Philadelphia Museum of Art: a practical visitor guide

More Philadelphia Museum of Art guides

• In 2 hoursA 2-hour route through the Philadelphia Museum of Art: Van Gogh, Cézanne, Duchamp, Brancusi, period rooms and the Rocky Steps, with timings and tips.
• Hours, tickets & free entryPhiladelphia Museum of Art hours, ticket price, pay-what-you-wish times, free entry for under 19s and the best time to visit. Checked in 2026.
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• With kidsHow to visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art with kids: a 75-minute route, the Rocky Steps, free entry for under 19s and practical tips for families.

Why visit

The museum sits in a Greek Revival temple at the end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and holds more than 240,000 objects: Van Gogh's Sunflowers, Cézanne's Large Bathers, the world's richest Marcel Duchamp collection, Brancusi sculptures, period rooms and major Asian art. Its steps are famous as the Rocky Steps, so most visitors take a photo before or after going in.

The name: Philadelphia Art Museum or Philadelphia Museum of Art?

In October 2025 the museum rebranded as the Philadelphia Art Museum, but in February 2026 its board reversed the change. It is again the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA). You will still see both names in older articles; it is the same museum.

How to plan your visit

• Check the calendar first: the museum is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.
• Buy a timed ticket online at weekends or for special exhibitions.
• Allow time for the Rocky Steps and the Rocky statue at the foot of the stairs.
• Pick up the free floor plan: works move rooms for loans and restorations.
• The Rodin Museum is a few minutes away on the same Parkway and has its own ticketing.

Hear the stories

Instead of renting an audio guide, point the AnyArt camera at a painting or sculpture and hear its story in your language. It is especially helpful in the modern galleries, where labels rarely tell the anecdote.