Museums in Philadelphia

Woodford Mansion

Historic Site

In 1756-58 William Coleman, a Philadelphia merchant and close friend of Benjamin Franklin, built this elegant country home. It is one of the best of the survivors of the early “summer retreats” that were built along the Schuylkill River during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The house is furnished with an extraordinary collection of 18th and early 19th century antiques and decorative arts.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Woodford Mansion.

• Fuddling Cup
• Linen Sampler
• Tea Table

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $8 per person
• 📍 2300 N 33rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19132

The Stella Elkins Tyler Galleries at Tyler School of Art and Architecture

Art Museum

The Stella Elkins Tyler Galleries feature works by students at Temple University in projects organized by faculty, students and guest curators.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at The Stella Elkins Tyler Galleries at Tyler School of Art and Architecture.

• Artists of Color Collective Group Exhibition
• Festa Di Roma '19

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 2001 North 13th Street Philadelphia, PA 19122

Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial

Historic Site

Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial is the house where wounded Polish freedom fighter Thaddeus Kosciuszko lived. Visit the site to learn how this military engineer designed successful fortifications during the American Revolution. See the room where he received notable visitors such as Chief Little Turtle and Thomas Jefferson. The site is closed from November through March.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial.

• The Life of Thaddeus Kosciuszko

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 301 Pine St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Historic Strawberry Mansion

Historic Site

Historic Strawberry Mansion is the largest of the seven historic Fairmount Park Houses. The mansion houses antiques, fine art, and collectibles from the 18th and 19th centuries, including a noted collection of dolls from the High Street Exhibit of the Sesquicentennial of 1926.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Historic Strawberry Mansion.

• The Sesquicentennial Doll Collection
• The Millennium Doll Collection
• The Esther Ann McFarland Exhibition Room featuring Tucker and Hemphill Porcelain

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $8 per person
• 📍 2450 Strawberry Mansion Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19132

Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

Specialty Museum

The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum consists of 21 exhibits and 70 cars in the permanent collection. The cars are arranged chronologically and in diorama vignettes. The museum has been ranked the number one car collection in the entire world.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum.

• 1909 American Underslung Traveler
• 1912 National Model 40 Semi-Racing Roadster
• 1927 Bentley 3 Litre Speed Model

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $12 per person
• 📍 6825-31 Norwitch Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19153

Second Bank of the United States

Historic Site

The Portrait Gallery in the Second Bank of the United States houses the "People of Independence" exhibit. This exhibit includes a permanent collection of over 150 portraits of 18th and 19th-century political leaders, military officers, explorers, and scientists. This core collection is made up of 100+ portraits by painter Charles Willson Peale.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Second Bank of the United States.

• "People of Independence"
• 150 portraits of 18th and 19th-century political leaders, military officers, explorers, and scientists

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 420 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Ryerss Mansion

Historic Site

The Ryerss Mansion is located in Philadelphia's Burholme Park. The museum has an eclectic collection that includes generations of family heirlooms, paintings, sculpture, decorative art, and a vast array of Asian art and artifacts.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Ryerss Mansion.

• Puppet Theater
• Ivory Figures
• Bronze figure with cat

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 7370 Central Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19111

Romanian Folk Art Museum

Art Museum

The Romanian Folk Art Museum opened a space in Philadelphia's city center in late 1998. It displays part of the largest folk art/village artifacts collection outside of Romania and from Europe in US, the last additions being a 40-foot trailer of furniture and 1,000 Easter Eggs.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Romanian Folk Art Museum.

• Antique Romanian country furniture
• Traditional costumes
• Rugs and weavings from southern Romania

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 1606 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Historic Rittenhouse Town

Historic Site

Historic Rittenhouse Town is made up of the remains of an early industrial community. It all began when, in 1687, papermaker William Rittenhouse emigrated to the newly formed neighborhood of Germantown. With the help of his son Nicholas, he built the first paper mill in British North America. For the next 40 years, the Rittenhouse family were the only papermakers in America.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Historic Rittenhouse Town.

