Honestly, I had no idea this place existed until I saw it advertised and decided to check it out. I'm glad I did because it ended up being one of the more unique museums I've visited in Philadelphia. It's a relatively small and intimate space. The first floor has a gift shop and an area for workshops and activities, while the galleries are spread throughout the building. When I visited, the first-floor exhibition featured quilts, while the upstairs gallery focused more on themes of American culture. Both were fantastic. The quilt exhibition was probably a traveling show, and I absolutely loved it. I know several quilting enthusiasts, so I have at least some appreciation for how much time, patience, and technical skill goes into creating these pieces. Some of them felt less like blankets and more like full-scale tapestries. The level of detail, color work, and craftsmanship was incredible. The upstairs exhibition had a much stronger political and social commentary element, which I personally enjoyed. Art doesn't have to exist solely to be beautiful or entertaining. It can challenge ideas, express opinions, document experiences, and start conversations. I appreciated that the museum embraced that side of art rather than shying away from it. One of the coolest parts was the workshop area downstairs. There was a small market set up and plenty of people actively crafting and creating things. For a moment I wanted to join in, but the space was packed. Then I watched what everyone was making and quickly realized these people were good. Very good. At that point I remembered I was in a fabric museum and workshop and that my own sewing abilities are... let's politely call them limited. The only thing that felt a little awkward was how often the museum reminded visitors about the recommended donation. I completely understand why. Free museums need support, and I have no issue contributing. It just came up enough times that I started feeling a little self-conscious about it. I was already planning to donate on my way out, but repeated reminders always make me feel slightly uncomfortable even when I understand the reason behind them. Overall, this was a wonderful surprise. Thought-provoking exhibitions, beautiful craftsmanship, active creative spaces, and a welcoming atmosphere. If you're interested in textiles, contemporary art, or just want to discover a museum that's a little different from the usual Philadelphia lineup, it's definitely worth a visit. read more

See all

Popped in to thaw my dawgs and was greeted by a lovely giftshop. Lots of gorgeous prints and jewlerly made by local artists and my favorite-- free postcards!! I was hoping to see the workshop, but the day I went only the 1st floor exhibits and the 8th floors were open to the public. I recently got back into sewing, so this was a great opportunity to explore new ways fabric has been used for expression. read more

The Fabric Workshop and Museum - Tapestry - Museums Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

love a surprise museum. They normally are free, niche, and not busy and this one hit both marks. Saw a really intresting installation that sparked some good conversation and I wanted to bring the leaf cocoons home with me. For a random stop because I happened to park in front of the door this was a cute wrap up to an overnight stay in Philly read more

See all

This was an interesting museum in center city Philly. I stumbled upon it walking by Reading Terminal market. The musuem isnt big and it's free. You can view it in less than 30 mins. The staff was nice and there is a gift shop located on the first floor. This is a free museum, but donations are welcomed. The selection is very versatile and interesting. read more

The Fabric Workshop and Museum - This is the 8th floor of the museum - Museums Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I love going to The Fabric Workshop and Museum. I enjoy the changing exhibitions as well as attending different workshops and pop up events. The gift shop is also a fun place to check out before leaving. There's a basket full of art prints that's free to take. I love seeing the works of art I've seen previous here. read more

The Fabric Workshop and Museum - Museums Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I had no idea what to expect from this little museum but I was ASTOUNDED by how high quality and interactive the summer 2024 exhibits were. From caregiving whack-a-mole to a cabaret artist's multimedia gender journey, everything was thoughtful and gorgeously crafted - so much more than "fabric" arts! read more

See all

We parked in front of the museum to go to the market and didn't even notice it was a museum at first. With further inspection we decided to pop in and check it out. It was an interesting exhibit for sure. We really enjoyed the upstairs portion that allowed you to be the supporter or supportee (I forget the actual words) but it was a nice way to interact with the people we came with. Overall would I go out of my way to come here? No but I'm glad we randomly popped in. read more

The Fabric Workshop and Museum (FWM) is special. It's a small museum - but so specialized!! It's a contemporary art museum devoted to the creation and presentation of innovative works of art (especially works that experiment with new materials and new media). I visited a few weeks ago when I was a on a 2-day museum crawl through Philly, and I had such a great time. It's open Wednesday through Sunday and free to visit (they suggest a $5 donation). Advance registration is encouraged but not required; I didn't reserve ahead and it wasn't very busy when I visited on Saturday afternoon. The highlight of the visit for me was a certain amazing exhibition: "Jayson Musson: His History of Art." So amazing. If you love art, be sure to put FWM on your list of art museums to visit in Philly! read more

See all

I stop by this exhibit to take a look at the whole thing talk about maybe 15 minutes. It's need to see if you're passing by but not really something that you'd go out of your way for since the exhibit so small read more

