Definitely take this place for granted sometimes. Rotating exhibits, some classic wings, and lots of classes take place here. Well written information in each exhibit and plenty to explore, good for all ages! I've been to many events here, and the staff and organizers make sure to put a lot of work into everything for the public. read more

This gem of a museum & building are a must-see when you come to Philly. I especially loved the Egyptian gallery. It is closing this Sunday for an extensive renovation which will take 4-6 years. I got there just in time! The model of the throne room was incredible! The stone sphinx was so cool. The fact that I could walk right up to everything was so inspirational to me. This was a museum well worth the time! read more

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An amazing museum right on Penn's campus. Since I'm an employee I get free admission but the normal admission is well worth what you get. The museum is large with multiple floors full of interesting artifacts and exhibits. They divide up into sections of the world so you get to immerse yourself into one culture and then hop over to the next. The collections they have are expansive and does a great job of being interactive, educational, and approachable. I see lots of families come which I absolutely love but this really is a museum for all. They have lots of cultural events such as for Lunar New Year and Dia De Los Muertes that fun for young kids and people over the age of 12. They also have a wonderful summer music series in the courtyard that is very fun to go to. read more

If you have a college student ID, make sure to bring it because you can get the discounted tickets for $10. For that price, this place is definitely worth checking out! Overall, this museum is quite quaint. The Middle Eastern Gallery exhibit was pretty large and had a lot of items on display. I also really liked the Egyptian exhibit, which had numerous real mummies on display and a lot of interesting information to read. The China & Japan exhibit seemed to have mostly Chinese, and it was almost entirely statues and Buddhism-related displays. Some of the exhibits had an interactive screen for more information rather than your typical signpost. Just a note, especially if you visit on a hot summer day: not all of the exhibits are air conditioned. There are also renovations underway right now, so we didn't get to see some things that I had been looking forward to, such as the Sphinx. read more

I'm embarrassed to admit that I wasn't expecting the Penn Museum to be as wholly amazing as it turned out to be. I mean, it's not like I didn't Yelp it before going. I read the rave reviews. I don't know why I so shamefully underestimated the joint. Maybe because I come from DC where we have a collection of world-class museums at our fingertips, and all for free. But the Penn Museum is a *real* peach, and completely worth the short three-hour ride from The District. Moms and I came to see The Secrets of the Silk Road exhibit. China's been a bit, ahem, stingy about where it travels and how long they'll loan out the collection. In fact, the Penn Museum was the only museum on the East Coast to have the honor. So we wanted to get in to see the exhibit before it left for the homeland on March 28. Again, I was expecting a bit of a rinky-dink affair, so I had to eat a crow sandwich as we toured this phenomenally executed exhibit. I was beyond impressed by the quality of the one- to two-thousand-year-old artifacts, from textiles to petrified dumplings! But the permanent collections at this sleeper gem are equally enthralling, rivaling Natural History in DC, the Met in New York, and Field in Chicago. Greek and Roman statues, glass, mosaics, and coins. Mesoamerican fertility figurines and Aztec ceramics. Mesopotamian lapis lazuli. Asian deities and African rugs. Egyptian jewelry, tomb relics, and a mummy so well preserved it made me feel woozy. There is SO MUCH to see here you could pass an entire day wandering the halls and exhibits. Technically admission is "free," but we didn't seem to have a whole lot of choice about paying the $10 entrance plus the cost of admission to The Secrets of the Silk Road. No matter, because this is a place well-worth supporting. read more

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I love this place! I am Lenni Lenape (Delaware Indian) and this is the only place I can find that has an exhibit dedicated to my people. I also love the exhibits dedicated to Asian and African cultures. You could spend a long time here, so pack a lunch and take your time! read more

I've been to the University of Pennsylvania many times in my off and on living in Philadelphia ... and despite me wanting to not say this 'I have never been wowed.' It has always struck me as a scattered museum experience with a few exceptional objects and a lot of average archaeological findings. The displays have always been heavy on reading and never feel very comprehensive concerning any region or period. They have just redone the Near East galleries. They look okay. A lot of cases, better lighting, a lot of reading ... and a few notable objects like the Ram in the Thicket from Ur. In the rest of the museum, there are a couple of wonderful Egyptian items (although the Sphinx was closed on my recent visit) and an amazing crystal ball in the Chinese section. Sadly it doesn't appear they have any major exhibit on the Lenni-Lenape who were the Native Americans who first lived in this area before the Europeans arrived. There was no line to get in and only one person working the admissions desk which was quite enough because the museum was not crowded at all. I wish it were and I wish perhaps the museum might expand and show more cultures and objects because then maybe it would attract even more locals and Philadelphia visitors and truly become the world-class museum I always have thought it could be. read more

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Cool ancient artifacts from around the world, though the museum will be undergoing renovation for some exhibits, including the Sphinx. read more

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Great old museum. The building and architecture are just as impressive as the artifacts of the museum. Great Egypt displays and a wonderful spynx. They have night at the museum programs and host lots of school trips. If you have an opportunity to see this museum, then you absolutely need to see it read more

Great place right by UPenn hospital. Beautiful area to come sit even if you don't want to go inside the museum. I been inside 3 times total. It's a bit expensive for my taste. If you are a penn student, it's free. For all other student it's $10 and without student ID it's $15. Museum isn't that big. Today I went to go check out their middle eastern exhibit. Wants worth the $15 dollars I paid. However, it's perfect to check out if you are a pen student and going for free. read more

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Collection from around the world largely acquired during colonialist times that should be returned or displayed for free for impoverished Philly residents. Much like the antiquities of the British Museum much of the collection was taken from countries and native peoples during times of their oppression. Although the museum is beautiful and the pieces are well maintained and cared for, they should be returned. However, if the exhibits were made free to Philadelphia's poor communities of color then perhaps an education mission could be justified instead of using the proceeds to line Penn's already overflowing (and under taxed) pockets. read more

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I've been dying to come here for their Egyptian exhibit and I made it 40 minutes before closing on my last day in Philly! (They close at 5) YES Jackpot!!! I zipped straight to the beautiful Egyptian exhibit on the first floor and was blown away by the huge captivating sphinx in the middle of the room surrounded by 4 pillars. The 3rd floor mummy exhibits were colorful and descriptive, and though this Egyptian exhibit is smaller than that of the NYC MET, it is equally as intriguing and equally as magnificent as the MET. I am very satisfied with my quick trip to PENN! read more

As my daughter was out on the field hockey pitch sweating her butt off my wife, son and I were in the air conditioning of the Penn Museum. the three of us are museum nerds and made a whole day of this visit. The exhibits here are very well organized and the descriptions of the exhibit were worth the read. Very well maintained (as one would expect from a place like this) and clean this place has one spectacular room after another. My son LOVED the Egyptian exhibit and was literally pulling me along to get to the next display. The food in the cafeteria is a little pricey, but that was expected. Parking was close and we really had a great time here. If you love wandering through a museum and learning about the cultures and art and architecture of those cultures then this is a museum for you! read more

Excellent Museum. 1) One of the best museum in the Northeast. 2) Came here with the joint ticket from the Mutter Museum. Totally worth the price. 3) I enjoyed the Chinese and Japanese exhibit. read more

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This working museum (I call it that because they do a lot of research and perservation work here), I like the entry way, a long pool and a ornate gate. You enter through the downstairs. The architecture is reminiscent of the rest of Penn's campus with the dark red-brown brick. Free admission, and if you would like to donate, you can. Inside, you'll find Egyptian sculptures, one of the largest Chinese crystal balls, mosaics, and more. Tours for people who want to look around with a guide are available, and lots of local school children passing through here. Also classrooms for the Penn students. A classroom downstairs available for tests or larger groups, too. read more

Mummies, skulls, and scrolls Spend a lazy afternoon Roaming through these halls Party in Egypt or the picturesque courtyard It's all awesome here. I was especially impressed with the tombstones and mummies on display for the Silk Road exhibit. Definitely check out Penn Museum's calendar for various special events. read more

Yo! I have been dying to go here for years. Archaeology had always been a huge interest of mine, and when I decided to take a random trip to Philly this was legit the ONLY thing I planned out. I grabbed a hotel off Priceline on the road up there and made sure it was within walking distance. We woke up early Friday and made the 1.5 mile hike to the museum and just walking in I was super stoked. They have a koi pond out front and the koi are ginormous, clearly they have been there for some time. The museum entrance fee turned out to be free for me because of the Blue Star promotion-so that made everything 5x better. As per the suggestion of the workers, we started at the 3rd floor and it was mummies on mummies and BABYLON! Sorry... I told you this stuff excites me. We worked our way through 3-2-1 and it was really cool to go early on a weekday because Penn students were working on preservation and revelation of exhibits while you are going through. For example there was a preservationist in the Mummy lab as well as archaeologists revealing a mural in the Chinese/Japanese section. The Etruscan, African/Evolution and Sphinx areas were all my favorites. A must visit if you are in Philly! read more

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We came here on museum day for free! Lots of people and the museum was a bit stuffy due to the crowds. Great exhibits and narratives but you can tell some info need update soon. The lab area was great to see conservators at work and she was willing to explain what she working on. We love museums and definitely didn't spend enough time here to see everything! Will come back. Only wish parking was easier to access to. read more

Penn Museum - Museums Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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The collection is as good or better than many university museums (and I've been to both Yale's and Oxford's). I had not realized how active the school was in the early days of archeology. The Middle Eastern collection in particular is outstanding, and they have updated that part of the museum with interactive displays. I was fascinated by the ornaments from the burial of a queen from what is now Iraq. I also like that they work with people in Syria and Iraq to save artifacts there from ISIS. There is also an extensive Egyptian collection, housing the only sphinx in the Western Hemisphere.  She will be under wraps for a while, though, while they renovate that part of the historic building. Visitors have a chance to watch conservators at work in two parts of the museum, with glass-sided labs. read more

Up until this last weekend, I had only been to the Penn Museum in middle school because we were learning about the Middle East. I saw that the Egyptian gallery was going under renovations for 4-6 years and figured why not go and check out the Sphinx. In July and August they are offering admission at $10 for everyone, although I still have my student id if needed, lol. The galleries are really interesting. So much to take in. I would say it's not a kid friendly museum, so you might want to leave your young ones at home unless you know that mummies are going to hold their attention. The sphinx is really cool, its the 6th largest one in the world, the 4th outside of Egypt and the largest in the Western Hemisphere / the US. I actually enjoyed the skulls I saw in the Middle Eastern gallery that were flattened for thousands a years under the ground and they had them on display and then a computer representation of what the people looked like when they died. The pros - all of the amazing items from around the world. To have a place here in Philadelphia is really special. The museum is also close to the University City train station so taking Septa was great. Cons - I don't know if its always like this, but the temperature! There were parts of the museum that were HOT and in July I can't. I. can't. I wasn't the only one fanning themselves with the free map. Also, like I said, it's not really kid friendly. I could see some getting really bored. In that case, just sit them in the Egyptian gallery. read more

I last went here with my father, who wanted to show off his alma mater [we also toured the campus, which is a delightful place chock full of lovely architecture] while we were in Philly. The fifth star, in truth, is at least partially due to the personal tour he gave, having majored in Anthropology when he was an undergrad. For a university museum in particular the place is flatly amazing, though, and I know full well that the amount of artifacts that go permanently unseen in their vaults is even more breathtaking- a part of me weeps to know I'll never manage to see all of it, though I believe they do attempt to rotate out some of the inventory now and then. What of it -is- on display is wide-ranging and very well-organized for the greatest possible impact in the space provided. read more

Penn Museum - Qing dynasty flawless crystal sphere on a waveform stand, property of Empress Dowager Cixi of China- photo courtesy of UPenn - Museums Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Very cool collection of stuff that's been found. It's mind blowing to imagine cultures from around the world, what they were doing and feel like I'm just a blip in human history. The Egyption exhibit is outstanding. You can tell that this was one of their main focuses. There's quite a collection of Greek pottery and Roman artifacts. My second favorite exhibit was China. This museum is massive, and the architecture of the museum itself is a marvel. I would give 5 stars if everything else was up to par with Egypt. It was like this gorgeous and well planned exhibit stretching out over several floors and everything else just had a room each. Still, an interesting visit. read more

Penn Museum - Second largest prefect crystal sphere in the world - Museums Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Very nice and worth a visit! A TON of artifacts in each exhibit, and a ton of exhibits. You could definitely spend a long afternoon in here. A great mix of photos, replicas, dioramas, interactive media, digital touch screens, audio recordings, and of course actual artifacts. Plenty variety for anyone and everyone to find something interesting. For only $10 during the summer, definitely worth the visit. It's clear that this is a long-established and reputable place. read more

Penn Museum - Oh. My. G. - Museums Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This museum is beyond amazing...make sure you bring enough quarters cause this isn't one of those quick skip through type of museums. ( Yea to cover everything ya gonna need about a good 3 hours..stack ya quarters lol) I swear I felt like I was in the middle of an episode of Mysteries at the Museum and for only $15 all the stuff they have there the view and experience is crazy...I'm definitely going back without a doubt.. read more

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Mummies, Roman statues, the third largest sphinx in the world: The Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology is fantastic! I loved this museum when I first toured it almost ten years ago for a business event, and I loved it just as much on my second visit during Fair Food Philly's Brewer's Plate event. Exploring ancient history with a beer in hand is definitely an awesome experience. The architecture of the building (especially the rotunda) is breathtaking and the grounds are lovely. This is a great museum and should not be overlooked by visitors or long-time residents. read more

On a weekend trip to Philly, my boyfriend and decided to stop by the Penn Museum since we had some time to kill on Saturday afternoon. We had always planned to go to other museums (AMNH, The Met, MoMA, etc.) but never really got around to it. So we seized the opportunity. I am obsessed with Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece. He majored in Asian Studies in college. Basically, this was perfect for both of us. When we went, they had their fantastic Egypt exhibit right before their Asia exhibit. We spent almost an hour in each of them. The Penn Museum boasts of having the third largest sphynx - which was pretty amazing. However, I was most impressed by their mummies. They have three. Wow. After that, we went through the Asia exhibits (Chinese rotunda and Buddhist exhibits). We then quickly went through the Greeks, Romans, and Etruscans exhibit. This worked out great for us because I told him about my obsessions and he told me about his. Let's just say this nerd romance at its finest. We didn't have much time left after that, so we were unfortunately unable to visit the War Rugs from Afghanistan exihibit, the Lanape exhibit, or the Vampire exhibit. This museums is definitely larger than I had expected. The only thing I was disappointed with was the Silk Road exhibit which we rushed to right before the museum was closing. There was no mention of the fact that the artifacts on display had already been taken away and all that was left were photographs of the items. I wish we hadn't waited until the very end because it left us feeling a bit sad. All in all, it was definitely a great experience and I would not hesitate to go back to see the things we missed. read more

I had to visit to take notes and pictures as a basis for two term papers for two different classes. Nice little diamond in the rough. While not as large or well known as many museums of history, the diversity of cultures and information given with artifacts and exhibits are great. The building itself is beautiful and old, congruent with the aesthetically pleasing architecture of most of UPenn's original buildings. -Free for kids under 6, museum members and PENNcard holders -$8 normal admission -$5 students with ID and seniors over 62 It's also free after 4PM on Sundays at least (it's only open till 5PM on Sundays) but may be open close to closing on all days. I only went at 4PM on a Sunday; as such crowds were light and I had most of my time to myself. Easily walkable from the University City SEPTA Regional Rail station just down the street, right accross the street from Franklin Field. I really will have to try and go back, there's so much that I missed. read more

