Your Guide to Free & Pay-What-You-Wish Days at Philly Attractions

Head across the Delaware River — and under the seven seas — for your splashiest birthday celebration yet.

One of the top ocean-centric attractions in the U.S., Adventure Aquarium hosts the ultimate b-day party, offering visitors of all ages free admission on their birthdays. On the guest list? Several thousand of your closest aquatic animal friends — including two hippos and the largest collection of sharks in the Northeast. Admission is always free for kids under 2.

Know before you go: Complimentary birthday tickets are only available at the box office and valid for your actual birthday. Don’t forget to bring proof of your date of birth: Your driver’s license, non-driver ID, learner’s permit, birth certificate and passport all work.

FDR Park’s American Swedish Historical Museum, modeled after a 17th-century Swedish manor, tells the story of the New Sweden colonists who settled the Greater Philadelphia area in the mid-1600s, even before William Penn arrived.

Explore the museum’s numerous galleries devoted to the history of the New Sweden Colony and the site’s vast collection of Swedish-related artifacts, including furniture, silver and fabrics. Other key exhibits tell the story of Jenny Lind, the “Swedish Nightingale,” one of the most famous opera singers of her time, and Pippi Longstocking, the beloved child character created by famed Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. 

Admission for kids under 5 is always free.

Good for: Glass enthusiasts. Check out the Linnaeus-Kalm Gallery, featuring 300 years of Scandinavian glass production, including photographs and sketches. 

On the first Sunday of every month, families can enjoy free admission (registration required) at the Barnes Foundation, along with themed art activities, intimate “in conversation” talks with artists, plus student art shows and live music. 

One of the world’s most important collections of impressionist, post-impressionist and early modernist paintings by renowned artists like Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso and Van Gogh joins American paintings and decorative arts, metalwork, African sculptures, and more — all presented in collector Albert C. Barnes’ distinctive arrangements.

Pro tip: Admission is always free for kids under 12. 

Don’t miss: Calder Gardens, located across the street. It’s an immersive experience, meant to connect visitors to nature while showcasing the works of Alexander Calder.

The grounds are just as breathtaking as the art at the bucolic Brandywine Museum of Art, housed in a renovated 1864 gristmill surrounded by wildflower gardens and the meandering Brandywine River.

Inside, works by lifelong Delaware County resident Andrew Wyeth sit beside other beautifully detailed illustrations, paintings and installations, and you can explore them all for free on the first Sunday of each month from February through November.  

Plus, admission for kids 5 and under is always free. 

Don’t miss: Scenic views of the surrounding natural landscapes from a terrace overlooking Brandywine Creek and a leafy tree-lined path running alongside the water

In the heart of Bucks County, the Michener Art Museum (named for best-selling author and Doylestown native James Michener) houses the finest collection anywhere of Pennsylvania Impressionist painters — and you can see it all for free on the second Sunday of each month.

Edward Redfield, Fern Coppedge, Daniel Garber, Charles Rosen and other artists are well represented here — including works like Garber’s magnificent mural, A Wooded Watershed, and the modernist landscape, Lace Factory, painted by R.A.D. Miller. 

Visitors will find a room filled with the powerfully organic forms of furniture by George Nakashima, the pioneering woodworker who lived and worked in Bucks County.

Admission for kids under 5 is always free.

Don’t miss: The Community Labyrinth, a meditative outdoor space featuring a winding seven-circuit pattern.

Dedicated to the four most critical pages in America’s history, the National Constitution Center takes a deep dive into what “We the People” truly means. 

The museum celebrates select civic holidays with free admission for all. (Admission for kids five and under is always free.) Explore its exhibits and artifacts, view an original copy of the Bill of Rights, walk among 42 life-size bronze statues of the delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787, and more — for $0.00 on:

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day,
• Presidents Day,
• Juneteenth,
• Independence Day, 
• Veterans Day (for U.S. military), and
• Constitution Day.

