Penn Museum
Photo: Own work — CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
The Penn Museum, established in 1887, is the University of Pennsylvania’s museum dedicated to archaeology and anthropology, featuring extensive collections from ancient civilizations.
Planning your visit
The Penn Museum has been excavating since 1887, and its collections come substantially from its own expeditions — around a million objects, of which the Near Eastern material is the most significant.
Ur is the outstanding holding. Leonard Woolley's excavation of the Royal Cemetery in the 1920s, jointly with the British Museum, produced the gold and lapis lazuli headdresses, the Ram in the Thicket and the bull-headed lyre, from tombs where attendants were buried alongside their rulers.
The Egyptian galleries hold monumental architecture including a thirteen-tonne sphinx of Ramesses II. The Chinese collection includes the Tang emperor's stone horse reliefs. Mesoamerican, African and Native American collections are substantial.
The museum has engaged seriously with repatriation and with the ethics of its own history, including the Morton cranial collection.
It sits on the Penn campus in West Philadelphia. Allow two to three hours. The main booking is an admission ticket. Current availability is shown below.
Before you book
Where is Penn Museum?
Penn Museum is in Philadelphia, United States. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for Penn Museum?
Allow two to three hours. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Is Penn Museum free to enter?
Yes, general admission to Penn Museum is free. Guided tours and special exhibitions may still be charged separately.
What are the opening hours of Penn Museum?
Sunday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. Hours change on public holidays, so check the official site before travelling.
Do I need to book Penn Museum in advance?
Tickets can be bought on the door at quiet times, but booking ahead fixes the date and avoids the queue at busy ones. Live availability is shown on this page.
