Philadelphia Calendar of Events
"Wiggly World": Views from the Breeding Ground (in Black and White)"
Location: Produce Gallery of Tyler School of Art
Neighborhood: Montgomery County
November 6, 2004 - December 18, 2004
Through Dec. 18: Noon-5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Featuring the work of four artists from the Midwest.
66th Annual Members' Exhibition
Location: Main Line Art Center
Neighborhood: Delaware County
December 6, 2003
See the artwork being done by your neighbors and friends at the Main Line Art Center 's 66th Annual Members Exhibition.
A Longwood Gardens Christmas
Location: Longwood Gardens
Neighborhood: Chester County
October 25, 2004 - December 2, 2004
Thousands of poinsettias, towering Christmas trees, and fragrant flowers transform the indoor gardens into a cherished holiday celebration.
Academy of Natural Sciences
Location: Academy of Natural Sciences
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting February 18, 2003
The Academy of Natural Sciences, a museum of natural history operating since 1812, undertakes research and public education that focus on the environment and its diverse species.
African American Museum in Philadelphia
Location: African American Museum in Philadelphia
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting February 18, 2003
One of the finest museums in the country and an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving and interpreting the material and intellectual culture of African Americans. Four galleries of exhibitions are a "celebration of the life and contributions of a people."
African Art, African Voices: Long Steps Never Broke a Back
Location: Philadelphia Museum of Art
Neighborhood: Center City - All
October 2, 2004 - January 2, 2005
Drawn primarily from the excellent collections of the Seattle Art Museum, the exhibition will be organized into thematic categories described by representatives from various African cultures and backgrounds.
American Helicopter Museum
Location: American Helicopter Museum and Education Center
Neighborhood: Chester County
Starting January 1, 2003
The Museum's growing exhibitions and collections include over 35 helicopters, autogiros and convertiplanes, eight of which are fully accessible for hands-on experiences.
Ant Farm: 1968 - 1978
Location: Institute of Contemporary Art
Neighborhood: University City / West Philadelphia
September 8, 2004 - December 12, 2004
This is the first exhibition to survey the work of the legendary architecture and art collective, Ant Farm. A group of radical architects who were also video, performance and installation artists – but above all, visionaries and cultural commentators. Organized by the Berkeley Art Museum, this exhibition is centered around a visual "timeline" of the group, which includes ephemera, blueprints, publications, documents, drawings, collages, photographs, architectural models, and documentary video clips. ICA is the only East Coast venue for the exhibition.
Arleen Race Wolf
Location: James A. Michener Art Museum
Neighborhood: Bucks County
October 30, 2004 - February 27, 2005
Philadelphia sculptor Arleen Race Wolf began her career as a printmaker, studying at both the Philadelphia College of Art and the Barnes Foundation.
Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Location: Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting January 1, 2003
The Athenfum is a member supported, not-for-profit, special collections library founded in 1814 to collect materials "connected with the history and antiquities of America, and the useful arts, and generally to disseminate useful knowledge" for public benefit. The Athenfum also offers diverse programs of public education and community outreach. It sponsors lectures and changing exhibitions; it publishes books that reflect the institution's collecting interests; and it administers several trusts that provide awards and research grants to recognize literary achievement in Philadelphia and to encourage outstanding scholarship in architectural history throughout the United States.
Atwater Kent Museum
Location: Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting February 19, 2003
The Atwater Kent Museum, located just around the corner from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, is the gateway to Philadelphia history.
Between
Location: Gershman Y
Neighborhood: Center City - All
November 21, 2004 - January 21, 2005
THE GALLERIES AT THE GERSHMAN Y In the Open Lens Gallery Between Photographers from InLiquid The work of several InLiquid photographers reveals mysterious connections, suspended moments, cracks where new meanings can peek through.
Blonde Redhead
Location: Theatre of Living Arts
Neighborhood: Center City - All
December 1, 2004
Blue Cross RiverRink
Location: Festival Pier at Penn's Landing
Neighborhood: Center City - All
November 26, 2004 - February 14, 2005
THINK RINK! The Blue Cross RiverRink at Festival Pier located at Columbus Boulevard and Spring Garden Street will be open 7 days a week from November 26th to February 14th . The Blue Cross RiverRink ice skating season is only three months long, so don’t miss your chance to visit the Blue Cross RiverRink and experience 81 days of Philadelphia’s favorite outdoor wintertime tradition!