• Homestead & Bake House
• Enoch
• The Barn

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $15 per person
• 📍 208 Lincoln Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19144

Powel House

Historic Site

The Powel House is a historic house museum located between Willings Alley and Spruce Street, in the Society Hill neighborhood. Built in 1765, it is quite possibly America's finest existing Georgian Colonial townhouse. Inside you'll find a decorative arts collection, portraits of Powels and Willings, and a formal, walled garden typical of Colonial Philadelphia.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Powel House.

• Decorative Arts Collection
• Portraits of Powels and Willings
• Walled Colonial Garden

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $8 per person
• 📍 3811, 244 S 3rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Please Touch Museum

Children's Museum

The Please Touch Museum is a children's museum located in Philadelphia's Centennial District. The museum focuses on teaching children through interactive exhibits, hands-on displays, and special events designed to engage and teach.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Please Touch Museum.

• Alice in Wonderland and River Adventures play areas
• City Capers
• The Woodside Park Carousel

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $20 per person
• 📍 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, PA 19131

Philadelphia Doll Museum

Specialty Museum

The Philadelphia Doll Museum is the only known museum in the United States that emphasizes the collection and preservation of black dolls as artifacts of history and culture. The museum was founded by Barbara Whiteman in 1988. The museum has over 300 dolls on display with a permanent collection of just about 1,000 dolls.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Philadelphia Doll Museum.

• The Doll Collection

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 2253 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19132

Paul Robeson House

Historic Site

The Paul Robeson House was the home of Paul Robeson from 1966 until 1976. Robeson was an internationally renowned American bass-baritone concert singer, actor of film and stage, All-American and professional athlete, writer, multi-lingual orator, human rights activist, and lawyer.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Paul Robeson House.

• Paul Robeson: Up Close and Persona
• Life-size historical panels
• Record albums

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 4951 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19139

Old City Hall

Historic Site

The Old City Hall is located in the Independence Hall complex of Independence National Historical Park. The U.S. Supreme Court met here from 1791 until 1800, when the national capital was moved to Washington, D.C.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Old City Hall .

• The room where the Supreme Court of the United States met from 1791-1800

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

National Shrine of Saint John Neumann

Historic Site

The National Shrine of St. John Neumann is a Roman Catholic National shrine dedicated to St. John Neumann, the fourth Bishop of Philadelphia and the first American male to be canonized. There is also a small museum, which displays exhibits relating to the life of the saint.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at National Shrine of Saint John Neumann.

• Historical texts
• Photographs
• Personal items

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 1019 N 5th St, Philadelphia, PA 19123

Mount Pleasant Mansion

Historic Site

Mount Pleasant is a historic mansion situated atop cliffs overlooking the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. The mansion was built in 1761–62. The house includes three-part Venetian windows and rusticated entrances with a stucco exterior scored to resemble stone.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Mount Pleasant Mansion.

• Captain John Macpherson (1726–1792)
• Rococo and Rococo-inspired Furniture
• Architectural Carvings by Martin Jugiez

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $8 per person
• 📍 3800 Mt Pleasant Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19121

Marian Anderson House

Historic Site

The Marian Anderson House was built in 1870. Marian Anderson, the opera singer and civil rights advocate, purchased the home in 1924. It was the same year she became the first African-American concert artist to record spirituals for a major American recording company. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. Today, it is a house museum dedicated to preserving and honoring Anderson's memory.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Marian Anderson House.

• Rare photos
• Memorabilia
• Films

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 762 South Martin Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Library Company of Philadelphia

Cultural Center

The Library Company of Philadelphia was founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin. Over time it has accumulated one of the most significant collections of historically valuable manuscripts and printed material in the United States. The collection includes 500,000 books and 70,000 other items, including 2,150 items that once belonged to Franklin, the Mayflower Compact, major collections of 17th-century and Revolution-era pamphlets and ephemera, maps, and whole libraries assembled in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Library Company of Philadelphia.

• First Edition Moby-Dick
• First Edition Leaves of Grass
• The Mayflower Compact

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 1314 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Leonard Pearlstein Gallery

Art Museum

The Pearlstein Gallery located within Drexel University operates on the academic calendar and observes university designated holidays, weather closures, and academic breaks. They host rotating shows exhibiting regional and experimental art in all contemporary mediums including digital, video, sculpture, photography, graphics, and fashion design.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Leonard Pearlstein Gallery.