And I thought the Carnegie Museum of Natural History had a ton of Egyptian artifacts. This just blows it away! If you're into Egyptian history and artifacts, this is the place for you! It's incredible to look at these massive objects and think....how did they get buried, how did they ship it over here....HOW did these people even find a pea size earring from some Egyptian fashionista! I was surprised at myself because I was really fascinated with the Iraq's Ancient Past Gallery. Maybe I ignored one too many a history class, but I wasn't aware of a lot of the facts they displaced in the gallery. I also enjoyed the history of Ur and how it was buried underneath Iraq and reading about the excavation of it. I also loved the Battleground: War Rugs from Afghanistan exhibit with all the different rugs on display. In America, we buy rugs from Ikea with nice happy colorful flowers on them. These rugs had guns, bazooka's and grenades on them. Very startling but eye opening to what they actually experience and see in daily life. It was HOT HOT HOT in some of the rooms....I'm going to go ahead and guess that some rooms just can't be air conditioned because of the artifacts. Or maybe they just want to save on their electric bill. Who knows. That's why I liked the Iraq exhibit, because the AC was blasting in there! Regardless, incredible museum packed full of incredible artifacts and exhibits! read more

Well, this was a treasure that I missed when I was an undergrad here. I am sooo glad that I was able to visit this place now. PERMANENT EXHIBITS This place has a wonderful permanent collection of Roman, Greek, Egyptian, Asian, Islamic, and native American artifacts. I now have a membership here and it is wonderful to be able to go to events after work here. Here are some benefits with membership here. MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS * Invitations to Young Friends events (quizzo, lectures, socials) * Free ticket(s) to special exhibit such as the Silk Road * Discount or free admission to monthly lecture series * Validated parking at the museum garage for $8 (regular daily parking $17) * Discount at the gift shop and the cafe PEPPER MILL CAFE Oh yeah, the Pepper Mill Cafe has vastly improved here. I came here last year for the Chinese New Year celebration and it looks like a hole in the wall. After renovations, it looks alot nicer and the food is alot better than before when I was here last year for Chinese New Year. I would even say that it's food and pricing is alot better than the Phila Art Museum. For the Silk Road exhibit, the Pepper Mill Cafe had the Steamed Mussels, Lemongrass, Thai Basi, Chili Coconut Juice as main dish for $6.50 and it was a generous proportion of mussels. Plus, it had a side of Stir Fried Corn, Broccoli, Lemongrass, Chili, Garlic, Soy Sauce. My friend had the Thai Green Curry, Tofu with no complaints. Well, I have taken advantage of some the events here and it is wonderful. The museum really knows how to bring people together with their lecture series and Young Friends events. Overall, with or without the special exhibit I would have to give this place a solid 5 stars. Now to my review of the Silk Road. SECRETS OF THE SILK ROAD 2/19/2011 - 3/28/2011 Wow!!!! I just went to the exhibit yesterday and it was totally amazing. We arrived at 10 to beat the crowd but realized that it had already arrived. Many people have taken advantage to see this exhibit which is making its only East Coast appearance here. I had gotten membership here so I was able to get a free ticket. But, adult ticket was $22-23 which is well worth it for this one in a lifetime experience. Only downside is that there is no photography which is understandable since these are ancient and delicate artifacts. However, you can pick up a postcard or the Silk Road book at the gift shop. The layout was a bit confusing since we entered and was expecting to go straight through all the exhibits. Afterwards, we realized it was a dead end and had to wind back to the entrance but through another room. No biggie. It would have been nice if there was an exhibit map to help us out. Actually, we did it backwards and avoided the high traffic at the entrance and in the middle. You will be shocked that the clothing, shoes, and jewelry are all ornate beyond what you would expect back in those days. Plus, there is strong Western influence which is really interesting. Here are the highlights of this special exhibits. * Mummies (infant and adult) and their coffins * Clothing, felt hats, and shoes * Artifacts of ceramic figurines, combs, jewelery, blankets, etc * Interactive exhibits which teaches you poetry, influences of the Silk Road (pistachio, guitar, etc.) * Recreations of the cemeteries where these artifacts were excavated * Official trading document and other written documents I would recommend visiting during the week if you can since it looks like the weekend has the highest traffic. We came after it has opened after the first week and it is still quite busy. read more

