Founded in 1805 by Charles Willson Peale, The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is the first and oldest art museum and art school in the United States. Unsurprisingly Philadelphia has a lot to offer art lovers with over one hundred museums to choose from, there is something for everyone. With so much choice you could struggle to pick where to visit during your time in the city, we have therefore selected the top 5 museums for you to visit whilst attending ICS 2018.
Philadelphia Museum of Art - The Philadelphia Museum of Art sits majestically at the end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The museum houses Renaissance, American, Impressionist and Modern art from artists such as Marcel Duchamp, Constantin Brancusi, Paul Cézanne, Claide Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, and Edgar Degas to name but a few. There is a room devoted to Philadelphia’s own Thomas Eakins, as well as extraordinary “period rooms” and architectural ensembles from around the world. The 72 stone steps before the entrance of the museum have become known as the "Rocky Steps" as a result of their appearance in the triple-Oscar-winning film Rocky in which the eponymous character runs up the steps. Visiting the statue, running up the steps and taking a picture at the top is pretty much a must on your first visit to Philadelphia. It's a rite of passage.
Tickets cost $20 per adult but this provides access for 2 consecutive days to Museum’s main building, Perelman Building, Rodin Museum, and historic house Cedar Grove. The museum also offers a 'pay what you wish admission' on the first Sunday of the month (10.00am-5.00pm) and every Wednesday (5.00-8.45pm).
There’s no reason not to visit! The vast collections of this temple of art make it the third-largest art museum in the U.S., and an absolute must-see on the city’s cultural circuit.
Barnes Foundation - Offering one of the world's foremost collections of French impressionist and post-impressionist paintings. Visitors can view over 900 paintings, estimated to be worth around $25 billion.
From May-September the museum will be hosting the Renoir: Father and Son / Painting and Cinema exhibition. This exhibition will explore the works of Jean Renoir and the influence his father, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, had on his life and art.
On the first Sunday of every month, visitors to the Barnes can enjoy free admission from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. From 1 to 4 p.m the Barnes hosts family entertainment, informative talks, performances and hands-on activities. Tickets include access to the permanent collection galleries, exhibitions and any programs taking place that day. Tickets are limited and cannot be reserved; they are available on-site starting at 9 a.m. (for admission at 10 a.m. or later) on a first-come, first served basis. The offer is limited to tickets for two adults and two children.
Rodin Museum - The museum contains the largest collection of sculptor, Auguste Rodin's, works outside Paris. With nearly 150 bronzes, marbles, and plasters, the distinguished collection housed in the Rodin Museum represents every phase of Auguste Rodin’s career.
But its not just inside the museum that art is displayed, the garden outside the Museum has a number of works available to view; The Thinker, The Gates of Hell, Adam, The Shade, The Age of Bronze, Eve and The Three Shades.
The museum is open Monday, Wednesday-Sunday from 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Admission is Pay What You Wish, with a suggested price of $10 per adult, the garden is free year-round.
Even those on a budget can enjoy the collection!
A complimentary shuttle service is offered between the Rodin Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art every Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Franklin Institute - Named after the American scientist and statesman, Benjamin Franklin, the Franklin Institute is one of the oldest and premier centres of science education and development. This is a must visit museum whilst you are in Philadelphia! The museum opens daily from 9:30am – 5:00pm, Adult admission is $23.
Within the Franklin Institute is the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial, the memorial is in the institutes rotunda. The centrepiece of the memorial is a 20-foot high marble statue of Benjamin Franklin, sculpted by James Earle Fraser. Originally opened in 1938, the rotunda was designed by architect John T. Windrim and modelled after the Pantheon in Rome. It measures 82 feet in length, width, and height. The domed ceiling is self-supporting and weighs 1600 tons. The floors, walls, columns, pilasters, and cornices are made of rare marbles from Portugal, Italy, and France.
The Memorial is open to the public at all times when The Franklin Institute is open, and no admission fee is required.
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology -
Commonly called the Penn Museum. The museum is located on Penn's campus in the University City neighborhood @ 3260 South St. The Museum's three floors of gallery space feature materials from the ancient Mediterranean World, Egypt, the Near East, Mesopotamia, East Asia, and Mesoamerica, as well as artifacts from the indigenous peoples of Africa and Native America.
The Memorial is open to the public Tuesday-Sunday from 10.00-5.00pm.
Other places to visit are: