Philadelphia is the only UNESCO World Heritage City in the United States. What do you expect when so many historic events happened there?
It was the city where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were drafted and signed. It was America’s birthplace, but it also has an African and Swedish-American background.
Philadelphia’s history is like its famous Liberty Bell; cracked but never forgotten. It’s full of buildings that you can walk through to learn more. You’re sure to find one specialized in whatever you’re most interested in.
Keep watching to learn about the best museums in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Academy of Natural Sciences
This museum was founded in 1812 and opened in 1828, making it the oldest combination science research facility and museum in America. It has over 18 million specimens including its Dinosaur and African and Asian Halls and an extensive library,
The Academy also offers interactive exhibits for children, and there are even weekly Paleo Playdates for dinosaur-loving preschoolers. Tickets are $22 for adults with discounts available online.
African-American Museum
This museum was opened in 1976 as part of the Bicentennial celebrations. It sits a few blocks away from the Liberty Bell.
There are 750,000 artifacts. It celebrates African-American life and contributions from the colonial era to the present day. The four gallery spaces are organized chronologically with temporary exhibitions on the top floor.
The African American Museum also offers regular lectures and workshops. Family events include films, concerts, and panel discussions. You’ll often find public school students visiting on a field trip.
The museum is open from Thursday-Sunday from 10 am-5 pm. Tickets are $14 for adults.
The Colored Girls Museum
Vashti Dubois founded this museum within a three-story, 130-year-old Victorian house. It has a collection of books, jewelry, and even sounds that let anyone get a glimpse into a day in the life of Black and Brown girls. It’s also used as a research facility, gallery, community area, meditation center, and workshop.
What makes this one of the best museums in Philadelphia is that it’s one of the only ones you can contribute to. They encourage women and girls of color to submit any items that are important to them to add to the collection.
Barnes Foundation
Albert C. Barnes had a passion for collecting and teaching art. The foundation that bares his name was opened in 2012.
It displays his personal collection of over 4,000 items. They include the works of famous European artists and those of Greek, African, and indigenous cultures. The Foundation also has a 150-seat auditorium, a conservation and research lab, classrooms, a restaurant, and a reflecting pool at the entrance.
Tickets are $25 for adults. The foundation is free on the first Saturday of the month. There’s also a restaurant on-site. That’s one step up from the cafe offered by most of the best museums in Philadelphia.
Eastern State Penitentiary
This location once held notorious criminals such as Joe Bruno and Al Capone. It’s now a famous museum and a U.S. National Landmark.
The Eastern State Penitentiary was opened in 1829. It was renowned for its design and became the model for over 300 prisons worldwide.
There are seven cell blocks at the center. Permanent exhibits include Jewish Life, Al Capone’s Cell, Mursals of the Chaplain’s Office, and the award-winning Prisons Today.
The Penitentiary is open from Wednsedays-Sundays from 10 am-5 pm, and night tours are also available. Tickets are $17 for adults, and there’s also a beer garden.
Museum of the American Revolution
It’s impossible to visit the nation’s temporary capital from 1790-1800 without learning a bit more about its war for independence. The Museum of the American Revolution is one of the newest in the city, opened in 2017, but it’s also one of the best.
Exhibits house everything from artwork to weapons from the Revolutionary War. They show how it affected everyone, including colonists, Native Americans, African Americans, and women. Your $21 tickets are valid for two days in case you want to go back and look through it all again.
National Constitution Center
This is another great museum in Philadelphia for fans of Revolutionary War history. It was added to the Independence Mall on September 17, 2000, the 213th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution.
Don’t get any ideas about pulling a Night at the Museum and trying to steal the Constitution while visiting here. You won’t find it, but you will get a multi-media theater presentation explaining its importance as soon as you walk in.
After that, you’re free to visit the National Constitution Center’s many intriguing and interactive exhibits. Tickets are $14 for adults but try to buy them in advance.
The Mütter Museum
Thomas Dent Mütter was a physician and biomedical researcher. He was also part of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and established a museum in his name in 1858.
Its collection started with a few donations but has grown since then. There are over 20,000 specimens on display over two floors, including skeletons, wax models, medical instruments, and even part of Einstein’s brain.
This is one of the best museums in Philadephia for lovers of science and medicine but, If you need a break after viewings its often disgusting items, go through the Medicinal garden outside. It has over 50 herbs with detailed descriptions. The Mütter Museum even has a medical history podcast called My Favorite Malady to listen to when you leave.
Like and subscribe for more must-see museums. Keep watching to learn about more of the best museums in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
National Museum of Jewish History
This museum was opened to the public in 1976 and originally shared a building with the Congregation Mikveh Israel in the Old City. It moved to a new location in 2010 across from the Liberty Bell.
