Penn Museum
Meet a colossal Egyptian sphinx, then ask how ancient objects reached Philadelphia and whose interpretations guide them now.
Artwork inspired by Henry Ossawa Tanner
The Penn Museum grew from university excavations into a collection spanning Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the ancient Mediterranean. A thirteen-ton red-granite sphinx greets visitors near the entrance, but the visit goes beyond monumental objects: look for people, languages, and living communities behind the displays. The Native North America gallery, developed with Indigenous advisors, makes the museum's changing approach to interpretation visible.
Choose two or three galleries rather than trying to race the entire building. Ask what is original, what is reconstructed, and how each object came to the museum. The Egypt galleries are undergoing a multi-year renewal; the sphinx and other Egyptian objects remain viewable, but do not arrive assuming the full former Egypt suite is open. Check the current exhibition map before booking.
- Signature object
- 13-ton Egyptian sphinx
- Approach
- Archaeology and anthropology
- Egypt galleries
- Renewal in progress
Quick guide
- Start with the sphinx
- See the red-granite sculpture near the entrance, then read its journey to Philadelphia.
- Select your galleries
- Pair one ancient-world collection with Native North America or another community-centered display.
Know before you go
- Meet the sphinx
- Look closely at inscriptions and the way an object can be reused over centuries.
- Trace provenance
- Ask how an excavated object arrived here and which histories the label foregrounds.
- Listen to communities
- Notice where living people help interpret material from their ancestors.
- Plan around renewal
- Check which Egypt rooms are open before centering your visit on them.
Good to know
The sphinx is visible even while the full Egypt galleries are being renewed. Buy or reserve ahead if your visit is tied to a particular time or program.
Notice these
- Colossal sphinx
- Native North America gallery
- World archaeology