Worcester Natural History Society

The history of the Worcester Natural History Society is complicated because it merged at various times with several other Worcester, Massachusetts, organizations and because the Society itself was reorganized several times. The starting point is the formation in 1825 of the Worcester Lyceum of Natural History which united in November 1829 with the Worcester Lyceum. The general aim of the organization was to promote the knowledge and investigation of natural history. Its activities included series of lectures, the establishment of a circulating library, and the sponsorship of debates. In 1882 the Society opened its natural history museum to the public and from 1885 to 1893 it ran a natural history summer camp on Lake Quinsigamond. From 1856 to 1859 the organization held the library of Dr. John Green (1784-1865) which was given to the city of Worcester in 1859 to establish the Worcester Public Library. In addition, the Young Men's Library Association and the Young Men's Rhetorical Society were affiliated with the Society in the 1850s.

The following are the various names used by the Society: Worcester Lyceum of Natural History, 1825; Worcester Lyceum, 1829; The Worcester (County) Lyceum and Library Association, 1856; Worcester Lyceum and Natural History Association, 1866; Worcester Natural History Society, 1884 to the present. The Worcester Natural History Society, which is still in operation in Worcester, owns the Worcester Science Center.