Travel the world in a day.
Through a million extraordinary objects, the 137-year-old Penn Museum tells the stories of people from across the globe: Africa, Asia, the Americas, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East.
Explore our shared humanity through 10,000 years of history—from the royalty of ancient Egypt and the very first cities in the Middle East to the vibrant cultures of Mexico and Central America to the lives of Native American communities today.
World wonders you don’t want to miss:
• A 25,000-pound solid red granite sphinx—the largest in the Western hemisphere!• A 49-pound crystal sphere in the Asia Galleries
• Stela or stone monuments from Mexico and Central America that light up to illuminate ancient writing
• A golden “Ram in the Thicket” from the royal tombs of Ur
• Exquisite textiles on view in the Africa Galleries.
This year’s Wawa Welcome America Free Museum Day is your last chance to see Native American Voices: The People Here and Now—before its transformation into the new Native North America Gallery, opening on November 22, 2025.
Exhibitions on view –
Preserving Assyria showcases archaeology’s role in safeguarding cultural heritage in conflict zones through touchable 3D replicas of monumental relief carvings, digital reconstructions of an ancient city, select artifacts from the Penn Museum’s collections, and photographs from ongoing excavations.
U-2 Spy Planes & Aerial Archaeology zooms in on top-secret aerial reconnaissance materials from the Cold War with photographs offering 70,000-foot-high views of ancient archaeological sites.
Into the Blue: The Pursuit of a Color highlights 20 objects spanning 4,000 years to demonstrate how this popular hue continues to hold significant meaning for many cultures.
Advanced registration is required to receive free tickets. Click here to reserve your tickets.
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