The Philadelphia Museum of Art begins to impress before you've even entered it. This grand neoclassical building, constructed in 1876, stands atop a hill gazing over the rest of Philadelphia. If it looks familiar to you, that may be because the steps leading to the entrance are those immortalised by Sylvester Stallone in the Rocky films. Pose for a picture by the Rocky statue that stands there now.
Even if you put a whole day aside, you probably won't see everything in the museum complex. Reduced-price, two-day tickets are available consider buying one if you have enough time while you’re in Philadelphia. European collections inside the main building span from the medieval period to contemporary art. There is an impressive hoard of early Renaissance work from Italy and Flanders. Later, French Impressionism and Post-Impressionism feature heavily, with a particular focus on the sculptor Auguste Rodin. In the European section, you'll find the second-largest collection of arms and armour in the U.S.
The Museum's American collections cover 300 years of art and are considered among the finest in the country. There is a particular slant on this region of the States, with furniture and ceramics crafted in Pennsylvania, as well as the most comprehensive display of Thomas Eakins' work in the world. Artists featured from elsewhere include Pablo Picasso, Jean Metzinger, Marcel Duchamp and Salvador Dalí.
Other highlights in the museum are the Persian and Turkish carpets, and re-creations of a Japanese teahouse, a Chinese palace hall and an Indian temple hall.
The museum puts on approximately 25 exhibitions a year. Check the website to see what's on during your visit. If the size of the museum seems overwhelming, take the “Introduction to the Collection” tour or download a few of the excellent podcasts available.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is in Fairmount Park on the hill at the end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The Main Building and the Perelman Building close only on Mondays. The Rodin Museum closes on Tuesdays.
