Philadelphia Museum of Art

Overview

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the largest and most important art museums in the United States, housing over 240,000 works spanning 2,000 years. The Greek Revival building on Fairmount is crowned by the famous "Rocky Steps."

Highlights

• Rocky Steps: The 72 stone steps immortalized in the 1976 film, with a bronze Rocky statue at the base.
• Arms & Armor: One of the finest collections of medieval and Renaissance arms in the Western Hemisphere.
• Period Rooms: Complete architectural interiors from a Japanese teahouse to a French Gothic chapel.

History

Founded in 1876 as part of the Centennial Exposition, the museum moved to its current Beaux-Arts building in 1928. A $233 million renovation by Frank Gehry, completed in 2021, added 67,000 sq ft of new gallery space.

Visitor Tips

• Pay-what-you-wish on the first Sunday and every Friday evening (5–8:45 PM).
• Run the Rocky Steps — it's a Philadelphia rite of passage.
• Duration: 2–3 hours.