• We Want a We
• What Might This Be? The Art & Science of Rorschach Inkblots
• Stonewall@ 50

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 URBN Annex 3401 Filbert Street Philadelphia, PA 19104

Laurel Hill Mansion

Historic Site

The Laurel Hill Mansion is located along the Schuylkill River in Fairmount Park of Philadelphia. It was formerly known as the Randolph House (named after its owner). In 1976, the house was renamed Laurel Hill Mansion by the City of Philadelphia during the United States Bicentennial. Today, guests can tour the interior, which is furnished in the popular styles of the late 18th century.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Laurel Hill Mansion.

• 18th century Philadelphia Chippendale mahogany highboy
• English pianoforte from 1808 by Broadwood
• Harp from the early 19th century

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $8 per person
• 📍 7201 Randolph Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19121

John Johnson House

Historic Site

The John Johnson House, built in 1768, is a National Historic Landmark in Germantown. It was a pivotal station along the Underground Railroad in the 1800s.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at John Johnson House.

• Marks of musket balls and cannonballs
• Johnson House Architecture and Artifacts

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $10 per person
• 📍 6306 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19144

Independence Seaport Museum

Specialty Museum

The Independence Seaport Museum was founded in 1961 and is located in the Penn's Landing complex along the Delaware River in Philadelphia. The museum's collections document maritime history and culture along the Delaware River. The site is also home to two National Historic Landmark ships and the J. Welles Henderson Archives and Library.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Independence Seaport Museum.

• Cruiser Olympia
• Submarine Becuna (SS-319)
• Schooner Diligence

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $10+ per person
• 📍 211 S Christopher Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Independence Hall

Historic Site

Completed in 1753, Independence Hall is the birthplace of America. Both the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were debated and signed inside this building. George Washington was appointed Commander in Chief of the Continental Army inside its walls in 1775 and the Articles of Confederation were adopted in 1781. Tickets are required March through December.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Independence Hall.

• The Assembly Room
• Courtroom of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court
• Long Gallery

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 Chestnut Street, between 5th and 6th Streets

Historical Society of Frankford

Historic Site

The Historical Society of Frankford is a historical society and museum. It is located in the Frankford neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia. The society was organized in 1905, to preserve and present the history and lore of Frankford and the surrounding area. Appointments are required in advance to visit the historical society.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Historical Society of Frankford.

• The Church Street Quarries (Deni Playground)
• Slide Show- Images From The Old Frankford Camera Club
• Frankford Heroes Remembered

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 1507 Orthodox St, Philadelphia, PA 19124

Grumblethorpe

Historic Site

Grumblethorpe is a quintessential example of Pennsylvania German architecture. It was built in 1744 by Philadelphia merchant and wine importer John Wister. The Wister family lived there for over 160 years.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Grumblethorpe.

• Ginkgo tree
• Wisteria sinensis
• Seasonal organic farm stand

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $8 per person
• 📍 5267 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19144

Glen Foerd on the Delaware

Historic Site

Glen Foerd on the Delaware is a historic mansion and estate located in the Torresdale neighborhood of Philadelphia. It was built in 1850 to be a summer home for a wealthy family. Today, the estate is a historic house museum and the surrounding grounds are a public park. Visitors can visit the mansion for free self-guided exploration on Saturdays.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Glen Foerd on the Delaware.

• Historic domestic artifacts
• American and European art
• Contemporary art installations

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 5001 Grant Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19114

Germantown Historical Society Museum

History Museum

The exhibition "At Home in Germantown, 1750-1900" highlights the Society’s vast collection of period domestic objects, including furniture, silver, pottery, porcelain, tableware, kitchenware, needlework, and children’s toys. It provides a vivid picture of what it was like to live in Germantown years ago and how people worked, relaxed and entertained in the home. Period settings re-create the rooms in Germantown homes of the 18th and 19th centuries, including a Colonial keeping room and parlor, a Federal dining room, and a Victorian reception room.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Germantown Historical Society Museum.

