PHILADELPHIA'S EXCEPTIONAL COLLECTIONS

From Priceless Works Of Art To Literary Masterpieces,
Some Of The World's Most Amazing Collections Live In Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA – Fascinated with fine art? Curious about cars? Want to know more about mummies? Visitors to Philadelphia can see dozens of collections large and small—from rare books to Renoir masterpieces to throwback toys—at some of the city's most renowned museums. The result of a penchant for collecting through Colonial, Victorian and more modern times, each one of the depositories listed below offers great artistic, historic and/or cultural value, and all are open to the public.

Artistic Wonders:

• More than 200 galleries and 226,000 works comprise the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA), one of the largest museums in the United States. Inside this sprawling landmark, visitors can ogle art by classic masters like Marcel Duchamp and Constantine Brancusi, as well as modern greats like Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly and Cy Twombly. Also on view: Thomas Eakins' The Gross Clinic, which the museum owns and shares with the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. The PMA also oversees the nearby Rodin Museum, which is home to more than 140 bronze, marble and plaster sculptures that represent every phase of the prolific career of Auguste Rodin. 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, (215) 763-8100, philamuseum.org
• Internationally known for its collection of more than 12,000 American paintings, sculptures, drawings and works on paper, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) includes masterpieces dating from the 1760s through present day. Among its many pieces, the museum displays works by historic artists like Winslow Homer and Edmund Tarbell, contemporary American artists like Jennifer Bartlett and Frank Stella and 500 key works by female artists. 118-128 N. Broad Street, (215) 972-7600, pafa.org
• Dr. Albert C. Barnes established the Barnes Foundation in 1922 in order to “promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of fine arts and horticulture.” Showcasing one of the most important art collections in the world, this museum is best known for its extensive holdings of post-impressionist and early modern paintings. The collection, displayed in the idiosyncratic arrangements left by Dr. Barnes, includes 69 works by Cézanne, 46 by Picasso, 59 by Matisse, seven by Van Gogh and the world's largest single grouping of Renoir paintings (numbering 181). 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, (215) 278-7200, barnesfoundation.org

The Best Of Books:

• In 61 locations throughout the city, the Free Library of Philadelphia houses a treasure trove of books, reference materials, music and artwork. Its rare book department is among the largest in American public libraries, made possible by a series of gifts from bibliophile benefactors. The library's holdings also include an extensive collection of automotive literature, including manuals, sales literature, photography and periodicals; the largest lending library of orchestral performance material in the world; and more than 65,000 children's books published between 1837 and the present. 1901 Vine Street (Parkway Central Library), (215) 686-5322, freelibrary.org
• Bookworms find hundreds of thousands of pages to pore over—and much more—at The Rosenbach of the Free Library of Philadelphia. The museum and library was established to share the rare volumes, manuscripts and decorative and fine art amassed by two renowned Philadelphia dealers who were specialists in these areas. Treasures from the founders' collection include the only surviving copy of Benjamin Franklin's first Poor Richard Almanack and the manuscript of James Joyce's Ulysses, and it has grown to include the papers of poet Marianne Moore, Bram Stoker's notes for Dracula and the drawings of Maurice Sendak. Hands-on tours, offered almost every Friday and Sunday at 3:00 p.m., pry open rare and important items not usually on view to the public and invite visitors to turn the pages of old novels or read from a manuscript. 2008 Delancey Place, (215) 731-1600, rosenbach.org

History Lessons:

• The 15-ton, granite Sphinx of Ramses II, the golden headdress of Queen Puabi and a wide range of Native American jewelry are just a few of the more than one million objects found in the Penn Museum. Dedicated to the understanding of cultural diversity and the exploration of the history of humankind, this renowned institution boasts one of the most extensive collections of Egyptian artifacts in the United States, as well as more than 1,400 Mediterranean artifacts, an acclaimed Benin bronze collection from Nigeria and an assortment of treasures uncovered during archaeological and anthropological expeditions across the world. 3620 South Street,(215) 898-4000, penn.museum
• As its name suggests, the Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent houses a remarkable collection of more than 1000,000 artifacts chronicling the history of the City of Brotherly Love. As visitors walk through galleries like The Ordinary, the Extraordinary, and the Unknown: The Power of Objects and Made in Philadelphia, they can marvel at everything from George Washington's 1790s writing desk to Joe Frazier's 1970s Championship boxing gloves. 15 S. 7th Street, (215) 685-4830, philadelphiahistory.org

Collections Of All Sorts:

• With a collection totaling more than 20,000 specimens, models, instruments and artifacts, the Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia celebrates the history of medial science. More than 140,000 visitors come to the museum each year to peer at the unusual treasures contained in the Mutter's many display cases, including a plaster cast of conjoined Siamese twins Chang and Eng, a tumor from the jaw of President Grover Cleveland and Albert Einstein's brain. 19 S. 22nd Street, (215) 563-3737, muttermuseum.org
• From Magna Doodle, View Master, Rubik's Cube and Chutes and Ladders to Barbie dolls and Star Wars action figures, the Please Touch Museum's collection features more than 25,000 items—primarily toys manufactured after 1945. The fun-filled, family-friendly collections are used both in exhibits throughout the gallery floor and as part of the museum's educational programs. 4231 Avenue of the Republic, (215) 581-3181, pleasetouchmuseum.org
• Over a period of more than 50 years, classic car enthusiast Dr. Frederick A. Simeone has amassed one of the world's greatest collections of racing sports cars. His fleet of more than 60 high-performance vehicles is on display at the impressive Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, named “Museum of the Year” by the International Historic Motoring Awards in London. Showcasing Ferraris, Jaguars, Alfa Romeos, Aston Martins and a slew of other high-performance automobiles made from 1909 through the mid-1970s, the museum tells the story of the evolution of the racing sports car. 6825 Norwitch Drive, (215) 365-SAFE, simeonemuseum.org
• Located in Bucks County, the Mercer Museum uses its array of more than 40,000 objects to demonstrate what pre-1850 life was like in America. The towering concrete castle houses everyday items like clothing and ceramics, as well as large pieces like a whaling boat and even an antique fire engine. The museum is especially renowned for its many tools and artifacts associated with pre-industrial trades, including metalworking, woodworking, textiles, agriculture and transportation. Rotating exhibitions round out the draws here. 84 S. Pine Street, Doylestown, (215) 345-0210, mercermuseum.org

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CONTACT:   Donna Schorr

(215) 599-0782, donna@visitphilly.com