Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

The Experience

A jewel nestled in the heart of Center City, the Pennsylvania Academy’s vast collection of American art boasts treasures by local and national luminaries such as Charles Willson Peale (founder of the Academy), Thomas Eakins (who taught here), and Violet Oakley.

One of Gilbert Stuart’s portraits of George Washington is a special source of pride for locals, as are other well-known paintings by artists such as Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Edward Hopper and Cecilia Beaux – to name just a few.

Wildly colorful and extravagantly detailed, the 1876 national Historic Landmark Building designed by Frank Furness and George W. Hewitt is considered one of America’s finest surviving examples of Victorian Gothic architecture and provides an extraordinary setting for PAFA’s historic art collection.

The Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building, which opened in 2005, is a soaring loft space which houses PAFA’s extraordinary temporary exhibitions and array of contemporary art.

History

Founded in 1805, PAFA is the nation’s first art museum and school of fine arts. The museum’s Historic Landmark Building houses works by leading American artists, as well as works by distinguished Academy alumni and faculty. Important early acquisitions include paintings by Benjamin West, a native Pennsylvanian and president of the Royal Academy in London.

Today, the Academy also features a large collection of contemporary art in the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building, which includes artists such as Bo Bartlett, Alex Katz, Faith Ringgold, Robert Ryman, Betye Saar, and Kehinde Wiley.

Insider Tip

Winslow Homer’s depiction of a russet-hued fox gracefully sprawled in gleaming white snow is a perennial favorite.

Kids’ Stuff

On Saturday mornings, the museum is alive with the sounds of children participating in anything from drawing classes to art-making workshops.