Penn Museum | Penn Today

36 hours in Philadelphia

The Penn Museum’s Native North America Gallery and College Green are among the recommended destinations for a weekend trip to Philadelphia.

Psychology explains why you can’t spend more than 30 seconds looking at artwork in museum

A study conducted at the Penn Museum found that participants who engaged in a 15-minute “slow-looking” exercise reported stronger feelings of absorption, compassion, and personal enrichment.

A person jumping in the double dutch ropes on the Penn Museum courtyard.

A celebration of freedom, wellness, and community

On June 13, the Penn Museum opened its doors and courtyard to visitors for a free day of live performances, a health and financial literacy fair, and family activities.

3 min. read

A Juneteenth celebration in front of the Penn Museum.

A festival of community, culture, and freedom

Combining the Penn Museum’s Juneteenth celebration with Wharton’s Wellness Empowerment Project, the Penn Museum is offering free admission on June 13.

1 min. read

A new landmark survey aims to bring transparency to museum collecting practices

“Next week, the Penn Cultural Heritage Center (PennCHC) at the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Museum will launch a first-of-its-kind survey exploring the collecting practices in place at museums and libraries across America.”

Penn Museum’s new gallery shares Native history, told by Native voices

“The Penn Museum's completely reimagined Native North America gallery brings together ancient artifacts and contemporary works across four geographic regions, starting with the Lenni Lenape, who lived and thrived here in our region.”

From MLB to archaeology: A look at former Phillie Brad Lidge’s retirement journey

Former Phillies pitcher Brad Lidge is now an archaeologist and on the board of advisors at the Penn Museum.

Former All-Star closer Brad Lidge is now an archaeologist

“The former Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies standout [Brad Lidge], who retired from MLB in 2013, is now a working archaeologist and recently joined the Board of Advisors of the Penn Museum, one of the largest archaeological museums in the United States.”

Who, What, Why

Who, What, Why: Kara Butler on museum education

Butler, a fourth-year anthropology and communication double-major from Philadelphia, is starting a master’s program at the Graduate School of Education in the fall, with the goal of becoming a museum educator.

2 min. read

What museums do with their items that aren’t on exhibit

Laura Holtz Stanton of the Penn Museum discusses the many uses for materials stored at museums.

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