Jurassic World dinosaurs and 15 more top museum shows in Philly this fall

Pop culture muscles in on the offerings this fall at Philadelphia-area nonvisual museums.

The world of Jurassic Park will take over the Franklin Institute with an exhibition featuring huge animatronic dinos - and pulsing rock will shake up the National Museum of American Jewish History when a show moves in exploring the life and influence of rock impresario Bill Graham.

But pop will not take over everything. The Free Library will acknowledge the arrival of its new neighbor, the Mormon Temple, with an exhibition exploring early Mormon writing. The Historical Society of Pennsylvania will do the same. In November, the Taller Puertorriqueño plans to throw a gala opening for its new Corazón Cultural Center.

The Penn Museum takes a look at the evocative world of ancient magic, and - unlikely as it may seem - skulls, dead birds, and fabric as skin all serve as focal points for interesting exhibitions and programs.

Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution (through Jan. 16, National Museum of American Jewish History). A Jewish emigrant from Nazi Germany, Bill Graham became a famed rock impresario with a passion for social justice. (101 S. Independence Mall E. Adults $12, seniors and youth $11, military and children free. 215-923-3811, www.nmajh.org)

Speakers That Rock: Opening Symposium (2-8 p.m. Sunday, National Museum of American Jewish History). Bill Graham's legacy and the people who knew him. Participants include sons Alex and David, former wife and concert-poster artist Bonnie MacLean, WMGK DJs John DeBella and Cyndy Drue, and more. (101 S. Independence Mall E., $25-$36, 215-923-3811, www.nmajh.org)

A Community on the Prairie: Bishop Hill, Illinois (Through Sept. 30, American Swedish Historical Museum). The Bishop Hill Colony, a small Swedish religious community founded in 1846, lasted only 15 years, but it left its mark on immigration history. (1900 Pattison Ave., $4-$8, 215-389-1776, www.americanswedish.org)

Freedom Train 1947-1949: Exhibiting America's Past to Shape America's Future (Through Nov. 1, Rosenbach Museum & Library). Documents from the fabled traveling Freedom Train exhibition, which chugged across the United States in the late 1940s. (2008-2010 Delancey Place, $5-$10, 215-732-1600, www.rosenbach.org)

Duck, Duck, Goose: The Federal Duck Stamp Story (Through Nov. 1, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University). Exhibit explores 70 years of the federal Duck Stamp contest, pairing stamp images with taxidermy birds from the academy collection. The 2016 contest was held this month in Philadelphia. (1900 Benjamin Franklin Pky., $13.95-$17.95, 215-299-1000, www.ansp.org)

Perfect Vessels: Photography by David Orr. (Through early January, Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia). Orr explores perfection through photographs of skulls from the Mütter Museum, mirroring them to create balanced memento-mori-style images. (19 S. 22nd St. $13-$18, 215-399-2340, muttermuseum.org)

An American-Born Faith: Writings from the First Century of Mormonism (Through Feb. 6, Parkway Central Library, Free Library of Philadelphia). Printed materials illustrating the birth, early history, and culture of Mormonism. (1901 Vine St., free, 215-686-5322, www.freelibrary.org)

Magic in the Ancient World (Through April 30, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology). Exhibit demonstrates that magic was a real and everyday part of life for many ancient peoples. (3260 South St., $10-$15, 215-898-4000, www.penn.museum)

The Art of Ownership: Bookplates and Book Collectors from 1480 to the Present (Wednesday-Jan. 15, Rosenbach Museum & Library). Presenting beautiful and curious specimens from five centuries of book ownership. (2008-2010 Delancey Place, $50-$10, 215-732-1600, www.rosenbach.org)

Crash! Why Birds Collide with Buildings in Philadelphia & Beyond (6-7:30 p.m. Sept. 28, Wagner Free Institute of Science). As many as a billion birds die in crashes with buildings annually in the United States. Why? (1700 W. Montgomery Ave., $5-$10, 215-763-6529, www.wagnerfreeinstitute.org)

"A Date Which Will Live in Infamy": Pearl Harbor and Philadelphia (Oct. 31-Dec. 2, Historical Society of Pennsylvania). To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, HSP will display letters, photographs, and ephemera documenting the response in Philadelphia. (1300 Locust St., free, 215-732-6200, hsp.org)

Second Skin: The Science of Stretch. (Nov. 4-May 6; Museum at the Chemical Heritage Foundation). From nylon and rayon to Lycra and Gore-Tex, textiles support comfort and serve increasingly as wearable technologies. (315 Chestnut St., free, 215-925-2222, www.chemheritage.org)

Treasures from the Mineral Vault (Nov. 5-next October, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University). Selection of rarely seen minerals from the academy's collection. (1900 Benjamin Franklin Pky., $13.95-$17.95, 215-299-1000, www.ansp.org)

A Celebration of Magic: Ancient and Modern (Nov. 12, Penn Museum). A day of talks, tours, and demonstrations of magic in conjunction with the museum's "Magic in the Ancient World" exhibition. (3260 South St., $10-$15, 215-898-4000, www.penn.museum)

"The Same Spirit of Patriotism and Sacrifice": Pearl Harbor and the Erosion of Citizenship. (6-8 p.m. Nov. 16, Historical Society of Pennsylvania). Talk and discussion on the background and continuing impact of the attack on Pearl Harbor. (1300 Locust St. $10, 215-732-6200, hsp.org)

Jurassic World: The Exhibition. (Nov. 25-April 23, the Franklin Institute). Interactive multimedia presentation of Jurassic World, complete with hungry, life-size animatronic dinosaurs. Chock-full of info about dinos, DNA, paleontology, and movies. North American premiere. (222 N. 20th St., daytime $29.95-$34.95; evening $14.95-$19.95, 215-448-1200, www.fi.edu)

ssalisbury@phillynews.com

215-854-5594

@SPSalisbury