Okay, I didn't see any reviews written about the sleepover at the Penn Museum called 40 Winks with the Sphinx, so I figured I'd write one. We spent the night here with our 8 year old daughter and it was a ton of fun! Think Night at the Museum meets Trivial Pursuit (for kids ages 6-12). There were interactive trivia games, scavenger hunts and a "lights out" tour with flashlights through the museum. There were also 4 classes held that you could attend and learn how to make origami shapes, write in hieroglyphics, do yoga and touch a 3,000 year old Peruvian mummy! Very kid friendly and a gateway for some really thought-provoking questions that enabled higher-order thinking with your kids. If you decide to spend the night here, don't sleep in the main room with the Sphinx if you can avoid it. There's a room just off of the main area that houses a replica of an Egyptian king's temple. I highly advise sleeping in that room. You're a little bit more removed from the 150 or so other people attempting to sleep on a hard floor! You will hear coughing and snoring and many other sounds that accompany those that actually did sleep during the course of the evening, just be prepared. Bedtime is at midnight and they are quick to turn the lights on at 7:00 a.m. (don't worry, there's plenty of coffee ready for you during breakfast the following morning). This was a once in a lifetime opportunity not to be missed, especially if you have kids who wouldn't be freaked out by the mummies, have an interest in more than just tv and video games, who aren't afraid of the dark and can tolerate standing around for long periods of time. Great for families, groups (there were tons of Girl & Boy Scout kids) and for those kids with a true sense of adventure! read more

The University Museum can make for a great hour of exploring or you could easily spend a day (or several days!) examining everything housed there. Unfortunately, it's quite lacking in visitor services. If you want to visit this place-- and you should-- just be prepared to find your own way among the galleries. That said, many of the artifacts are not encased or hidden behind windows. There is nothing quite like standing right next to an ancient Egyptian spinx or between two enormous Chinese dog statues. I can see this museum growing into something even better over the next ten or twenty years. Right now, they actually have a temporary exhibit going about the history of the museum so far. I recommend checking that out. The layout and mood of that exhibit is particularly accessible and interesting. read more

Penn Museum is a cool space housing relics and artifacts mostly from antiquity - ancient Egypt, classical Greece, etc. The sculptures and the information were all cool. The museum is also in a really nice place on Penn's campus, and the garden outside the entrance and the surrounding areas are all quite pretty. The museum isn't too large, but it's overall a neat experience. read more

The Secrets of the Silk Road was incredibly well done. It was engaging and interesting. The mummies were displayed in a way that I felt almost...creepy being that close. They were some great interactive parts to the exhibit. The line moved quickly to get in and once inside the entrance, spread out a bit. We explored the upstairs a bit as well - the Egyptian collection is really cool (more mummies!) and they have some amazing artifacts. All around an awesome Philly museum. read more

Great museum and very well kept up, and all the staff and professors here really care about the place. Lots of anthropology classes take place in this building, which is half museum and half classrooms/offices. Absolutely a treasure gem of a museum. Free admission helps too. The cookies from the Museum Cafe are to die for! It's also often rented out for events. read more

I just have so many mixed feelings about archeological-type museums. Yes, it is masterful seeing the Egyptian sphinx or the Buddhist statues here, but I always can't help but think that their rightful place is not here in Philadelphia but actually in Egypt. What is the solution? I do not know. If you want to see artifacts of the Mediterranean, China, Africa or Native Americans, this is a great museum for you. Me, I will head to other museums. Maybe it is because of the movie Poltergeist that I am so wary of moving ancient burial grounds. read more

