Philadelphia Museum of Art
Beyond its famous staircase, Philadelphia’s landmark art museum rewards close looking across global collections and a building worth reading in its own right.
Artwork inspired by Thomas Eakins
The museum’s temple-like facade and steps are a Philadelphia icon, but the collection is the reason to enter. European and American painting, Asian art, decorative objects, and contemporary work create a wider conversation than any single masterpiece. Choose one gallery that feels familiar and one that does not; compare how artists from different places use scale, material, or portraiture to direct your attention.
Its monumental exterior turns toward the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, while the Great Stair Hall organizes a surprisingly expansive visit. Two-day admission makes a selective first visit sensible, and the Rodin Museum is included. Thomas Eakins, a Philadelphia painter represented in the collection, offers a local lens on observation and the relationship between art and the city's people.
- Opened here
- 1928
- Landmark
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- Ticket
- Two consecutive days
Quick guide
- Pick a question
- Follow one material, subject, or artist across unlike galleries.
- Use day two
- A general ticket covers a second consecutive day and the Rodin Museum.
Know before you go
- Start inside
- Give the Great Stair Hall a moment before choosing a wing.
- Compare cultures
- Set a familiar painting against an unfamiliar medium or tradition.
- Read the building
- Notice how the museum frames the city from its terraces.
- Plan the second day
- Save a gallery or the Rodin Museum rather than exhausting both at once.
Good to know
The steps and exterior are public; museum galleries require admission. Friday evening programming and special exhibitions can change access to individual spaces.
Notice these
- Great Stair Hall
- Parkway-facing terraces
- Global art collections