Brandywine River Museum
Location: Brandywine River Museum
Neighborhood: Delaware County
Starting December 1, 2003
Exhibiting American art in a 19th-century grist mill, the Brandywine River Museum is internationally known for its unparalleled collection of works by three generations of Wyeths and its fine collection of American illustration, still life and landscape painting.
Brian David Dennis: Leaning Keep
Location: Philadelphia Art Alliance
Neighborhood: Center City - All
September 30, 2004 - January 9, 2005
Leaning Keep is a temporary installation sculpture situated between the first and second floors of the Philadelphia Art Alliance building. Incorporating the stairs and the stained glass window located on the mezzanine level, Dennis will be erecting a series of support beams used to hold a thin screen of kraft paper, mylar, and metal leaf located in front of the window. The wall both filters and obstructs the light that normally enters the stairwell through the stained glass, metaphorically posing the question to the viewer: "can the light of Liberty shine at all if it is shrouded in security measures?"
Camden Children's Garden
Location: Camden Children's Garden
Neighborhood: New Jersey Suburbs
Starting January 1, 2003
The 4-acre interactive Garden includes a Butterfly Garden, Railroad Garden, Dinosaur Garden, Maze, Picnic Garden, Treehouse, Amphitheater, Carousel and Storybook Gardens.
Carpenters' Hall
Location: Carpenters' Hall
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting January 1, 2003
Set humbly back from Chestnut Street, Carpenters' Hall is one of the great treasures of historic Philadelphia. The Hall has been owned and operated by the Carpenters' Company of Philadelphia, the oldest trade guild in America, since 1770. The Hall has been home to a host of firsts including the First Continental Congress.
Cartoons and Caricatures from the Collection
Location: Brandywine River Museum
Neighborhood: Delaware County
October 6, 2004 - January 13, 2005
Some of the earliest American cartoons and caricatures appeared in newspapers and magazines during the mid 1800s. Since then, illustrators have used this influential art form to comment on social issues, scrutinize public figures, and satirize aspects of American culture. Cartoons and Caricatures from the Collection includes humorous works by Arthur Burdett Frost, Rube Goldberg, John Held, Jr., Al Hirshfeld, Edward Kemble, David Levine and Thomas Nast.
Cats
Location: Walnut Street Theatre
Neighborhood: Center City - All
October 9, 2004 - January 9, 2005
You’ve never seen Cats like this! In this all-new production, the Walnut Street Theatre will create new “memories” and even more fantastical fun. Andrew Lloyd Webber and T.S. Eliot’s musical phenomenon, Cats, was Broadway’s longest running musical, and it’s sure to be the hottest ticket in town this holiday season. This is the purr..fect musical to share with your loved ones. Let Grizabella and her litter of lovelies regale you with unforgettable songs that include “Memory,” “Rum Tum Tugger,” and “Mr. Mistoffeles.” You will leave the theatre ‘cat’-tivated! Don’t miss the theatrical event of the year.
Chester County Art Association Classes
Location: Chester County Art Association
Neighborhood: Chester County
Starting August 13, 2004
Study with some of the finest teachers and artists in our region. Classes in drawing, painting, photography, ceramics, stone and clay sculpture, printmaking, and jewelry. Classes are offered year-round in a wide range of media to children and teens from ages three and up; with equally varied offerings for adults of all different skill levels. All classes run 10 weeks unless otherwise specified.
Chester County Historical Society
Location: Chester County Historical Society
Neighborhood: Chester County
Starting January 1, 2003
Chester County: A View of the Past This introduction is a glimpse into the history of the people who settled this region.
Chocolate: The Exhibition
Location: Academy of Natural Sciences
Neighborhood: Center City - All
June 12, 2004 - September 6, 2004
Chocolate will immerse visitors in a sweet experience, engage all the senses, and reveal facets of this luscious treat most people never thought about before.
Christ Church
Location: Christ Church and Cemetery
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting March 1, 2004
Christ Church was established on 15 November, 1695, and for 66 years was the only Church of England parish in the city of Philadelphia.