• 18th and 19th Century Period Rooms
• Germantown Silver
• Germantown Needlework

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $3 per person
• 📍 5501 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19144

Franklin Court

Historic Site

Franklin Court is complex of museums, structures, and historic sites within Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. It is located at the site of Benjamin Franklin's Philadelphia residence (from 1763 to his death in 1790). Be sure to check out the underground Benjamin Franklin Museum, Franklin Court Printing Office, and Franklin Court Courtyard on your visit.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Franklin Court.

• Benjamin Franklin Museum
• Franklin Court Printing Office
• Franklin Court Courtyard

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 322 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19139

Fort Mifflin

Historic Site

Fort Mifflin, originally called Fort Island Battery, was commissioned in 1771 and sits on Mud Island (or Deep Water Island) on the Delaware River below Philadelphia. A portion of the fort's grounds are still actively used by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, making it the oldest fort in military use in the US. Today Fort Mifflin hosts guided tours, living history programs, and a wide variety of events, including group tours, education programs, historic reenactments, scout programs, and paranormal investigations.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Fort Mifflin.

• A Soldier's Story: Revolutionary War Soldier Life
• A Soldier's Story: Civil War Soldier Life
• Blood, Sweat, & Tears: Civil War Medicine

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $8 per person
• 📍 1 Fort Mifflin Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19153

Elfreth's Alley Museum

History Museum

Elfreth's Alley, between Second Street and the Delaware River, is made up of 32 Federal and Georgian residences. The Alley is the US's oldest residential street. Elfreth's Alley Museum is home to exhibitions that interpret the life of the house and alley's residents in that era.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Elfreth's Alley Museum.

• The country's oldest residential street

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $3 per person
• 📍 124-126 Elfreth's Alley, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Ebenezer Maxwell House

Historic Site

The Ebenezer Maxwell House is a historic house located in the West Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia. It was built in 1859 by Ebenezer Maxwell, a wealthy cloth merchant, for $10,000. The house has been renovated to its Victorian beauty. Today you can explore both the interior, art and decorative arts collection and the lovely surrounding gardens.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Ebenezer Maxwell House.

• Favori Brand Crystallized Ginger
• Fry’s Cocoa Powder
• Garrigues Wigton Wedding Shoes

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $8 per person
• 📍 200 W Tulpehocken St, Philadelphia, PA 19144

Dolley Todd House

Historic Site

The Dolly Todd House was built in 1775. It was the home of future first lady Dolley Madison and her first husband, John Todd. The house is furnished to look as if the family still resided there, and includes many 18th century antiques. When the site is open, timed entry tickets are required. Sign up for a Bishop White House/Todd House tour at the Independence Visitor Center on the morning of your visit.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Dolley Todd House.

• 18th century antiques
• John Todd's office
• Dolley Todd House parlor

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 341 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Congress Hall

Historic Site

Congress Hall was constructed in 1787-1789 as the Philadelphia County Court House. In 1790, Congress selected Philadelphia to be the temporary capital of the United States. Philadelphians immediately offered the use of their new courthouse as a meeting place for the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, making Congress Hall the oldest building to serve as such. Congress Hall served as the meeting place of the U.S. Congress from 1790-1800. The House of Representatives met on the main floor, while the Senate assembled upstairs.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Congress Hall.

• The chamber for the Senate
• The House chamber
• Portraits of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette,

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 5th and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Cliveden

Historic Site

Cliveden is also known as the Benjamin Chew House. This historic mansion, built between 1763 and 1767 by Benjamin Chew, is located in Germantown. It was the site of some of the bloodiest fighting of the Battle of Germantown, fought in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War. Walk-in tours of Cliveden are available in the spring, summer, and fall.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Cliveden.