For a university museum, it has amazing collections. The focus is definitely on archaeology with anthropology being tightly woven into the topic. First, the only reason the museum loses a star is for the fact that it is so specific and has some smaller displays than larger museums (I'm thinking DC's Smithsonian). But, if you want a look into the human past from ancient Egypt to Israel, from China to Meso-America, this is your place. The entrance fee is actually fairly low ($10-12 maybe), and there aren't ever too many people there-- a problem with other larger art and natural history collection museums. They often have numerous special exhibits that are very well curated and insightful. The best I've seen was the special exhibit on Iraq and Sumer. Regardless, if you're into human history, this museum will impress. read more

It's hard to smack-talk any place that gives me free admission (Penn student). But regardless, this is a great museum to spend a couple hours at. Right now the special exhibit is Cultures in the Crossfire, about the heritage and art currently being destroyed in Syria and Iraq as a result of the ongoing warfare. I found it intriguing and the information was displayed in an easy to follow format. Apart from that, the sphinx and other Egyptian galleries were incredible and well-curated. Not to mention the nice gardens outside. Would highly recommend to anyone in the area. read more

I have an unhealthy fascination with mummies. When I was in elementary school I became obsessed with the process of mummification, probably because I thought it was awesome that they pulled your brain out through your nose. Also I think canopic jars are sweet and have a replica of one on my mantel. This is my kind of museum. I brought my 11-year-old sister here for a long afternoon and there were lots of things to keep both of us happy. I thought the artifacts were sweet, particularly their collections from Egypt. My sister was uber-impressed by the 4500-year-old sandals, which she deemed "stylish." The replica of a temple from Amarna on the first floor is pretty awesome, and apparently home to one of the largest sphinxes. They do a good job of balancing the interesting and educational; I didn't feel like I was lecturing at my sister but she definitely left knowing more than when she came! Particularly about how they take mummies' noses out through their brains. The museum itself is beautiful (definitely make sure to stop by the Chinese rotunda!), and there are great outdoor spots to get some work done, have your lunch, or just sit and enjoy the sunshine. It definitely feels secluded from the rest of the city. My only complaint is that the layout of the museum is not intuitive and could use some better signage. At times it felt as though we were wandering randomly in search of an exhibit. read more

I was really interested in seeing the Secrets of the Silk Road exhibition while it was at Penn Museum. My boyfriend and I were able to walk there from UPenn's campus. The architecture of the museum is pretty nice; the large brick building encloses a tranquil courtyard with a large pool. General admission is $10, children and students with ID is $6, but the prices are higher for the special exhibition. I can't remember exactly what the total came out to be, but it was over $20. I have always been interested in Central Asia so the exhibit was pretty interesting and fun for me. My boyfriend enjoyed it as well. There was a mummy, textiles, interactive activities, etc. After exploring that section, we were surprised to find out that the museum is actually quite big, with several floors and collections in (taken from their website): African Section, American Section, Asian Section, Babylonian Section, Egyptian Section, European Archaeology Section, Historical Archaeology Section, Mediterranean Section, Near East Section, Oceanian Section, and Physical Anthropology. We were getting pretty hungry so we powered through several sections and but stopped to really admire the top floor rotunda. It was really impressive, being 90 feet tall and 90 feet in diameter. It took our breath away. If you enjoy museums, do check this place out. read more

If you are intrigued by the ancient world, of myths and mysteries, then you will love the UPenn Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology. I visited for Yelp's Night by the Nile back in October. During the event many of the curators were around to give tours through the Silk Road exhibit. They are all very knowledgeable and can tell fascinating stories. It's always intriguing to listen to how ancient civilizations lived, died, and how they practiced their religious rites. I explored a few other sections, but definitely am going to have to plan another visit soon to see more of the museum. read more