Clay Studio
Location: Clay Studio
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting January 1, 2003
The Gallery and Exhibition Programs, featuring the work of the Studio's artists half of the season and guest artists for the remainder, are showcased in the two exhibition spaces of the gallery. Exchange shows are arranged periodically with a collective from another city, bringing new and challenging work to Philadelphia and allowing the Studio's artists to exhibit further afield. A national artist call without entry fee awards three solo shows each year. In addition, the Studio mounts major exhibitions of unique national and international interest every two or three years.
Cocktails with Lewis & Clark
Location: Academy of Natural Sciences
Neighborhood: Center City - All
December 1, 2004
Pulitzer Prize-winning Philadelphia Inquirer photographer Tom Gralish presents an unvarnished image of contemporary Americans and landscapes along the Lewis and Clark trail, which he and his camera traversed on four road trips, starting in St. Louis. Refreshments and live music
Community Music School
Location: Community Music School
Neighborhood: Montgomery County
Starting August 10, 2004
Community Music School strives to provide the best in music education and performance experiences for people of all ages, abilities and economic circumstances. From the cradle to the retirement years, anyone wishing to enrich his or her life through the study of music is welcome at Community Music School. Call for prices.
Dance Classes at The Rock School
Location: Rock School
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting August 10, 2004
Dance at The Rock School! All Ages. Ballet, Jazz, Hip-hop. Avocational and Professional. Performance opportunities at The Academy of Music, Annenberg Center and Mann Center.
David Lamelas: Exhibiting Mediality
Location: Institute of Contemporary Art
Neighborhood: University City / West Philadelphia
September 8, 2004 - December 12, 2004
This exhibition will reconstruct one of the Argentinean artist, David Lamelas' film and media installations from the 1960s.
Death and the King's Horseman
Location: St. Stephen's Theater (Lantern Theater)
Neighborhood: Center City - All
November 5, 2004 - December 5, 2004
A commanding and colorful spectacle of Yoruba ritual and dance becomes the backdrop for the tragic collision of will and honor.
Dream Garden at the Curtis Center
Location: Dream Garden at the Curtis Center
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting January 1, 2003
The Dream Garden, a sparklingly conceived work made by the Louis C. Tiffany Studios, was based on an original painting by Maxfield Parrish.
Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site
Location: Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting March 1, 2004
Exploring themes as diverse as spirituality, astronomy, science and depravity, Poe 's writing is as powerful and arresting today as when he was first published.
Edward W. Redfield: Just Values and Fine Seeing
Location: James A. Michener Art Museum - New Hope
Neighborhood: Bucks County
August 1, 2004 - January 9, 2005
During the opening decade of the twentieth century, Pennsylvania impressionist Edward W. Redfield earned a reputation as one of America's leading landscape painters.
Emerging Songwriter Series
Location: Manayunk Music Exchange
Neighborhood: Other Philadelphia Neighborhoods
Starting October 15, 2003
The Philadelphia Songwriters Project is pleased to announce a new performing opportunity for area songwriters. Every Wednesday beginning October 15, The Philadelphi Songwriters Project will present it's "Emerging Songwriter Series
Fabric Workshop and Museum
Location: The Fabric Workshop and Museum
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting January 1, 2003
The Fabric Workshop and Museum is the only museum in the United States creating and exhibiting new work in fabric and experimental materials in collaboration with emerging and established international artists.
Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center
Location: Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting March 1, 2004
The Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center (FWWIC) tells the story of the Schuylkill River and its connections to people throughout history.
Florence Knoll Bassett: Defining Modern
Location: Philadelphia Museum of Art
Neighborhood: Center City - All
November 17, 2004 - March 29, 2005
As an architect, interior space planner, and furniture designer, Florence Knoll Bassett profoundly influenced post-World War II design with her pioneering interiors.
Franklin Court
Location: Franklin Court
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting February 1, 2004
Seven museums located on the former site of Ben Franklin's home trace his life as publisher, politician, postmaster, printer, and inventor.

Franklin Institute Science Museum
Location: Franklin Institute
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting January 1, 2003
Home to more than a dozen highly interactive learning environments, including The Train Factory, KidScience, The Sports Challenge, and Bioscience, with its famous walk-through heart, and its newest permanent exhibit "The Franklin Air Show."


