Penn Museum
Student price: Free for Penn students, $10 for all other students
Don’t want to go too far? Penn’s Museum of Archeology and Anthropology has one of the most prominent collections in the United States and the world. Take one more thing off your Penn bucket list.
The Penn Museum is at 3260 South Street.
Rosenbach Museum & Library
Student price: $5, free on Tuesdays
This museum is an intersection between art and literature, featuring rare manuscripts, books, and incredibly exhibitions of a myriad of authors and movements. Exhibitions during September include “Deciphering Ulysses: A Playful Introduction to Joyce’s Novels” and “Catholics in the New World: A Selection of 16th-18th century manuscripts.” Check out the reading room if you’re looking for a place to sink into your new book and get away from Penn.
The Rosenbach Museum is at 2008 Delancey Place.
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Student price: $14, or a Student Membership for $40 (Allows access to the Art After 5, Mount Pleasant, Cedar Grove, the Perelman Building and many more things.) [Ed. Note: The membership is so so so worth it.] Also pay-what-you-wish Sundays after 5 p.m.
The crown jewel of museums in the City of Brotherly Love. Take your Rocky-esque picture asap. (Preferably on Sunday after 5pm) Revisit the museum you haven’t gone to since freshman NSO!
The PMA is at 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Shofuso: Japanese House and Garden
Student Price: $4 for students
The Garden, housed on Fairmount Park, includes a koi pond, an ornamental garden, a main house and a tea room. Definitely a sight to see.
The Japanese House and Garden is at Landsdowne Drive and Horticultural Drive.
Institute of Contemporary Art
Student price: Free
Come, eat at KC and come back. You won’t have to pay a dime. Be unique and get an Andy Warhol poster for your room.
The ICA is 36th and Sansom.
The Barnes Foundation
Student price: $10 collection, $15 collection + exhibition. Also free on first Sundays of the month.
More than 3,000 masterpieces. 181 Renoirs. 69 Cézannes. 59 Matisses. 46 Picassos. 16 Modiglianis. 7 Van Goghs. Need I say more?
The Barnes Foundation is at 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Philadelphia Magic Gardens
Student Price: $5 for students, $10 for adult walking tours
Have you lived in Philadelphia if you haven’t been to the magic gardens? Recycling glass and ceramic materials, artists Isaiah Zagar constructed an incredibly display of public art in the City of Philadelphia right on South Street.
The Philadelphia Magic Gardens are at 1020 South Street.
Other cheap, no Penncard needed alternatives:
The Rodin Museum
Price: The museum requests an $8 donation
The museum houses the largest Rodin collection outside of Paris and Europe. The museum was recently renovated. Come check out a bronze cast of The Thinker, or go on a date to the surrounding gardens before summer is dead.
The Rodin Museum is at 2154 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
National Museum of American Jewish History
Student price: If you're 21 and under, pay only $11 to get in. Admissions after 5:00 pm is pay-what-you-wish.
The museum has a myriad of subjects it encroaches— from Art, to History of Jewish Immigration and Civic Service, to Judaism as a religion per se.
The National Museum of American Jewish History is at 101 S. Independence Mall.
The Fabric Workshop and Museum
Student price: Admissions is $3
If you’re interested in fabric art, check out the Fabric Workshop and Museum, which is devoted to new and alternative media by up and coming artists. They also host interactive workshops were you can get your hands dirty.
The Fabric Workshop is at 1214 Arch Street.
The Mummers Museum
Student price: Admission is $3.50
Come learn about a centuries-old Philly tradition held every New Year’s Day, where people dress up in costumes and parade around the city. It is believed to be the oldest folk festival in the USA.
The Mummers Museum is at 1100 S. 2nd Street.
Please Touch Museum
Price: Admission is only $2 per person on Wednesdays
Relive your childhood through a series of live-puppet shows, interactive activities, and storytelling. TOUCH EVERYTHING BECAUSE YOU CAN.
The Please Touch Museum is at 4231 Avenue of the Republic.
