawkins' old skull sculpt).
During the 1998 renovations, this display was downsized and moved up against the southern wall of the room, with some signage explaining the dinosaur's history. It's still there today, sandwiched between a bunch of ceratopsians, humble in comparison to the rest of the room's inhabitants.
September 25, 2026 at 12:55 PM
During the 1998 renovations, this display was downsized and moved up against the southern wall of the room, with some signage explaining the dinosaur's history. It's still there today, sandwiched between a bunch of ceratopsians, humble in comparison to the rest of the room's inhabitants.
As part of the Academy's landmark 1986 exhibit Discovering Dinosaurs, Hadrosaurus (affectionately referred to as "Haddy") returned as cast bones affixed to a silhouette of the living animal. (I'm still looking for good photos of it — these are screenshots of a 140p gif from the Wayback Machine 😅)
September 25, 2026 at 12:55 PM
As part of the Academy's landmark 1986 exhibit Discovering Dinosaurs, Hadrosaurus (affectionately referred to as "Haddy") returned as cast bones affixed to a silhouette of the living animal. (I'm still looking for good photos of it — these are screenshots of a 140p gif from the Wayback Machine 😅)
Dinosaurs returned to the Academy in the 50s with the debut of a Corythosaurus, as mentioned in my previously quoted post at top of thread. Many of the bones of Hadrosaurus itself sat in a display case on a far wall of the room, although the effects of pyrite disease were taking their toll.
September 25, 2026 at 12:55 PM
Dinosaurs returned to the Academy in the 50s with the debut of a Corythosaurus, as mentioned in my previously quoted post at top of thread. Many of the bones of Hadrosaurus itself sat in a display case on a far wall of the room, although the effects of pyrite disease were taking their toll.
...all the way into the 1930s, before it was finally removed from its pride of place in the Academy's main hall and dismantled entirely soon afterwards. Someone fished the plaster skull (a completely speculative reconstruction) out of the dumpster, and it remains in the collections to this day.
September 25, 2026 at 12:55 PM
...all the way into the 1930s, before it was finally removed from its pride of place in the Academy's main hall and dismantled entirely soon afterwards. Someone fished the plaster skull (a completely speculative reconstruction) out of the dumpster, and it remains in the collections to this day.
Hadrosaurus became so famous that various casts of the bones were assembled and shipped to other museums (another first), even well after better discoveries of dinosaurs were made. None of them made it past the early 1900s, but Hawkins' original mount in Philadelphia persisted...
September 25, 2026 at 12:55 PM
Hadrosaurus became so famous that various casts of the bones were assembled and shipped to other museums (another first), even well after better discoveries of dinosaurs were made. None of them made it past the early 1900s, but Hawkins' original mount in Philadelphia persisted...
When Leidy and Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins assembled the bones in 1868, it was the very first time a dinosaur skeleton was mounted for display, and the exhibit became so popular that the Academy had to start charging admission to control the crowds (and eventually, move into a larger building).
September 25, 2026 at 12:55 PM
When Leidy and Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins assembled the bones in 1868, it was the very first time a dinosaur skeleton was mounted for display, and the exhibit became so popular that the Academy had to start charging admission to control the crowds (and eventually, move into a larger building).
I'll speedrun through the origin story: John Hopkins finds some strange bones in a marl pit on his NJ farm in the 1830s, a couple decades later William Parker Foulke catches wind of them and notifies paleontologist Joseph Leidy, who then names Hadrosaurus foulkii to much acclaim, etc. etc...
September 25, 2026 at 12:55 PM
I'll speedrun through the origin story: John Hopkins finds some strange bones in a marl pit on his NJ farm in the 1830s, a couple decades later William Parker Foulke catches wind of them and notifies paleontologist Joseph Leidy, who then names Hadrosaurus foulkii to much acclaim, etc. etc...
It's #FossilFriday, and indeed the final scheduled Friday that the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia is open to the public, potentially forever. So it's finally time to, once again, talk about Haddy — and bring it all full circle.
Strap in, it's a big one.
Strap in, it's a big one.
September 25, 2026 at 12:55 PM
It's #FossilFriday, and indeed the final scheduled Friday that the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia is open to the public, potentially forever. So it's finally time to, once again, talk about Haddy — and bring it all full circle.
Strap in, it's a big one.
Strap in, it's a big one.
Drexel justified it's move with rather flimsy financial reasons and no plan is given for the building or collections, which include countless, priceless specimens like the the holotype of Hadrosaurus, the animal you see here.
September 25, 2026 at 3:12 AM
Drexel justified it's move with rather flimsy financial reasons and no plan is given for the building or collections, which include countless, priceless specimens like the the holotype of Hadrosaurus, the animal you see here.
quick doodle of Hadrosaurus foulkii, the first dinosaur to be displayed as a skeleton mount, located in the Academy of Natural Sciences, a 200 year old museum and a natural history research institution in Philadelphia, which is now under threat of being closed, here's how you can help 🧵:
September 25, 2026 at 1:49 AM
quick doodle of Hadrosaurus foulkii, the first dinosaur to be displayed as a skeleton mount, located in the Academy of Natural Sciences, a 200 year old museum and a natural history research institution in Philadelphia, which is now under threat of being closed, here's how you can help 🧵:
Join us to draw Hadrosaurus and talk the Academy of Natural Sciences!
#Paleostream! www.twitch.tv/paleostream
#Paleostream! www.twitch.tv/paleostream
paleostream - Live on Twitch
#Paleostream! | Streaming art.
www.twitch.tv
September 24, 2026 at 9:08 PM
Join us to draw Hadrosaurus and talk the Academy of Natural Sciences!
#Paleostream! www.twitch.tv/paleostream
#Paleostream! www.twitch.tv/paleostream
Because this is such an important topic I will have a special stream tomorrow! We will talk museums, war on science, what you can do and what you can DRAW! I noticed that I never did a Hadrosaurus before, so I might as well do it now! See it as an extra long one subject Flocking!
September 24, 2026 at 2:42 AM
Because this is such an important topic I will have a special stream tomorrow! We will talk museums, war on science, what you can do and what you can DRAW! I noticed that I never did a Hadrosaurus before, so I might as well do it now! See it as an extra long one subject Flocking!