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From the Bottom Up: Popular Reading and Writing in the Michael Zinman Collection of Early American Imprints
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia
Neighborhood: Center City - All
May 26, 2004 - December 17, 2004
he Michael Zinman Collection, acquired by the Library Company in 2000, is the largest collection of pre-1801 American Imprints--books pamphlets, and broadsides printed in the colonies and states--formed by a private individual since the days of the pioneering Americana collectors of the 19th century. This exhibition includes ballads, joke books, songsters, elegies, sensational accounts of oral or non-literate popular culture in taverns, theaters, pleasure gardens, and race courses, as well as evidence in print of reading and writing by people on the margins of society.
GILB: Yellowed Images of a Vanished Country. Photographs from East Germany by Lutz Masanetz
Location: Arthur Ross Gallery of the University of Pennsylvania/Fisher Fine Arts LibraryBuilding
Neighborhood: University City / West Philadelphia
November 6, 2004 - January 30, 2005
Since the Berlin wall came down in 1991, the isolated way of life in the German Democratic Republic (DDR), captured in the light-heartedness and penury of these recent, yet already archival images, has progressively given way before “Western” values. Co-sponsored by the Departments of German and History and the European Studies Program of the University of Pennsylvania. Conference November 6, 2004.
Gallery Tours Guided by Victoria Wyeth
Location: Brandywine River Museum
Neighborhood: Delaware County
November 29, 2004 - December 22, 2004
Victoria Browining Wyeth, granddaughter of artist Andrew Wyeth, will guide public tours of the Brandywine River Museum’s Andrew Wyeth Gallery.
Gingerbread House Competition & Display
Location: Peddler's Village
Neighborhood: Bucks County
October 19, 2004 - December 6, 2004
Come and feast your eyes on dozens of amazing gingerbread creations displayed throughout the holiday season at Peddler’s Village, where you can also find great gifts for everyone on your holiday shopping list.
Guided Trolley Tour of Fairmount Park Houses
Location: Philadelphia Museum of Art
Neighborhood: Center City - All
December 1, 2004 - December 12, 2004
Discover one of Philadelphia’s best kept secrets and get your tickets for a Trolley Tour of East and West Fairmount Park’s gorgeous mansions. During December, this 90-minute guided tour (departing from 6th and Market as well as the Philadelphia Art Museum) will offer a glimpse into the Colonial history of Philadelphia with the added bonus of holiday decorations.
Havana: The Revolutionary Moment
Location: Philadelphia Art Alliance
Neighborhood: Center City - All
September 30, 2004 - January 9, 2005
Havana: The Revolutionary Moment presents a unique collection of never-before-seen photographs by veteran Magnum photographer Burt Glinn, recording Fidel Castro's historic entry into Havana in 1959.
Historic Hope Lodge
Location: Hope Lodge and Mather Mill
Neighborhood: Montgomery County
Starting August 1, 2004
Hope Lodge is a historic house museum administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and the Friends of Hope Lodge and Mather Mill. Built between 1743 and 1748 by a prosperous Quaker famer, Hope Lodge remains one of the best examples of Georgian style architecture in the state. The mansion bore witness to the 1777 Whitemarsh Encampment, a six week period of the American Revolution when the Continental Army camped in the surrounding fields and front lawn after the Battle of Germantown. The mansion is furnished in two time periods, the Colonial, 1743-1770, and the Colonial Revival, 1922-1953. Hope Lodge sits on just over 43 acres of the remaining 300 original acres.Tours of the mansion and c.1790 Colonial kitchen run every Wednesday through Sunday, year round. The outside grounds and rose garden are free to the public.
Historic RittenhouseTown
Location: Historic RittenhouseTown
Neighborhood: Chestnut Hill / Mount Airy, Germantown
June 1, 2004 - June 5, 2004
Historic RittenhouseTown is a National Historic Landmark which is the 1690 site of North America's first paper mill manufacturing community. Site tours include the circa 1720 Abraham Rittenhouse Home, which has exhibits, displays, a theater with the orientation film The Fiber of History, and gift shop and the early 18th century Rittenhouse Family Homestead Bakehouse and the circa 1845 Enoch Rittenhouse Home which has the permanent exhibit in The Blue Bell Hill Oral History Project.