Small, interesting and pay-as-you wish, one can walk through and enjoy the gallery-like museum in less than a half hour. Take a couple of minutes to peruse the gift shop where I spotted a chair covered in fabric that I remembered from the Museum of Moving Images in Astoria. (The cashier confirmed my recollection!) Current exhibits are on the ground and top floors. An installation called 'Bitter Fruit' by exiled artist Ahmed Alsoudani, shows the sense of a refugee's estrangement through what's described as "grotesque and provocative imagery." Please bring your proof of covid vaccination card, as they do indeed check. When you leave, it's a short walk to the Reading Terminal Market where you can grab a bite of lunch. read more

Came here with my inlaws recently and I was kind of underwhelmed. I still don't really understand why this place is called the FABRIC Workshop and Museum when the exhibits have virtually no fabric! We started on the first floor, and there were a few framed pieces of fabric with some cool info about them - so far, so good. After that, though, things went downhill. The rest of the first floor had a large seating area where a video was being shown of some woman wearing a pumpkin on her head creating life out of another pumpkin headed creature (which I think ended up being the same woman, maybe). Sound weird? I kind of liked it but the video kept going and I wanted to see FABRIC-related content (at the FABRIC Workshop and Museum), so we journeyed up to the second floor. What awaited us? Another video with the same actress doing a weird monologue! This one was basically a series of statements like (and I'm making this one up): "I'm Pepsi and I'm Coke, and I'm the man who drops your coat." Just imagine stuff like that for ten minutes plus and you have a sense of the exhibit. there were also some animations of a depressed looking cartoon projected on the walls - maybe his pajamas were fabric-related, I guess? Finally, we moved onto the eighth floor, and I actually really liked the exhibit up there (cool grotesque sculptures that used injury to indicate cultural isolation, I think) but it once again had nothing to do with fabric. There's no entry fee, which is nice. Overall, I guess I would have given this place three stars if the name was more representative of the content, but we left feeling disappointed. One of our guests specifically chose to come here because she was interested in fabrics and really wanted to learn more about them, so obviously she was annoyed. Anyway, maybe come check it out if you're in the area, but prepare for lots of non-fabric content! read more

Definitely a must see exhibit space in Philly - it's free, which I love, but they just have such eclectic and exciting works of art. One of their most recent sets: Blood Moon and Bitter Fruit (Ahmed Alsoudani) were really out there, but I was totally into them both. Blood Moon was a beautiful exhibit asking what would happen if you created your own ideal partner - would they want you back though? All in black in white with fun videos on two floors, interesting monologues and quirky characters, I found this to be a fresh take on art. Bitter fruit was sort of an alien gross anatomy exploration of organs and shapes with vibrant colors. Tips/Takeaways: -Really cool to check out, free, could easily spent 1-1.5h here depending on the exhibit -COVID proof of vaccination required -Slow elevators/ideally unidirectional flow of traffic read more

What an unexpected entertaining delight. We stumbled into the Fabric Workshop and Museum, internationally acclaimed collaborator of artists worldwide creating new works, visionary exhibitions and a variety of public programs. At the time of our visit, exhibitions were available on only two floors - top and the first. Staff and literature were very helpful in explaining and assisting us with our questions. Anything and everything textile...weaving, hooking, sewing, stitching. Needless to say, the fabrics and exhibits were unusually creative, stunning and gorgeous...a little too little. Did I mention it is FREE. read more

I was walking by and the window display caught my eye. I walked in to discover a delightful shop with visually appealing trinkets, art, and gifts in every little corner of their gift shop. While I didn't go beyond the gift shop, I thoroughly enjoyed popping in. I'll definitely be back when I have more time to linger. read more

The Fabric Workshop and Museum - Museums Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

This was a cool museum to see in Philadelphia. Tickets were easy to reserve online and were feee with a suggested donation. There were 3 levels of exhibits to look at and each level had a staff person available to answer any questions. It took about an hour to get through. The art was really cool and engaging. It was something different than just looking at paintings. read more

The place was cute and quirky. The first, second, and eight floors are available for viewing at the time. Feel like you should check out the website before deciding when to visit - the current exhibition was not as engaging as I had hoped. It is a chill place to stop by and visit. While some of the exhibits include virtual portions and sound components, the place was relatively empty. Could see this as being a good place to go before catching a bus or flight or before visiting the reading terminal across the street. Very relaxed experience that would take about ~30 minutes to get through unless you sit down for all the video exhibits. They also have classes that I would recommend checking out on a free day. The employees and gift store were great! read more

Really cool spot. Completely free to get in. The website on the cell phone was a little challenging, so just rotate the calendar and select the dates you want to go. Then you will get to an option to select the number of tickets, and be able to go through the shopping cart with zero charge! A link to a ticket will be texted to you which you can then save to your wallet. When I went, there were three floors that were open. Other floors are available for tour by request. read more

