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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent

15 South 7th Street
215-685-4830
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Note: The Philadelphia History Museum is currently closed for renovation and will reopen in 2012.

In 1938, inventor and radio pioneer A. Atwater Kent purchased the former Franklin Institute building at 15 S. 7th St. and gave it to the city on the condition that it house a museum, named after him, that would be dedicated to the history of Philadelphia. Founded that year and opened to the public in 1941, the Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent (formerly the Atwater Kent Museum) has been going strong as the city’s history museum ever since. The museum currently holds a collection of Philadelphia history composed of more than 100,000 objects. Exhibitions at the museum invite visitors to explore more than 300 years of the city’s past, focusing on items from William Penn’s utopian original plans for the city to artifacts from the Phillies’ recent World Series title. Art enthusiasts should note in particular the hundreds of paintings in the Historical Society of Philadelphia Collection. The museum’s engaging exhibitions feature large-scale objects, hands-on experiences, and multimedia presentations that show visitors what makes The City of Brotherly Love so unique. (KCE)

Philadelphia History Museum Information

  • Public Transportation: Excellent (a 2-minute walk from SEPTA buses 17, 33, 38, 44, 47, 47M, 48, 61, 62, 78, and MFO, and the Broad Street and Market-Frankford subway lines; NJ Transit buses 400, 401, 402, 404, 406, 408, 409, 410, 412, 414, and 417; and PATCO Trains at the 8th Street Station – Market Street between 8th & 7th Streets)
  • Handicapped Accessibility: Good
  • Hours: TBA
  • Admission: TBA
  • Tour:Guided and Self-guided tours of new exhibitions and opportunities for collection-based programming are available
  • Membership: Individual/Student ($35); Seniors ($25); Household ($55); Participating ($75); Sustaining ($125); Contributing ($250); Sponsor ($500); Atwater Kent Society ($1,000). Member benefits include unlimited free admission; invitations to members-only events; free or discounted admission to PHM programs and activities; a subscription to PHM’s e-newsletter, Historically Speaking; a 10% discount on purchases in the Museum Store; discounted parking nearby; and free admission to local museums, including the American Swedish Historical Museum, Independence Seaport Museum, Mummers Museum, National Liberty Museum, Rosenbach Museum and Library, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
  • Young Friends Memberships: A $10 add-on to any membership level for young professionals. Members participate in educating Philadelphia’s youth about their city by raising funds to support school groups visiting the Museum. Benefits include quarterly Young Friends social events; volunteer opportunities; and program and event discounts
  • Other Benefits: At the Participating Level ($75) members receive reciprocal benefits through Time Travelers at 200 participating history organizations nationwide. At the Sustaining Level ($125) members receive reciprocal benefits through NARM (North American Reciprocal Museums) at over 450 participating museums throughout North America.