Top Exhibitions in Philadelphia
Date
March 19, 2025
Philadelphia has a treasure trove of exhibitions that attract science and culture enthusiasts from across the globe.
From world-renowned museums to cutting-edge galleries, the city offers a diverse range that caters to every taste. Here are some of the top exhibitions in Philadelphia.
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
Neighborhood: Center City
Address: 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
“Ice Dinosaurs”
Dates: September 28, 2024–May 4, 2025
Ice Dinosaurs, the Academy’s new special exhibit, takes visitors back to the Late Cretaceous period in the Arctic, where dinosaurs thrived in extreme polar environments. This immersive experience features animatronic dinosaurs, real fossils, and interactive maps, allowing guests to follow a family of Troodons. Through engaging displays, visitors can explore the dinosaurs’ adaptations, like hunting, hibernating, and nest-building, while marveling at life-like moving creatures.
The African American Museum in Philadelphia
Neighborhood: Old City
Address: 701 Arch St
“Shaheed Rucker: (re)Covering the Iconic”
Dates: December 20, 2024 – July 27, 2025
“Demond Melancon: As Any Means Are Necessary”
Dates: March 22 – September 13, 2025
Demond Melancon: As Any Means Are Necessary is an exhibition showcasing the artist’s intricate beadwork using only a needle and thread. Melancon, who began this practice in 1992, draws inspiration from the 200-year-old Black Masking Culture of New Orleans.
Barnes Foundation
Neighborhood: Fairmount
Address: 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
“Cecily Brown: Themes and Variations”
Dates: March 9 – May 25, 2025
Cecily Brown: Themes and Variations explores the career of Cecily Brown, a celebrated British painter. Featuring over 30 works, the exhibition explores Brown’s feminist perspective, reclaiming the gestural expressionism of male abstract expressionists to create dynamic, often erotic paintings. Moving between figuration and abstraction, her art critiques power imbalances and challenges gendered tropes in art and culture.
The Franklin Institute
Neighborhood: Center City
Address: 222 N 20th St.
“Body Worlds: Vital”
Dates: February 15 – September 1, 2025
Body Worlds: Vital at The Franklin Institute offers a groundbreaking exhibition featuring over 20 full-body plastinates and more than 150 additional preserved specimens. The exhibition highlights the body’s complexity, resilience, and vulnerability through vivid displays and interactive stations. Enhanced with media experiences, these displays reveal the body’s complexity, resilience, and vulnerability, deepening understanding of health and illness.
“Body Odyssey”
Philadelphia’s beloved Giant Heart has returned to the public! The heart headlines “Body Odyssey,” a new exhibition about the human body. Guests will embark on an immersive journey through the human body, exploring its inner workings and how cutting-edge technology pushes the boundaries of medicine and human performance.
“The Hamilton Collections Gallery”
The Hamilton Collections Gallery showcases the Baldwin 60,000 steam locomotive, inviting guests to explore its intricate machinery and the innovation behind the Industrial Revolution. Rare artifacts from The Franklin Institute surround this centerpiece, offering a deeper dive into technological advancements and the evolution of transportation.
Museum of the American Revolution
Neighborhood: Old City
Address: 101 S 3rd St.
“Banners of Liberty: An Exhibition of Original Revolutionary War Flags”
Dates: April 19 – August 10, 2025
The Museum will present Banners of Liberty: An Exhibition of Original Revolutionary War Flags, commemorating of the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War. This exhibition will showcase the largest collection of Revolutionary War flags in over 200 years, highlighting the colorful and symbolic banners used by the Continental Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. Featuring over a dozen original flags from military campaigns nationwide, the exhibition will explore how flag makers, including Philadelphia’s Rebecca Flower Young and Betsy Ross, used these flags to express national identity and the ideals of liberty and independence.
“The Declaration’s Journey”
Dates: October 18, 2025 – January 3, 2027
To mark the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, the Museum will present The Declaration’s Journey, exploring the history and global impact of the Declaration of Independence. This exhibition will highlight how the Declaration’s ideals have shaped independence movements in over 200 nations, becoming one of history’s most influential political documents. Featuring rare documents, artwork, and artifacts from around the world, The Declaration’s Journey will offer an in-depth look at its 250-year legacy.
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA)
Neighborhood: Center City
Address: 118-128 N Broad St
Making Strange: Sacred Imagery and the Self
Dates: November 14, 2024 through April 6, 2025
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Neighborhood: Fairmount
Address: 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
“Boom: Art and Design in the 1940s”
Dates: April 12 – September 1, 2025
Image courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art
Rodin Museum
Neighborhood: Fairmount
Address: 2151 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
“Rodin’s Hands”
Dates: Through January 4, 2026
At the Rodin Museum, “Rodin’s Hands” highlights the artist’s mastery in conveying emotion through the sculpting of hands. The exhibition features fifteen bronzes and plasters — many of which are rare or unique to the Philadelphia collection. These join the other masterpieces on view as part of one of the largest Rodin collections outside of Paris.
‘Two Hands,’ modeled 1904 by Auguste Rodin, French, 1840–1917; cast 1925 by the founder Alexis Rudier (French, 1874–1952). Bronze, 18 x 20 7/8 x 12 3/4 inches (45.7 x 53 x 32.4 cm). Bequest of Jules E. Mastbaum, 1929. Image courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2021.
There are plenty of attractions and places to explore in Philadelphia. Check out our discover page for more.