The museum has the largest collection of Jewish Americanna in the world with over 30,000 objects. There are also regular educational programs, films, musical events, and family days.
Penn Museum
If bigger is better, then the Penn Museum is one of the best museums in Philadelphia. It may not take up the most space, but it has over a million objects. They were found by the University of Pennsylvania’s own anthropology and archeological research.
There are over 30 galleries that span a range of cultures, including Mexico, the Middle East, China, and Egypt. The museum even has the largest sphinx in the Western Hemisphere at 15 tons. The goal is to show the connections between cultures and preserve civilizations that are long gone.
The grounds are also impressive. They feature gardens, a rotunda, and water features such as a fountain and a reflecting pool.
The museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays.
Philadelphia Museum of Art
This museum is known as “Philadelphia’s answer to the Louvre.” It was commissioned in 1876 for the Centennial and opened in 1928.
The museum has 240,000 pieces from around the world. Its massive collection, along with the Rocky Steps and statue, attract everyone in the city. You’re free to browse them all at your own pace.
There are also two options if all that walking makes you hungry. The Cafe is a low-key place for sandwiches, soup, and pizza. The Stir is a restaurant for a more elegant dining experience.
Tickets are $25 for adults. The first Sunday of every month is a pay-what-you-wish day.
The Rodin Museum
This museum also seems to want to compete with France. It has the largest collection of French sculptures outside of Paris.
All 124 works were created by the renowned Auguste Rodin, creator of the famed The Thinker. In addition to bronze and plaster sculptures, there are also drawings and prints.
The museum is small but powerful. Admission is free with a ticket to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. They’re not far apart, so go to both if you have the time and energy.
The Rosenbauch
This is another museum that focuses on the works of a few. It sits within two 19th-century townhouses and features the collection of brothers Philip and Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbauch. By 2013, their collection grew to over 130,000 rare manuscripts and 30,000 rare books.
Tickets are $10. Come on June 16 for Bloomsday, the day Ulysses took place in 1904. You’ll see plays, live readings, and more.
The Franklin Institute
This museum, as its name suggests, was named after the inventor and Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. It has 12 permanent exhibits, many of which are interactive. It also has the largest collection of objects from the workshop of two other important historical figures; the Wright Brothers.
Tickets are $23. There’s a cafe and restaurant on site. Beware that it may be packed.
Please Touch Museum
This is the best museum in Philadelphia that you can go to with children. What two words would they rather hear than “please touch?”
The exhibits are educational and entertaining, with toys, and playgrounds based on books. The bottom floor has pretend versions of grocery stores and machines and even features works by local children.
Parking is free on the street. There are also discounts on admissions on certain nights and special, temporary exhibits. Check the calendar before you visit.
American Swedish Historical Museum
Queen Christina of Sweden gave a sizable grant to get this museum made. The design is based on Ericbers Castle, Stockholm’s City Hall, and George Washington’s home in Mount Vernon.
The museum has 12 galleries that cover a wide range of history, from Delaware Valley’s New Sweden Colony in 1638 to today. Tickets are $10 for adults.
Independence Seaport Museum
This museum was founded in 1961. It features maritime artifacts. You’ll also see floating ships such as the Cruiser Olympia, the oldest floating steel warship in the world, and the Submarine Becuna, a WWII submarine. You can even go out on the water for kayaking.
Marian Anderson Historical Society and Museum
Marian Anderson bought this home in 1924 and lived in it until 1943. She became the first Black singer to perform at the White House and the first to sign with New York’s Metropolitan Opera.
Her home is now a museum with artifacts and photos to preserve her legacy. It’s also the hub of the Marian Anderson Scholar Artist Program.
Tickets are $10 for adults. You may be able to get a discount for large groups.
The Neon Museum of Philadelphia
Many of the best museums in Philadelphia start with one passionate collector. Len Davidson collected neon signs for over 40 years and decided to put them into a museum in 2021.
You’ll find over 120 classic and modern pieces here. Tickets are $10 for adults.
Wagner Free Institute of Science
This National Historic Landmark opened in 1855. It was designed by John McArthur Jr. who also mapped out city hall.
The Institute has over 100,000 ancient specimens that are all displayed in 19th-century style, sitting in cherry wood and glass cabinets. The Institute is also a research center, library, and educational facility.
PAFA
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts was the first art school and museum in America. Its collection is so large that it has to be spread across two buildings.
The first one is grand and historic. Walk past Claes Oldenburg’s Paint Torch sculpture to see the one next door that has a more contemporary design.
Have you ever gone to a museum in Philadelphia? Let us know in the comments.