8 Under-the-Radar Museums in Philadelphia

The Rosenbach Museum & Library might be located in the middle of Center City (just a few blocks from Rittenhouse Square), but it still falls off most visitors’ radars—perhaps because it’s hidden away within two 19th-century townhouses. Named for the Rosenbach brothers, one of whom was a rare books dealer and the other an arts dealer, the museum holds their thousands-strong collection of first-edition books, historical letters, paintings, and other extraordinary artifacts. To explore, reserve a docent-led tour, during which you can also admire the period interiors.

Don’t miss: Collection highlights include original drawings and books by William Blake, a first edition of Don Quixote, and George Washington’s personal letters.

An accessible and thought-provoking complement to the 18th-century highlights of Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park, the National Liberty Museum explores what it means to safeguard liberty today—and honors the heroics of those who have fought around the world to protect democratic ideals, from Nelson Mandela to Malala Yousafzai. Offering interactive exhibitions arranged across a family-friendly scale, its galleries showcase everything from a replica of the Liberty Bell to life-sized “jellybean children,” created as a celebration of diversity.

Don’t miss: Artist Dale Chihuly’s work Flame of Liberty is a 21-foot-high (6-meter-high) glass sculpture and one of the museum’s most eye-catching highlights.

Though it’s located on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania, the Penn Museum is open to all—not just students. Founded in 1887, the museum holds a vast collection of archaeological and anthropological artifacts hailing from around the globe, spanning East Asia and the Middle East to Africa and the Americas, including everything from Etruscan armor to Mayan statues. It’s worth heading outside, too, to linger by its tranquil koi pond for a restful pause amid the sightseeing.

Don’t miss: The jewel of the Penn Museum’s collection is the Sphinx of Ramses II—it’s the largest Ancient Egyptian sphinx on display in North America.

The American Swedish Historical Museum makes a memorable first impression: Tucked away within FDR park at South Philly’s southernmost edge, it was designed to resemble Ericsberg Palace and Stockholm’s City Hall. The oldest Swedish museum in the United States, it tells the story of Swedes and Scandinavians in North America, from Viking voyages to the brief New Sweden Colony, established along the Delaware River from 1638 to 1655. To complement its 12 gallery areas, the museum also hosts regular cultural programming, including Midsommar celebrations and traditional crayfish parties.

Don’t miss: Among the museum’s artifacts, few are as impressive as its Viking sword, which dates from sometime between the 9th and 12th centuries.

Despite what its name suggests, the Fabric Workshop and Museum—founded in 1977 by art patron and curator Marion “Kippy” Boulton Stroud—isn’t just dedicated to fabric and textile arts. This boundary-pushing contemporary art museum, just across the street from Reading Terminal Market, is dedicated to the use of innovative materials more broadly, and has hosted luminaries such as Marina Abramović and Louise Bourgeois in its artists-in-residence program.

Don’t miss: In addition to its rotating temporary exhibitions, the museum also hosts a range of experiences that can be reserved in advance for a fee. Choose to take part in a screenprinting workshop or visit the archives to see artists’ materials.

Whether the Mütter Museum actually counts as under-the-radar is up for debate—the museum’s quirk has made it something of a cult classic in recent years—but this trove of medical oddities is decidedly not the first thing visitors will associate with the City of Brotherly Love. Delightfully macabre and occasionally grotesque, the Mütter Museum was founded by surgeon Thomas Dent Mütter in 1858, and is designed to inform visitors about the human body’s mysterious ailments—and how they’re treated. (Just a note to the squeamish: the wall of skulls and jars of formaldehyde may not appeal.)

Don’t miss: It doesn’t get weirder than slices of Albert Einstein’s brain, but that’s just one of many specimens the Mütter Museum has on display.

Located on Philadelphia’s northwestern edge in the tony Chestnut Hill neighborhood, the Woodmere Art Museum distinguishes itself from the city’s other art museums by dedicating its exhibitions to the region’s own art and artists. Housed in a 19th-century stone mansion, it features more than 9,000 artworks—including paintings, sculptures, and more—which span several centuries of history. The collection’s highlights include works by Mary Cassatt, N.C. Wyeth, and Benjamin West.

Don’t miss: While the museum’s interior collection is impressive, no trip is complete without seeing its sprawling sculpture garden, home to dozens of artworks immersed in the natural scenery.

The Colored Girls Museum—founded by Vashti DuBois in 2015 in the Germantown neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia—is described as a “memoir museum” that “honors the stories, experiences and history of ordinary Colored Girls.” An exhibition space as well as a research facility and place for gathering, the museum is situated within a historic Victorian house and displays everything from clothing and jewelry to furniture and art, all of which aims to elevate girls and women who are too often overlooked.

Don’t miss: The museum’s temporary exhibitions are always changing, but its 130-year-old setting is a landmark in itself, and reflective of the Black tradition of using the home as space for activism and community.