Plus, keep an eye on the museum’s events calendar for complimentary admission on Family and Trivia nights, and on monthly Sensory Friendly Days. 

Know before you go: The National Constitution Center is located just steps away from free Independence National Historical Park sites, like the Liberty Bell Center and Independence Hall.

Affectionately nicknamed PAFA by locals, this Victorian Gothic museum is composed of two main buildings: the Historic Landmark Building (designed by Frank Furness and Charles W. Hewitt for the 1876 Centennial Exposition) and the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building, which houses an auditorium for live performances. 

Inside, you’ll encounter mind-bending new work from Markus Linnenbrink, Kati Gegenheimer and Albert Gury, in addition to old-world masters like Winslow Homer and Mary Cassatt, and contemporary artists like Andy Warhol and Alice Neel. 

Bring the whole fam for free admission on select Sundays each month: Kids 12 and under always get in free. 

Don’t miss:  A Nation of Artists, a special collection honoring American artists for the country’s 250th anniversary, remains on display through September 5, 2027 

Primarily located inside Smith Hall, an elegant stone mansion on six acres in Chestnut Hill, Woodmere’s dynamic collection of over 8,000 works highlights the incredible talent of Pennsylvania artists — past and present —  both inside and outside of its walls. Check it all out for free every Sunday. (Psst: Admission is free for the under-18 crowd every day.)

Find paintings, prints and photography by the likes of Violet Oakley, Arthur B. Carles and Pennsylvania impressionists. Works by and for children also frequently grace the museum’s walls. 

Woodmere expanded its footprint in late 2025 with the grand opening of its second building, the newly transformed Frances M. Maguire Hall.

Don’t miss: Woodmere’s Outdoor Wonder sculpture garden to see pieces by Harry Bertoia, Robinson Fredenthal and many others dot the lush grounds surrounding the museum

On the first Sunday of every month, the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) invites visitors to pay what they wish to explore the entire main building.

The museum’s holdings encompass more than 240,000 works spanning 4,000 years, including pieces from the ancient world, medieval times and the Renaissance, plus iconic impressionist, modern and contemporary works by renowned artists such as Cézanne, Duchamp and Dalí.

Coinciding with the museum’s First Sunday Family Festival series, the pay-what-you-wish admission also includes fun kid-friendly crafting and activities.  

For the grown-up crowd, the PMA also offers pay-what-you-wish entry Friday after 5 p.m., typically alongside live music and pay-as-you-go snacks and drinks. 

Bonus: Young people under 18 enjoy free admission all day, every day.

Don’t miss: Cézanne’s The Large Bathers and Duchamp’s Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (The Large Glass)

Housing the largest collection of works by Auguste Rodin outside of Paris, the Rodin Museum features priceless treasures such as The Gates of Hell and The Burghers of Calais, plus a bronze cast of The Thinker and more than 150 works in bronze, marble, terracotta and plaster. 

The surrounding serene gardens are free to explore and a great place to find artistic inspiration. Gallery admission is always pay what you wish (with a suggested fee of $7 for students and $15 for adults), but the outdoor garden is free to enter. 

Admission for kids under 12 is always free.

Don’t miss: Rodin’s Hands, a sculpture collection of clenched and furious hands, on display through January 3, 2027

The free fun in Philly doesn’t end at the museum or aquarium’s front door. Spend time in Philly without spending much at all with our wallet-friendly guide to exploring the region’s top historic attractions, outdoor waterfront hangs, world-renowned murals, public art and so much more — totally free of charge. 

Insider tips: 

• ACCESS by Art-Reach offers $2, or even free, admission to over 100 museums and attractions across Greater Philadelphia to any individual with a Pennsylvania-issued ACCESS/EBT card or who identifies as a person with a disability. 

• Your SEPTA Key card also comes with perks, including discounted admission at attractions like Eastern State Penitentiary and The Franklin Institute.

• Always check an attraction’s website before swiping your card. Tons of Philly museums offer additional discounts to college students, seniors, veterans, and active members of the Armed Forces and their families.