The Fabric Workshop and Museum - Ulfirst floor - Museums Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I love museums and try to go to different ones wherever I can. Philly has some great ones. Medical oddities. Historical. Flags. Art. Sculpture. Yada yada. This weekend we had time to kill - 15 minutes to be exact - before a walking tour and I saw this was just two doors away from our meeting spot. While we didn't have time to go through the actual museum itself, I thought at least could support the museum by SHOPPING! I love the BlueQ line. They are racy, hilarious, and they use recyclable materials in a lot of their products. I was delighted to find one of their items that I needed - a coin purse. SOLD. I was back outside in a few minutes and I was happy to at least support the museum this way. read more

The Fabric Workshop and Museum has been a part of Philadelphia's art scene for decades. They continue their long standing practice of inviting world renown artists including Kiki Smith, Ann Hamilton and William Wegman, to come and work collaboratively with there staff on new and ground breaking pieces. The recent exhibit/collaboration with Ursula von Rydingsvard was excellent. It included several of her large scale wooden pieces, some beautiful framed pieces and a gigantic leather jacket made from over 90 repurposed leather jackets. There is also a museum shop with small artworks, limited editions and great art books. read more

See all

Great experience!! Fun, thought provoking and just all around different place to check out.

This is an exciting, vibrant place of which Philadelphians should be proud. Artists-in-residence have included Faith Ringgold and Kara Walker. The exhibits are unusual and thought-provoking. But despite the name, don't expect just clothing and quilts. Founded in 1977, the workshop supports artists working in new media. You are just as likely to find sound and video installations as you are works with woven fabrics. It's a one-of-a-kind organization. As a casual observer of art, I'll admit that a few installations were lost on me. Without proper cultural and personal context, I have trouble connecting to some works. But other times I was thrilled with artists pushing boundaries and creating pieces that moved me, upset me, made me laugh, or all of the above. I encourage everyone to check it out. For just a $5 suggested donation, what have you got to lose? read more

The Fabric Workshop and Museum is the perfect bite-sized stopping point for budget-conscious travelers interested in the modern art scene and thought-provoking exhibitions. It's also conveniently located near the Reading Terminal market and Chinatown, so it's a good area to checkout anyway for ambitious tourists. Sign their guest book at the door, then take your time pondering the exhibits with a tour guide who will lead you through the separate buildings and floors. Don't be shy about asking questions! The exhibitions are typically funded by public grants and private donations, which makes them free and open to the public. read more

The Fabric Workshop and Museum - Location number two, holiday display - Museums Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

I really like the Fabric Workshop and Museum. The exhibits change every few months so you never know what you will see here. Over the years we have witnessed a giant inflated fabric whale that took up an entire floor and we saw projected and animated images of people doing things that were all of a few inches tall. While they were really cool I was waiting for The Exorcist music to cue up. Make sure to say "hi" to Tracey in the Museum store. She is really nice! read more

See all

Cool, unique modern art gallery. The building is a residency for artists, especially in textiles/screen printing/etc. Walking past, I almost thought it was a retail store. It's free, so if you've got an hour to kill around Center City, stop in. read more

The Fabric Workshop and Museum - Museums Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Gotta agree with Brizzle. Fantastic art, but outside of the giftshop is run in a very unfriendly manner. The old space was pretty awesome. It was a functioning workshop with a prestigious list of visiting artists. you could SEE the workshop, the work happening, and then go look at the work that has been produced in the past. The new workshop is a gorgeous building, but lacks the open spaces that was so key to the original and educational feel of the old workshop. The art-making happens on floors that the public has no access to. And yes, just to make sure you don't stray or touch or, well, enjoy your visit you have a personal escort to guide you through. Ours was digging his iPhone the whole time. Museums have recently been looking at having their work be more accessible to the public, to work more towards being welcoming and less "tsk tsk don't step outside the lines" so it's weird to see a museum go backwards on this. If I weren't in the arts and wanting to see the Nick Cave show so badly, I would NEVER have gone in there. It is the epitome of snobby-we-know-more-than-you attitude that has mostly died at art institutions, and for good reason. BUT, the art is pretty amazing, gift shop is nice, but over-priced (mostly, not all). Just seems the people who run it need to decide if they really want the public in there or not. read more

I had a couple friends in town for the weekend and we made an effort to attend every museum nearby. Unfortunately one of the ones we wanted to go to was pretty far and my friends had to catch a flight a few hours after. We decided to go to the Frabric Workshop to see Suzanne Bocanegra: Poorly watched girls. This exhibit was really interesting and I really liked the work. The only thing was that there wasn't a lot to see because we were only allowed to see 3 floors, but it was donation based so not too much of an issue. If you are looking for something quick and trendy, I highly recommend visiting here to experience its unique concept. read more