Historic Stenton
Location: Stenton
Neighborhood: Other Philadelphia Neighborhoods
Starting April 1, 2003
An historic house museum administered by The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Stenton is known as one of the earliest, best-preserved and most believable historic houses in Philadelphia. Its distinguished Georgian architecture, its outstanding collection, and its superb documentation combine to create one of the most authentic house museums in the region. As part of Philadelphia's Historic Northwest, Stenton now sits on three acres of the original 500-acre plantation. The site includes an elegant c. 1730 mansion, a kitchen wing, privy, icehouse, barn, and Colonial Revival garden. Visiting Stenton gives one a sense of what life was like in the 18th Century. Stenton is open to the public April 1 through December 15.
Holiday
Location: Bristol Riverside Theatre
Neighborhood: Bucks County
November 30, 2004 - December 19, 2004
Holiday is the story of a hard working young man who is engaged to a girl of great wealth and social standing. He soon realizes that his fiance values accumulating money over and above his personal misgivings about entering big business. At their gala New Year's Eve engagement party the two realize their views are too divergent. What happens next is what makes this heartwarming holiday play a classic. The 1938 film version of this play made Katharine Hepburn a star.
Holiday Garden Railway Display
Location: The Gardens at Morris Arboretum
Neighborhood: Chestnut Hill / Mount Airy, Germantown
October 26, 2004 - December 2, 2004
The Morris Arboretum, of the University of Pennsylvania, presents the third annual Holiday Garden Railway Display. Watch as model trains run through renditions of some of Philadelphia's most architecturally significant buildings. The train display is free with regular admission to the Arboretum.
Horticulture Center
Location: Fairmount Park
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting March 20, 2003
The Horticulture Center is located in Fairmount Park West, with fabulous exhibition greenhouses featuring a tropical garden.
Independence National Historical Park
Location: Independence National Historical Park
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting February 1, 2004
Independence National Historical Park, located in Center City, Philadelphia, is often referred to as the birthplace of our nation. At the park, visitors can see the Liberty Bell, an international symbol of freedom, and Independence Hall, a World Heritage Site where both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were created. In addition, the park interprets events and the lives of the diverse population during the years when Philadelphia was the capital of the United States from 1790 to 1800. A section of the park where Benjamin Franklin's home once stood is dedicated to teaching about Franklin's life and accomplishments. Spanning approximately 45 acres, the park has about 20 buildings open to the public including, Congress Hall, Old City Hall, Carpenters' Hall, Franklin Court, Christ Church and more.
Independence Seaport Museum
Location: Independence Seaport Museum
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting February 18, 2003
Explore the science, history and art of boats and boat building in our new interactive exhibit!
Institute of Contemporary Art
Location: Institute of Contemporary Art
Neighborhood: University City / West Philadelphia
Starting January 1, 2003
Founded in 1963, the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania is a leader in the presentation of contemporary art. Through exhibitions, commissions, educational programs, and publications, ICA invites the public to share in the experience, interpretation and understanding of the work of established and emerging artists.
Italian Master Drawings, 1540 to the Present
Location: Philadelphia Museum of Art
Neighborhood: Center City - All
October 30, 2004 - February 20, 2005
This exhibition showcases the Museum's fine collection of Italian drawings to be published this year in the Grandi disegni italiani (Italian Master Drawings) book series by Arti Grafiche Amilcare Pizzi S.p.A. of Milan.
James A, Michener Art Museum - New Hope
Location: James A. Michener Art Museum - New Hope
Neighborhood: Bucks County
May 1, 2004 - May 13, 2004
More than three years in the planning, the 5,000-square foot satellite facility will extend and continue the Michener Art Museum's tradition of collecting, preserving, and interpreting the art of the Bucks County region. Less than 12 miles from the original Museum site in Doylestown, the new location is at Union Square, in the heart of the historic arts colony of New Hope, Pennsylvania. Featuring the Artists Among Us, a permanent interactive exhibit dedicated to the history and continuing legacy of the many artists of all disciplines who have made New Hope an internationally recognized arts colony.
