MuseumsLocal GemRainy-day pick

Penn Museum

Penn Museum is a museum in Philadelphia, PA, part of the Philadelphia guide. Cost: under $25. Egypt Galleries closed for renovation until Dec 12, 2026, the sphinx and select Egyptian artifacts remain on view.

3260 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 · Philadelphia, PA

Why you should go…

The University of Pennsylvania's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology holds one of the great collections in the Americas, roughly a million objects gathered from its own expeditions across Egypt, Mesopotamia, Mexico, and beyond. The showstopper is a 25,000-pound red granite Sphinx of Ramses II, the largest in the Western Hemisphere, now presiding over the main entrance hall. Galleries devoted to Africa, Asia, Rome, and the ancient Middle East reward slow wandering, and the leafy courtyard garden is a campus gem.

#archaeology
#egypt
#sphinx
#university city
#artifacts

Maps and brochures

What's around here?

The closest stops to Penn Museum, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Sightseeing
Foodie Favorite
Pennsylvania Wine Country
Free
A statewide guide to Pennsylvania's wine trails, tasting rooms and vineyard events.
0.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
Museums
Local Gem
Mütter Museum
Under $25
The famously strange medical museum of the College of Physicians, antique instruments, anatomical specimens, and Einstein's brain.
0.8 mi awayMore like this
Museums
Family Favorite
The Franklin Institute
$25–$50
Walk through a giant beating heart at Philly's hands-on science playground, a guaranteed hit with kids of every age.
1.2 mi awayMore like this
Museums
Local Gem
Barnes Foundation
$25–$50
Renoirs and Matisses hung floor-to-ceiling exactly as Dr. Barnes arranged them, an art experience unlike any other.
1.2 mi awayMore like this
Sightseeing
Free
Parkway Central Library
Free
The Free Library of Philadelphia's central library on Logan Square, with free tours of its Rare Book Department.
1.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
Sightseeing
Iconic
LOVE Park
Free
Pose with Robert Indiana's LOVE sculpture and watch the fountain in a small plaza facing Philadelphia City Hall.
1.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing