Philadelphia Museum of Art, A treasure trove of masterpieces from Van Gogh to Picasso.
2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19130
4.7
Introduction
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the largest art museums in the United States, located at the west end of Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. Built in 1876 to coincide with the first World's Fair held in the same year, it has significant historical significance. The inspiration for the building came from the South Kensington Museum in London, and the museum currently has a rich collection and is one of the three largest museums in the United States. The museum is built in a neoclassical style resembling an Ancient Greek temple and is known as the "Parthenon of America". Famous collection highlights include Picasso's "Three Musicians," Duchamp's "The Large Glass," Van Gogh's "Sunflowers," and Cézanne's "Large Bathers."
The first floor of the museum features Pennsylvania American art and special exhibitions, while the north side of the second floor houses many Impressionist works and the south side showcases Medieval European and Ancient Eastern art. In order to reach the entrance of the museum, visitors must climb the famous "Rocky Steps," consisting of 72 high steps. From here, visitors can overlook the entire Benjamin Franklin Parkway and City Hall. There is also a statue of the main character Rocky from the classic Hollywood movie "Rocky" below the steps. The movie and the character of Rocky represent a symbol of aspiration for a generation of men, so many tourists gather on the steps to take pictures imitating Rocky’s boxing pose, perhaps to gain strength and courage from this iconic character. Address 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19130
Opening hours 10:00-17:00
Wednesdays and Fridays extended to 20:45 for closing
closed on Mondays and statutory holidays.
Transportation Can be reached by walking along Franklin Avenue all the way; take bus 38 to Art Museum Dr & Kelly Dr-MBFS station and get off; take bus 43 to Spring Garden St & Kelly Dr station and walk north-west for about 3 minutes to reach.
"Picasso has a vast collection of artworks."