James A. Michener Art Museum
Location: James A. Michener Art Museum
Neighborhood: Bucks County
Starting January 1, 2003
n 1988, with the support of many dedicated citizens, the James A. Michener Art Museum opened as an independent, non-profit cultural institution dedicated to preserving, interpreting and exhibiting the art and cultural heritage of the Bucks County region.
Janet Biggs: Norms and Forms
Location: Moore College of Art and Design
Neighborhood: Center City - All
November 12, 2004 - December 15, 2004
An exhibition of two video installations and two single-channel video works by New York based Moore alumna.
Jonathan Tucker: Painted Forms
Location: Esther M. Klein Art Gallery
Neighborhood: University City / West Philadelphia
November 12, 2004 - December 31, 2004
New York artist Jonathan Tucker explores the boundaries between painting and sculpture in his whimsical wall hangings made out of clay, plaster and construction foam.

Kimmel Center Tours
Location: Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting March 1, 2004
Come tour The Kimmel Center, our city's newest cultural and architectural landmark! Join the thousands who have toured this sparkling, glass-roofed performing arts complex.


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Kuerner Farm Public Tours
Location: Brandywine River Museum
Neighborhood: Delaware County
April 28, 2004 - November 21, 2004
The Brandywine River Museum will offer educational tours of the historic Kuerner Farm. For more than 70 years, the farm has been a major source of inspiration to Andrew Wyeth.
Lewis & Clark: The National Bicentenial Exhibition
Location: Academy of Natural Sciences
Neighborhood: Center City - All
November 6, 2004 - March 20, 2005
Lewis & Clark: The National Bicentennial Exhibition will feature hundreds of superb artifacts including rare and priceless objects and documents that have not been seen on one place since the U.S. Army's Corps of Discovery returned to St. Louis in 1806, after two years exploring the unknown. Period objects and artworks will represent the equipment the explorers used, the landscapes they saw, and the Native American tribes they met. More than 600 artifacts will illustrate cultural encounters along the journey of Lewis and Clark.
Liberty Bell
Location: Liberty Bell
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting February 1, 2004
Cast in London, England in 1752, the Liberty Bell rang when the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence and has become the symbol of freedom in the United States.
MLC Wednesday Ride
Location: Cycles Bikyle
Neighborhood: Main Line
Starting May 7, 2003
An "A" ride. Meets at Cycles BiKyle. Ride length ~2 hours through varying terrain. Ride will consist of intervals and intense efforts - all serious riders/racers should attend this ride
Masonic Temple
Location: Masonic Temple
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting March 1, 2004
The Masonic Temple, a magnificent example of architecture, art and history, is the headquarters of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania and serves as the meeting place for a number of Philadelphia lodges. Freemasonry is the oldest continuously existing fraternal organization in the world. Designed by James H. Windrim and dedicated in 1873, the Masonic Temple is unrivaled with its seven elegant meeting halls exemplifying various architectural styles. An impressive collection of oil paintings, statuary, stained glass and exquisite furnishings enhances the richness of the interior. Notable pieces in the museum’s collection include the apron of Brother and President George Washington and works by the Philadelphia sculptor William Rush. Closed Saturdays in July and August.
Mercer Museum of the Bucks County Historical Society
Location: Mercer Museum
Neighborhood: Bucks County
Starting January 1, 2003
Towering castle houses dramatic displays of the implements, folk art and furnishings of early America before mechanization. Walk into the Central Court and see a Conestoga wagon, whaling boat, carriages and an antique fire engine suspended overhead. There are 50,000 tools of more than 60 early American crafts and trades displayed. Constructed in 1916, it is a National Historic Landmark.
Money In Motion Exhibit
Location: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
Neighborhood: Center City - All
August 1, 2003
Dedicated to the story of money and central banking in the United States, this educational and fun exhibit focuses on the Federal Reserve System and the Philadelphia District.
Mutter Museum
Location: College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting August 1, 2004
The Mutter Museum of Medicine provides a unique window into medicine's past. Our remarkable exhibits emphasize both the determination of doctors to ease suffering and cure disease as well as the courage of patients. The museum is a "must see" for young people interested in pursuing careers in health and medicine. We are proud to be the museum that teens and young adults love. Don't miss special exhibits devoted to Lewis & Clark, the health of presidents and Chang & Eng.