• Gilded griffon pedestal with an anthemion
• Doors to the main house after 1777 Battle of Germantown
• Mischianza manuscript

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $10 per person
• 📍 6401 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19144

Cedar Grove Mansion

Historic Site

Cedar Grove Mansion, located in West Fairmount Park, was the summer residence for five generations of Philadelphia families. Cedar Grove contains an extensive collection of furniture and the decorative arts, with objects in the home original to the family and the house. This provides a rare opportunity for visitors to see these materials displayed in a historic context. House admission includes a guided tour of the home, where you will hear the stories from trained guides.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Cedar Grove Mansion.

• furniture, including Baroque, Rococo and Federal styles
• 1809 wedding dress
• medicinal recipe book of the house founder, healer Elizabeth Coates Paschall

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $8 per person
• 📍 1 Cedar Grove Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19131

Bishop White House

Historic Site

The Bishop White House is the home of the Reverend Dr. William White, a beloved rector of Christ Church and St. Peter's Church for many years. The house has been restored to reflect the lifestyle of upper-class Philadelphians during the late 18th century. Many of the items in the house actually belonged to the Bishop, including the book he was reading right before he died in July 1836.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Bishop White House.

• Books in Bishop White's study
• Bishop White house office
• Bishop White House dining room

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 309 Walnut Street, between 3rd and 4th Streets

Belmont Mansion (Philadelphia)

Historic Site

Belmont Mansion is a historic mansion located in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. Built in the early 18th century, the mansion is one of the finest examples of Palladian architecture in the United States. The house museum is dedicated to colonial history and the 19th-century network of people and places known as the "underground railroad." Today its an underground railroad museum open to the public for tours.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Belmont Mansion (Philadelphia).

• Palladian architecture
• Underground Railroad Museum

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $7 per person
• 📍 2000 Belmont Mansion Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19131

Athenaeum of Philadelphia

History Museum

Founded in 1814, the Athenaeum of Philadelphia is a special collections library and museum that collects materials "connected with the history and antiquities of America, and the useful arts, and generally to disseminate useful knowledge" to the public. The collections include architecture and interior design history, particularly for the period 1800 to 1945.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Athenaeum of Philadelphia.

• A Venturesome Spirit: Louis Magaziner in 20th Century Architecture
• Structure & Purpose: The Legacy of Engineering at Keast & Hood
• The Federal Presence In Philadelphia

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 219 S 6th St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

American Philosophical Society Museum

History Museum

At the American Philosophical Society Museum, you can trace American history and science from the Founding Fathers to the digital age. Their collection consists of approximately 3,000 artifacts and fine art objects. The collection reflects the central role of the APS and Philadelphia in the founding of the nation as well as the development of science and technology from the 18th century through the early 20th century.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at American Philosophical Society Museum .

• Astronomical Transit Telescope
• Hawkins's Patent Polygraph
• Wedgewood Anti-Slavery Medallion

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 104 South Fifth Street Philadelphia, PA 19106

Fireman's Hall Museum

Specialty Museum

The Fireman's Hall Museum is housed in a restored 1902 firehouse. It interprets the history of firefighting in Philadelphia through its collections of artifacts and archives and promotes fire prevention safety. The museum is open to the public.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Fireman's Hall Museum.

• Fire Prevention Safety

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 147 N 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

The Fabric Workshop and Museum

Specialty Museum

The Fabric Workshop and Museum's collection and exhibitions include completed works in sculpture, installation, video, photography, painting, ceramics, and architecture as well as preliminary sketches and other objects documenting the artists' process. They display work by artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Felix Gonzalex-Torres, Ann Hamilton, Reverend Howard Finster, Anish Kapoor, Robert Kushner, Glenn Ligon, Robert Morris, Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown, and Carrie Mae Weems.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at The Fabric Workshop and Museum.

• Echoes and Reverberations
• Jacolby Satterwhite: Room for Living
• Lecture and Trunk Show with Padmini Govind of Tharangini Studios

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 1214 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19107

African American Museum in Philadelphia

History Museum

The African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) opened its doors in 1976. It was the first museum funded and built by a municipality to help preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage of African Americans. It is home to four galleries and an auditorium. All of the museum's exhibitions are focused around three themes: The African Diaspora, the Philadelphia Story, and the Contemporary Narrative. The museum has 750,000+ objects, images, and documents in its collection.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at African American Museum in Philadelphia.

