Crowning the western end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Fairmount, the Philadelphia Museum of Art (rebranded in 2025 as the Philadelphia Art Museum) is one of the largest art museums in the United States. Visitors come for a collection spanning thousands of years and for the 72 granite steps Sylvester Stallone made famous in Rocky.
Inside the Greek Revival building, European galleries display Rogier van der Weyden’s Crucifixion diptych, Jan van Eyck’s small Saint Francis, Cézanne’s Large Bathers, and Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. Marcel Duchamp’s peephole installation Étant donnés draws a steady line of visitors. The Asian wing includes a Japanese ceremonial teahouse and a Chinese palace hall. Frank Gehry’s renovation, completed in 2021, reopened the long-closed north entrance and created the Forum, a vaulted central hall. Special exhibitions rotate throughout the year. Outside, families pose with the bronze Rocky statue at the foot of the steps.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Hours change periodically, and the museum is typically closed on certain weekdays, so check the official site before you go. Friday evenings run late and offer pay-what-you-wish admission. Children under 12 enter free. Weekday mornings bring the lightest crowds. Climb the steps at sunrise to get the skyline view without the queues. Your ticket also covers the Perelman Building across Kelly Drive. The Rodin Museum and Barnes Foundation are a short walk down the Parkway. SEPTA buses 32, 38, and 48 stop nearby. Paid parking is available in the garage on the west side of the building.