National Constitution Center
Location: National Constitution Center
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting July 4, 2003
The National Constitution Center was established by Congress through the Constitution Heritage Act of 1988, as an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization.
National Liberty Museum
Location: National Liberty Museum
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting February 18, 2003
This "home for heroes" on the Liberty Trail celebrates America's ideals of freedom by honoring more than 1,000 outstanding individuals of all ethnic backgrounds.
National Museum of American Jewish History
Location: National Museum of American Jewish History
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting January 1, 2003
The National Museum of American Jewish History's mission is to present educational programs and experiences that preserve, explore and celebrate the history of Jews in America.
Nicholas Arroyave-Portela: Throwing Lines
Location: Philadelphia Art Alliance
Neighborhood: Center City - All
September 30, 2004 - January 9, 2005
Throwing Lines presents new works from ceramist Nicholas Arroyave-Portela in the PAA Second Floor Galleries. The exhibition will include his latest works in the two signature vessel forms that the artist has been cultivating since the beginning of his career. These "pots," as the artist defines them, are loosely based on the conceptual shapes of vases and bowls.
Norman Rockwell's America
Location: Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting January 1, 2003
Norman Rockwell's America features all 322 of Rockwell's Saturday Evening Post covers published by Philadelphia's Curtis Publishing Company from 1916 to 1963.
Only One Man Died: Medical Adventures on the Lewis & Clark Train
Location: College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Neighborhood: Center City - All
January 1, 2003 - December 1, 2005
isit The College of Physicians of Philadelphia to learn how Lewis and Clark, without much formal education or a doctor's aid, succeeded in protecting the lives of their companions during one of the most dangerous journeys in American History.
Pearl S. Buck Holiday House Tours
Location: Pearl S. Buck House
Neighborhood: Bucks County
November 10, 2004 - December 31, 2004
The holidays are a particularly wonderful time to visit the magnificent, circa-1835 stone farmhouse that Pearl S. Buck once called home, and learn the fascinating story of the Nobel and Pulitzer-prize-winning author/humanitarian’s life while marveling at magnificent seasonal decorations. For this year’s "Festival of Trees," marking the 26th anniversary of the tour event, designers from around the region will decorate individual trees located in every room throughout the house.
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Location: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting February 18, 2003
Get to know the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and all that it has to offer. One visit to the Academy and you will understand how extraordinary is our dual heritage as the nations first museum and school of fine arts. There is certainly no better place to learn about our country's artistic heritage and the achievements of its greatest artists, past and present.
Peter Paone: Imaginary Watercolors
Location: James A. Michener Art Museum
Neighborhood: Bucks County
October 16, 2004 - January 15, 2005
One of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts' most distinguished faculty members, Peter Paone has an international reputation as a painter and printmaker.
Philadelphia City Hall Tours
Location: Philadelphia City Hall
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting March 1, 2004
Learn about city government while you tour a historic civic building! Tours of the tower, open from 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., depart from the ninth floor exhibit room every 15 minutes (school groups often tour between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.). Stop in Room 121 for a timed ticked. Interior tours depart at 12:30 p.m. from Room 121. The interior portion of the tour is handicapped accessibile; however, the tower cannot accomodate wheelchairs. Free tours are offered on Monday through Friday and donations are appreciated.
Philadelphia Doll Museum Annual Holiday Display
Location: Philadelphia Doll Museum
Neighborhood: Center City - All
December 1, 2004 - December 31, 2004
Come and be charmed by a holiday ensemble of festive dolls and cheerful angels—all part of collector and founder Barbara Whiteman’s 300-plus doll collection.
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Location: Philadelphia Museum of Art
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting January 1, 2003
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is among the largest and most important art museums in the United States. The collection of Asian art, with objects dating from the third millenium B.C. to the present, includes ceramics, sculpture, paintings, and decorative objects as well as a Japanese ceremonial teahouse, a Chinese palace hall, and a celebrated collection of Oriental carpets. The European collections include medieval sculpture, stained glass, and a 13th-century French cloister; masterpieces of Renaissance painting; a suite of 18th-century French interiors; and superb Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings. The American collections include extensive holdings of Pennsylvania German art; refined furniture and silver by early Philadelphia craftsmen; and the most important collection in the world of works by Philadelphia artist Thomas Eakins. The art of the 20th century can be traced from the early innovations of Picasso, Braque, Matisse, and Duchamp to great works of abstract expressionism, pop art, color field painting, and contemporary work in many media.