• memos and memorabilia related to the Philadelphia Black Panthers
• correspondence clippings and military artifacts of the first black doctor to direct a U.S. Army Hospital
• academic and legal papers from Harry Shapiro on constitutional issues arising from the Civil Rights Movement

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $14 per person
• 📍 701 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Mummers Museum

History Museum

The Mummers Museum opened in 1976 as part of Philadelphia’s celebration of America’s Bicentennial. It is dedicated to celebrating the tradition of Mummery in Philadelphia. Mummeries were plays performed in Philadelphia in the 18th century as part of a wide variety of working-class street celebrations around Christmas. The museum has costumes, oral histories, video and audio archives and even an exhibit to teach anyone how to “strut.”

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Mummers Museum.

• Costumes
• Oral histories
• Video and audio archives

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $5 per person
• 📍 1100 S 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19147

Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

Natural History Museum

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University was founded in 1812 making it the oldest natural science research institution and museum in the Americas. Today, it is home to 18 million biological specimens, and hundreds of thousands of volumes, journals, illustrations, photographs, and archival items

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.

• The Big Dig
• Marveling at Mollusks
• Treasures From the Mineral Vault

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $20+ per person
• 📍 1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19103

National Museum of American Jewish History

History Museum

The National Museum of American Jewish History was founded in 1976. The museum's permanent collection includes over 20,000 objects and ranges from the Colonial period to the present day. The exhibits focus on preserving, exploring, and celebrating the history of Jews in America.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at National Museum of American Jewish History.

• Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Foundations of Freedom
• Leonard Bernstein: The Power of Music

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $9 per person
• 📍 101 S Independence Mall E, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia

Art Museum

The Institute of Contemporary Art or ICA is part of the University of Pennsylvania and is located on its campus. It was founded in 1963 by the then dean of the school of architecture, Holmes Perkins. He "wanted to expose students to what was “new and happening” in art and culture." Over time ICA has developed an international reputation as a top venue for contemporary art and culture.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia.

• Michelle Lopez: Ballast & Barricades
• Colored People Time: Banal Presents
• arms ache avid aeon: Nancy Brooks Brody / Joy Episalla / Zoe Leonard / Carrie Yamaoka: fierce pussy amplified

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 118 S 36th St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Philadelphia's Magic Gardens

Private Museum

Located on South Street, Philadelphia's Magic Gardens is many things: a non-profit organization, folk art environment, and gallery space. It spans three city lots, includes indoor galleries and a large outdoor labyrinth. It is the largest work created by mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar. Zagar's mosaics are made up of everything from kitchen tiles to bike wheels, Latin-American art to china plates.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Philadelphia's Magic Gardens.

• Martha Clippinger: Translations
• Vidas Suspendidas/Suspended Lives: Narrative Self Portraits by Latinx Artists from Puentes de Salud
• Visionary Voices: Portrait Works by Chloe Fimiano, Anthony Coleman, Susan Wallack, and Jaither West

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $10 per person
• 📍 1020 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19147

University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

Archaeological Museum

The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology— the Penn Museum for short— has an in-depth collection of both artifacts recovered from the past by archeological excavation, and objects and ideas collected from living peoples. It is home to 20+ galleries featuring objects and artifacts from around the world including places like Africa, North America, Mesoamerica, South America, China, Egypt, and Iraq.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

• Ram in the Thicket
• Taizong Horses
• Queen Puabi's Headdress

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $10 per person
• 📍 3260 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Barnes Foundation

Private Museum

The Barnes Foundation owns more than 4,000 objects, including over 900 paintings, estimated to be worth about $25 billion. The collection primarily consists of works by Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and Modernist masters. It also includes African art, antiquities from China, Egypt, and Greece, and Native American art.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Barnes Foundation.

• Francisco de Goya. Portrait of Jacques Galos, 1826.
• Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Girl with a Jump Rope (Portrait of Delphine Legrand), 1876.
• Unidentified artist, Senufo. Seated Female Figure, Late 19th–early 20th century.

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $25 per person
• 📍 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19130