European Researchers' Night at MRSN!

What is it?

European Researchers' Night is a yearly event organised by the European Commission since 2005. Thousands of researchers and research institutes are involved all across Europe.

When?
Friday 26 and Saturday 27 September 2025

This year, the Regional Museum of Natural Sciences combines family-focused educational workshops for families and public lectures by its staff. A double chance to feel like a researcher-for-a-day and discover past explorations, current initiatives and future projects.

The Museum will be remaining open late on Friday 26th until midnight and on Saturday 27th until 9pm. All workshops are free and will be held inside the Museum.

All one needs is a free admission ticket, to be obtained here or at the ticket office, upon availability.

We will be waiting for you!

Check out the programme!

Friday, 26 September

Marine fossils in Turin

Become a palaeontologist -for-a-day!

Did you know that 5 million years ago, the Po Valley did not exist, as it was a submerged sea basin? Off we go to discover the fossils of the first living organisms that once populated Turin.

Intended for families with children aged 6 to 13
First session: 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Second session: 6:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.

Reservations are required, upon availability, at the following link:

Aliens just a stone's throw from the museum

Have you ever heard of alien species? We will find out why they can act as a threat and learn about the main alien plant species inhabiting our urban areas, together.

We will introduce you to the AilantItaly project and help you out identify an ailanthus tree, so you will be able to assist researchers in collecting data.

As a closing activity, we will take a short walk inside the museum, practising what just learned. Downloading the iNaturalist app and creating an account is highly recommended.

Curators: Fabrizio Longo and Roberto Costantino.

The event is organised in partnership with DBIOS and the botanical garden.

Intended for the general public

From 7.30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

No booking required.

An evolving museum

The renovation of the Museum's exhibition spaces provides an opportunity to seek out educational initiatives tailored to any kind of visitors.

Discover what materials and experiences can be used to enjoy the collections of the Regional Museum of Natural Sciences.

Curator: Alessandra Pepe
Intended for the general public
First session: 7.30pm – 8.30pm
Second session: 8.30pm – 9.30pm
No booking required

What have you been doing here?

So what happens day by day inside the MRSN collections? Exactly how do we prepare the finds for a collection? How do we preserve and restore the items already belonging to a collection? Which research do we carry out?

Let's find out about the day-to-day work at the Regional Museum of Natural Sciences, from bone cleaning to delving into old catalogues, with a special focus on ongoing activities.

Curator: Matteo Ruzzon

Intended for the general public

First session: 9.30 p.m.

Second session: 10.30 p.m.

No booking required

Being a palaeontologist today: behind the scenes at a museum

A captivating journey into the day-to-day work of a palaeontologist, between excavations, laboratories and hidden collections, but also ever-changing and constantly updated analyses.
A chance to find out what happens behind the scenes at a science museum: how fossils are studied, preserved, and displayed to the public.

Curator: Loredana Macaluso

Intended for the general public

First session: 9.30 p.m.

Second session: 10.30 p.m

No booking required

Saturday, 27 September

Budding researchers

What does a natural science museum curator investigate? From botany to comparative anatomy, from animal tracking to palaeontology, you can step into the shoes of a researcher engaged in identifying specimens.

Intended for families with children aged 6 to 13

From 10.30 a.m. to 12 noon

Reservations are required, upon availability, at the following link

The museum's historical collections. Rocks and minerals as storytellers of explorations

Naturalist explorers have always contributed to boost museum collections. Taking these as a starting point, we will embark on a fascinating journey through explorations that have enriched the Museum with petrographic and mineralogical finds.

Curator: Massimiliano Senesi

Intended for the general public

First session: 6 p.m.

Second session: 7 p.m.

No booking required

Amidst insects and books: the Spinola collection

Discover the Spinola collection: 6,000 antique books and tens of thousands of insects dating back to the first half of the 19th century.

Curators: Fulvio Giachino and Riccardo Meirone

Intended for the general public

First session: 6pm

Second session: 7pm

No booking required

Mammal skulls and teeth: shapes, functions and adaptations

The aim of the task is to investigate the differences between skulls and teeth in a variety of mammalian orders, demonstrating how such differences reveal functional, ecological, and phylogenetic adaptations.

By observation and comparison, participants will understand the key features of each group and the role of skull and teeth in feeding and survival strategies.

Curator: Luca Ghiraldi
First session: 6 p.m.
Second session: 7 p.m.

No booking required