Situated at the end of Benjamin Franklin Parkway in the heart of Philadelphia, the infamous Rocky-run location of this museum alone ought to be enough to wrangle any visual enthusiast. However, with holdings that range from treasures of the Middle Ages to modern masterpieces, the geographic location of the building is certainly not the only worthy attribute of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
With an interesting and easy-to-follow layout, the museum takes special care to guide its visitors historically through its holdings. Special exhibitions are extremely popular here and often require advance planning. Friday evenings tend to be a great time to visit, as crowds are usually at their minimum; the coat/bag check is free (but compulsory); absolutely no photography is allowed in special exhibits and no flash photography is permitted in the permanent collections.
Philadelphia Museum of Art (The PMA) Information
- Public Transportation: Average
- Other Venues: Perelman Building, Fairmount and Pennsylvania Avenues
- Public Transportation: Very good (both SEPTA and the Phlash shuttle provide convenient access to the museum)
- Handicapped Accessibility: Good
- Hours: Main museum Tuesday–Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Fridays 10 a.m.–8:45 p.m., closed Mondays and holidays. Perelman Building Tuesday–Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., closed Mondays and holidays
- Admission: Main museum $16, seniors (65+) $14, students and children (13–18) $12, members and children (12 and under) free; Perelman Building $9, seniors (65+) $7, students and children (13–18) $6, members and children (12 and under) free. Sundays are pay what you wish for both. Additional fees for some exhibits are required
- Tours: Free introductory walks, a broad overview of the museum’s collections, are offered daily at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. For collection and special-exhibition tours, prices, times, and dates vary
- Audio Tour: $5
- Membership: Individual membership costs $65 and includes free unlimited general admission for a year, free admission to Art After 5, one free ticket to special exhibits of your choice, free admission to the Rodin Museum, and members-only discounts on concerts and art-history courses. Discounted student ($40) and household ($100) memberships are also offered
- Other Benefits: Reciprocal admission at more than 50 museums available for each level of membership
- Note: Shuttles run between the Perelman Building and the museum’s main building every 10–15 minutes Tuesday–Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