Came here to see Paper Dance from the Ally exhibit- my first performance art exhibit ever! I checked in downstairs and went in batches up a tiny elevator to be seated on wooden crates on the top floor. This performance didn't allow any photography or cell phones. The performance artist brought a giant brown roll of paper and told the story of growing up, love, letting go, and playfulness all through movement, facial expressions, and using the paper in creative ways. Gift shop on the first floor had beautiful crafts, interesting shoes, and other cool things. Will come again for the main museum exhibits! read more

Often too weird for my taste, and doubt I'll return unless there's a very intriguing exhibit. Agree about gift shop staff. read more

This is my favorite museum EVER, and it's now FREE. The name is misleading, its not clothing and quilts. It's contemporary and interesting, but also brief. You can spend under an hour here, but leave with your mind delighted and expanded by art created in new materials. The entire thing is lead by a docent, so even if the current exhibition is a little to much what I like to call "artists personal shrine" then there's someone there to explain what they were thinking. They've had some of the best contemporary artists in the world including Nick Cave and Tristin Lowe, and they have a killer permanent collection. Make sure you check out the gift shop! It's filled with lovely and fun things. read more

I had no idea this gem existed. Visited today, just under the wire (exhibit closes tomorrow), to see the magnificent work of Ursula von Rydingsvard. The museum space was perfect for sculptures of such size & depth. I am beyond excited to discover this workshop & museum! read more

The Fabric Workshop has neither the "ease of use" of a museum / gallery nor the delightful idiosyncrasies of an open workshop. Instead, it's an awkward, poorly run gallery where visitors need to be escorted to the bathroom (don't worry, the guard waits outside while you poop), shepherded to disparate parts of the exhibits by grumbling docents, and generally exposed to a place that has a level of institutional anxiety that makes it really difficult to enjoy the work therein. If you're able to enjoy art in a tacitly hostile environment where you're made to feel like an intruder (or if you want to hang out in the only safe harbor in the place-ahem-the gift shop), give it a shot. If this sort of art viewing situation troubles you like it does me, spare yourself. read more

I have to agree with those who thought this place is poorly run. When I first walked in I thought maybe I was participating in some sort of performance art. The staff were cryptic and gave me weird looks. The security guard was friendly but the guide basically said nothing. I was thrown in with a group and we were led up and down to galleries. When she brought us back to the lobby I realized I hadn't been to two floors. "oh you were suppose to stay with the guide." we'll, she didn't tell me that! She didn't say anything!!!! The installations were really interesting however. I wish pieces from the permanent collection were on display tho. I had hoped to see Faith Ringgold's Tar Beach. read more

With the general recommendation from most yelpers I decided to check this museum out. First and foremost, I am not artistically inclined. Being so, I failed to fully appreciate the art displayed in this gallery. Though most of the fabrics shown were nicely done, I couldn't understand them at all. The two floor museum was a quick go through. read more

What a strange little museum! I think it's more accurate to call this a gallery than a museum, as it only featured one artist. Either way, it was a great way to beat the heat when my partner and I were in town, and the small tour size was intimate and welcoming. Seems like they do great work with the local community too! Would recommend for anyone who likes contemporary work with a textile bent. read more

Anything but soft and fuzzy, the Fabric Workshop and Museum's recent show New American Voices exhibit featured the astounding work of five national artists working with tractors, totems, mechanics, magnets and more. Of particular note, Ruben Ortiz-Torres elevates lowrider subculture with his explosive cranes (featured in video and print) while Bill Smith's "Decline of Eastern Songbirds" uses whistles and gas torches, amongst other media. Jaw-dropping work worth checking out... read more

Our docent/guide was excellent for the large Richard Tuttle show which was also excellent. She was also super cool in the way you wish you could be friends with her, but she was also good at backing off when you wanted to contemplate the work alone and answered most of our questions knowledgeably. Thank you Tuttle for writing those poems to go along with your work. Can't wait to visit again. read more

Well, I can't say much about this place good or bad, because it was inexplicably CLOSED during its posted business hours. We checked online before we attempted to visit and we were sorely disappointed when we could not get in. Their website says to call for holiday closings, we tried calling, but no answer after eight rings left us still confused and sad. And I'm unsure why they would need to close for Halloween. I can't give it one star because it looks SO COOL through those windows, but the lack of communication in business hours fully deserves the revocation of three stars. read more

The Fabric Workshop has neither the "ease of use" of a museum / gallery nor the delightful idiosyncrasies of an open workshop. Instead, it's an awkward, poorly run gallery where visitors need to be escorted to the bathroom, shepherded to disparate parts of the exhibits by grumbling docents, and generally exposed to a place that has a level of institutional anxiety that makes it really difficult to enjoy the work therein. If you're able to enjoy art in an environment where you're made to feel like an intruder give it a shot. If this sort of art viewing situation troubles you like it does me, spare yourself. read more