Thank you Philly Art Museum for Pay What You Wish Sunday!

Every first Sunday (and Wednesday evenings) admission to the Philadelphia Museum of Art is “pay what you wish.” Regular admission is $20, so for an social worker/ artist/ step-mom like me, this is a huge deal! In January, my friend Lily and I took a quick journey through the museum on Pay What You Wish Sunday to celebrate her birthday.

The walk up the “Rocky Stairs” was frigid in the 5 degree early afternoon sun, but view was worth it! The entrance was packed, so we got a minute to enjoy the Skyline before cramming ourselves inside the doors.

The line moves quickly, even when an average of 8000 people come through the museum’s doors every first Sunday. And the cashier remained friendly, even as I asked nosey questions about how busy first Sundays get!

We started with Old Masters Now: Celebrating the Johnson Collection, which is only there through February 19th and definitely worth a visit. This collection of European art was full of rich colors, bold frames and a wide variety of subjects. I was mesmerized…

We spent some time in the Japanese Tea House, walking the paths and peeking through bamboo window panes to see the details up close. It had the feel of a genuine tea house and visitors seemed to instinctively know to speak softer in this space.

So many things caught my eye during our brief visit, in small galleries, around corners and tucked along hallways. There were ornate rooms decorated with antique furniture and lush fabrics and clay figures emerging from the walls. We found paper art by Korean designers, the Moorish Chief painting I’ve seen on many occasions, and figures from an Indian Temple I was seeing for the first time.

Admission, even on Pay What You Can Sunday, includes the Museum’s Main Building, the Perelman Building, the Rodin Museum and the Historic House on Cedar Grove. Parking is free if you are willing to walk a few blocks after hunting for a spot on the street. The museum has an awesome, but museum priced, gift shop and a cafe. And free coat check!

I’m already plotting to return on a first Sunday in the Spring to visit the areas we didn’t get to that day… and maybe swing back through a few of our favorites.

