5 incredible art attractions in Philadelphia

It’s easy to discover something new every time you visit Philadelphia. For fans of the Founding Fathers, there’s the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. And foodies will delight in endless noshing at Reading Terminal Market and fine dining in Rittenhouse Square. But did you know the City of Brotherly Love is also full of art? Here are five art attractions you shouldn’t miss:

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Flickr CC: Jason Murphy

1. Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program

Magnificent street murals are almost everywhere you turn in Philly. To view the world’s largest outdoor art gallery up close and personal, take a guided or self-guided walking tour. Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program was created in 1984 as an anti-graffiti initiative that uses public arts projects to revitalize and empower the historic city’s diverse communities. To date, nearly 4,000 murals have been created and each one tells a story—one of our favorites is Philadelphia Muses, Meg Saligman’s ode to the arts. Guided walking tours begin at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, known for its collection of 19^th- and 20^th-century American paintings and sculptures, as well as contemporary works.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

2. Philadelphia Museum of Art

Home of the famed “Rocky steps,” the Philadelphia Museum of Art houses an eclectic mix of paintings by modern art masters Paul Cezanne and Marcel Duchamp, as well as provocative etchings by Kara Walker and the pop art of Pennsylvania native Andy Warhol. The world renowned museum is known for its innovative exhibitions like “Creative Africa,” and its re-imagined South Asian Galleries, which include a stone temple hall from southern India, colorful textiles and ornate Buddhist works from Tibet and Nepal.

As a bonus, admission to the Philadelphia Museum of Art includes access to the Rodin Museum, a distinguished collection that celebrates Auguste Rodin’s career with over 140 bronzes, marbles and plasters. Highlights include the Parisian-style sculpture garden and a large scale casting of Rodin’s famous The Thinker greeting guests in front of the museum.

3. “Freedom” by Zenos Frudakis

Artist Zenos Frudakis’s fascinating Freedom sculpture on 16^th and Vine in Center City is literally bursting from the wall of the Philadelphia Performing Arts String Theory Charter School. The compelling installation has become a social media sensation. It depicts a figure in various stages of breaking free, and culminates with a standalone figure with his arms outstretched to the sky. A miniature version of the entire piece is also hidden at the base of the sculpture.

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4. The African American Museum in Philadelphia

While all eyes are on the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture Museumin Washington, DC, the small but mighty African American Museum in Philadelphia should not be overlooked. AAMP was the first institution built by a major United States city to celebrate African American art, heritage and culture, and the museum houses prominent new exhibitions and four permanent collections that include civil rights era photographs, African artifacts, Negro Baseball League memorabilia, and an interactive exhibit that heralds contributions made by people of African descent in Philadelphia during the birth of our nation.

5. The Barnes Foundation

Located on the scenic Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the unique Barnes Foundation showcases thousands of masterpieces arranged in a seemingly random fashion. But there is a rhyme and reason behind the curation of the eclectic personal collection of physician and art patron Dr. Albert C. Barnes. Visitors will find post-Impressionist and early modern paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso displayed alongside African sculpture, decorative arts, and Native American ceramics, jewelry and textiles – all grouped to show the continuity of art.

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