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.

Uno de los top ocean-centric attractions in the U.S., Acuario Aventura 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.

Lo que debes saber antes de ir: 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.

El parque FDR Museo Histórico Sueco Americano, inspirada en una mansión sueca del siglo XVII, cuenta la historia de los colonos de Nueva Suecia que se establecieron en el área metropolitana de Filadelfia a mediados del siglo XVII, incluso antes de la llegada de William Penn.

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.

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

El primer domingo de cada mes, las familias pueden disfrutar de entrada gratuita (se requiere registrarse) en el Barnes Foundation, along with themed art activities, intimate “in conversation” talks with artists, plus student art shows and live music. 

Una de las colecciones más importantes del mundo de pinturas impresionistas, posimpresionistas y del modernismo temprano, de artistas de renombre como Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso y Van Gogh, se une a pinturas y artes decorativas estadounidenses, trabajos en metal, esculturas africanas y mucho más —todo ello presentado en las características disposiciones del coleccionista Albert C. Barnes.

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

No te lo pierdas: 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, ubicado en un molino de harina renovado de 1864, rodeado de jardines de flores silvestres y del serpenteante río Brandywine.

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. 

No te lo pierdas: Scenic views of the surrounding natural landscapes from a terrace overlooking Brandywine Creek and a leafy tree-lined path running alongside the water

En el corazón de Bucks County, El Museo de Arte Michener (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, Una cuenca boscosa, and the modernist landscape, Lace Factory, painted by R.A.D. Miller. 

Los visitantes encontrarán una sala repleta de las poderosas formas orgánicas de los muebles de George Nakashima, el carpintero pionero que vivió y trabajó en Bucks County.

Admission for kids under 5 is always free.

No te lo pierdas: The Community Labyrinth, a meditative outdoor space featuring a winding seven-circuit pattern.

Dedicado a las cuatro páginas más críticas de la historia de América, el National Constitution Center analiza a fondo lo que realmente significa “Nosotros, el pueblo”. 

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.

Más, keep an eye on the museum’s calendario de actos for complimentary admission on Family and Trivia nights, and on monthly Sensory Friendly Days. 

Lo que debes saber antes de ir: The National Constitution Center is located just steps away from free Parque Histórico Nacional de la Independencia sites, like the Liberty Bell Centro y 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. 

No te lo pierdas:  Una nación de artistas, 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’Su dinámica colección, compuesta por más de 8,000 obras, destaca el increíble talento de los artistas de Pensilvania —tanto del pasado como del presente— tanto dentro como fuera de sus paredes. Échale un vistazo a todo esto gratis todos los domingos. (Psst: Admission is free for the under-18 crowd every day.)

Encuentra pinturas, grabados y fotografías de artistas como Violet Oakley, Arthur B. Carles y los impresionistas de Pensilvania. Las obras creadas por y para los niños también adornan con frecuencia las paredes del museo. 

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

No te lo pierdas: La maravilla al aire libre de Woodmere El jardín de esculturas, donde se pueden ver obras de Harry Bertoia, Robinson Fredenthal y muchos otros, salpica los exuberantes terrenos que rodean el museo

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

El acervo del museo abarca más de 240,000 obras que abarcan 4,000 años de historia, incluyendo piezas del mundo antiguo, la Edad Media y el Renacimiento, además de obras emblemáticas del impresionismo, el arte moderno y el arte contemporáneo de artistas de renombre como Cézanne, Duchamp y 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.

No te lo pierdas: De Cézanne Los grandes bañistas y la de Duchamp La novia despojada de todo por sus pretendientes, incluso (El gran vidrio)

Alberga la mayor colección de obras de Auguste Rodin fuera de París. Rodin Museum features priceless treasures such as Las puertas del infierno y Los burgueses de Calais, plus a bronze cast of El pensador y 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.

No te lo pierdas: Las manos de Rodin, 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. 

• Tu SEPTA Key card also comes with perks, including discounted admission at attractions like Eastern State Penitentiary y 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.