Penn Museum
| Type | Archaeology and anthropology museum |
|---|---|
| Address | 3260 South Street |
| Map | View on Google Maps |
| Neighborhood | University City |
| Phone | (215) 898-4000 |
| Website | Official site |
| Established | 1887 |
| Founder | University of Pennsylvania |
| Collection | 1,000,000+ objects |
| Visitors | 250,000+/year |
| Admission | $18 adults, $16 students, free for Penn affiliates |
| Hours | Tue-Sun 10am-5pm, closed Mondays |
| Transit | SEPTA trolley 34, 36; bus 21, 42 |
| Architect | Wilson Eyre, Cope and Stewardson (original buildings) |
The Penn Museum (formally the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology) is one of the world's great archaeology museums, located in University City on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. With over one million objects from excavations on every inhabited continent, the museum holds treasures from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Mesoamerica, and cultures worldwide.[1]
History
The Penn Museum was founded in 1887 following the University of Pennsylvania's excavations at Nippur in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq). These digs unearthed thousands of cuneiform tablets and established Penn as a leader in archaeological fieldwork.
For over a century, Penn-sponsored expeditions have excavated sites across the world:
- Mesopotamia — Nippur, Ur (with the British Museum)
- Egypt — Memphis, Dendara
- Mesoamerica — Tikal (Guatemala), Copan (Honduras)
- Asia — China, Japan, Philippines
- Africa — Various sites
The museum's buildings, designed by Wilson Eyre and Cope and Stewardson, were constructed in stages beginning in 1899. A major renovation completed in 2019 updated galleries and created a new main entrance.
Collection
Ancient Egypt
The Egypt galleries feature:
- The Sphinx of Ramesses II — A 12-ton granite sphinx, the largest sphinx in the Western Hemisphere
- Mummies and sarcophagi*** — Human and animal mummies
- Temple of Merenptah*** — Architectural elements from a pharaoh's mortuary temple
- Daily life artifacts — Jewelry, cosmetics, tools, and household objects
Mesopotamia
The museum's Iraq collections are among the finest outside the Middle East:
- Cuneiform tablets — Thousands of clay tablets with some of the world's earliest writing
- Royal Cemetery of Ur — Gold jewelry, lyres, and objects from 2600 BCE
- Queen Puabi's headdress — Elaborate gold headdress from a royal tomb
The Americas
- Maya artifacts — Stelae, ceramics, and jade from Tikal and Copan
- Aztec and Olmec objects*** — Mesoamerican sculptures
- North American collections — Native American art and artifacts
Asia
- Chinese gallery — Crystal ball (world's largest quartz sphere), Buddhist sculptures
- Japanese collections*** — Armor, ceramics, prints
Africa
- African galleries — Art and artifacts from across the continent
- Benin bronzes — (Subject of ongoing repatriation discussions)
Major Galleries
- Egypt (Sphinx) Gallery — Dominated by the massive sphinx
- Middle East Galleries — Mesopotamia, Iran, Israel
- Mexico and Central America Gallery*** — Maya and Aztec civilizations
- Africa Galleries — Continent-wide collections
- Asia Galleries — China, Japan, Korea
Visiting
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Hours | Tue-Sun 10am-5pm, closed Mondays |
| Admission | $18 adults, $16 seniors/students, free for children under 6 |
| Address | 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 |
| Best for | History enthusiasts, families, students |
| Time needed | 2-3 hours |
Free Admission
- First Sunday of every month
- Penn students, faculty, staff (with ID)
- Children under 6
Getting There
- SEPTA Trolley — Routes 34, 36 to 33rd Street
- SEPTA Bus — Routes 21, 42
- Walking — 10 minutes from 30th Street Station
- Parking — Penn parking garages nearby
Frequently Asked Questions
See Also
References
- ↑ "About the Penn Museum". Penn Museum. Retrieved December 23, 2025