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.

Um dos 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.

Saiba 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.

FDR Park's Museu Histórico Sueco Americano, O hotel, inspirado em uma mansão sueca do século XVII, conta a história dos colonos da Nova Suécia que se estabeleceram na área da Grande Filadélfia em meados de 1600, antes mesmo da chegada 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.

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

No primeiro domingo de cada mês, as famílias podem aproveitar entrada gratuita (é necessário se cadastrar) no Barnes Foundation, along with themed art activities, intimate “in conversation” talks with artists, plus student art shows and live music. 

Uma das coleções mais importantes do mundo de pinturas impressionistas, pós-impressionistas e do modernismo inicial, de artistas renomados como Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso e Van Gogh, se junta a pinturas americanas e artes decorativas, trabalhos em metal, esculturas africanas e muito mais — tudo apresentado nos arranjos característicos do colecionador Albert C. Barnes.

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

Não perca: 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, instalado em um moinho de grãos de 1864 que passou por uma reforma, cercado por jardins de flores silvestres e pelas curvas do rio 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. 

Não perca: Scenic views of the surrounding natural landscapes from a terrace overlooking Brandywine Creek and a leafy tree-lined path running alongside the water

No coração de Bucks County, o Museu 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, Uma bacia hidrográfica arborizada, and the modernist landscape, Lace Factory, painted by R.A.D. Miller. 

Os visitantes encontrarão uma sala repleta de móveis com formas orgânicas marcantes, criados por George Nakashima, o pioneiro marceneiro que viveu e trabalhou em Bucks County.

Admission for kids under 5 is always free.

Não perca: The Community Labyrinth, a meditative outdoor space featuring a winding seven-circuit pattern.

Dedicado às quatro páginas mais importantes da história dos Estados Unidos, o National Constitution Center analisa em profundidade o que “Nós, o povo” realmente significa. 

The museum celebrates select feriados nacionais 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.

Além disso, keep an eye on the museum’s calendário de eventos for complimentary admission on Family and Trivia nights, and on monthly Sensory Friendly Days. 

Saiba antes de ir: The National Constitution Center is located just steps away from free Parque Histórico Nacional da Independência sites, like the Centro Liberty Bell e 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. 

Não perca:  Uma nação 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’A coleção dinâmica do museu, com mais de 8.000 obras, destaca o incrível talento dos artistas da Pensilvânia — do passado e do presente —, tanto dentro quanto fora de suas paredes. Confira tudo de graça todos os domingos. (Psst: Admission is free for the under-18 crowd every day.)

Encontre pinturas, gravuras e fotografias de artistas como Violet Oakley, Arthur B. Carles e os impressionistas da Pensilvânia. Obras feitas por crianças e destinadas a elas também costumam enfeitar as paredes do museu. 

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

Não perca: A Maravilha ao Ar Livre de Woodmere O jardim de esculturas, onde se podem ver obras de Harry Bertoia, Robinson Fredenthal e muitos outros, pontilha os jardins exuberantes que cercam o museu

No first Sunday of every month, o Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) invites visitors to pay what they wish to explore the entire main building.

O acervo do museu abrange mais de 240.000 obras que abrangem 4.000 anos, incluindo peças do mundo antigo, da Idade Média e do Renascimento, além de obras icônicas do impressionismo, do modernismo e da arte contemporânea de artistas renomados, como Cézanne, Duchamp e 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.

Não perca: De Cézanne Os Grandes Banhistas e de Duchamp A Noiva Desnuda pelos Próprios Solteiros (O Grande Vidro)

Abriga a maior coleção de obras de Auguste Rodin fora de Paris, o Rodin Museum features priceless treasures such as Os portões do inferno e Os burgueses de Calais, plus a bronze cast of O Pensador e 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.

Não perca: As mãos 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. 

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