Please Touch Museum
Location: Please Touch Museum
Neighborhood: Center City - All
January 1, 2002 - January 1, 2005
Please Touch Museum is a hands-on museum for children ages one to seven where adults and children can learn and explore together.
Pontormo, Bronzino, and the Medici: The Transformation of the Renaissance Portrait in Florenceq
Location: Philadelphia Museum of Art
Neighborhood: Center City - All
November 20, 2004 - February 13, 2005
The focus of this exhibition is two portraits from the Museum’s collection by the great fifteenth-century Florentine masters Pontormo and Bronzino, depicting the Dukes Alessandro and Cosimo I de’ Medici. On display will be some forty works, including a group of drawings from the Gabinetto Disegni e Stampe degli Uffizi (the Drawing and Print Room of the Uffizi) in Florence.
Ramp Project: Amy Stillman
Location: Institute of Contemporary Art
Neighborhood: University City / West Philadelphia
September 8, 2004 - December 12, 2004
For its ongoing series of Ramp Projects, ICA has invited Amy Sillman (b. 1956, Chicago, Illinois; lives New York, New York) to do a large wall-work.
Read All About It!: Facts in Fiction
Location: Various Locations
September 15, 2004 - December 14, 2004
Libraries around the Delaware Valley are hosting the Pennsylvania Humanities Council's Read All About It! program. Featuring the best contemporary examples of the genre, this program looks at how the stories strive for historical authenticity, and how we can see the past as an analogy for the present.
Red Grooms: Selections from the Complete Graphic Works, 1956-2000
Location: James A. Michener Art Museum
Neighborhood: Bucks County
October 2, 2004 - January 2, 2005
This lively exhibit covers more than forty years of printmaking by one of the best-known American artists working today. Red Grooms, who grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, migrated first to Chicago and then to New York seeking the excitement of big city culture.
Rodin Museum
Location: Rodin Museum
Neighborhood: Center City - All
January 1, 2002 - January 1, 2005
The Great French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840 to 1917) brought monumental public sculpture into the 20th century and established a new sculptural freedom which continues to haunt our imaginations. The museum, which opened to the public in 1929, houses 124 sculptures, including bronze casts of the artist's greatest works: The Burghers of Calais, his most heroic and moving historical tribute, and Eternal Springtime, one of the most powerful works dealing with human love.
Rosenbach Museum and Library
Location: Rosenbach Museum and Library
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting April 1, 2003
The Rosenbach Museum & Library was the home of two brothers, Dr. A.S.W. and Philip Rosenbach. A.S.W. Rosenbach was a legendary dealer and collector of rare books and manuscripts, while Philip's expertise encompassed the fine and decorative arts. Founded in 1954 to preserve the two brothers' personal collections and company archive, the Rosenbach's holdings have continued to grow. The Rosenbach is a major cultural destination--a research center that is home to one of the nation's great collections of rare books and manuscripts, as well as a beautiful, historic townhouse filled with fine art and antiques.
Samantha Simpson Lush Life
Location: Philadelphia Art Alliance
Neighborhood: Center City - All
September 30, 2004 - January 9, 2005
Samantha Simpson will be creating a site-specific panoramic wall painting directly on the walls of the PAA third floor gallery. Often composed of large scale insects, flora, and other unusual creatures, her large scale and site-specific paintings inhabit a utopian paradise. Samantha Simpson, Supplicant (detail), 2002; Ink on paper, 78 x 144 inches, Courtesy of the artist. Yet, the pleasurable aesthetic of her work ultimately references a deeper relationship to current cultural impulses as symbolized by excessive decoration and ornamentation.
Santa Claus Conquers the Fantoccini
Location: Mum Puppettheatre, Ltd.
Neighborhood: Center City - All
November 30, 2004 - December 18, 2004
We're back! Mum's popular Fantoccini series (Son of Fantoccini, I Was A Teen-Aged Fantoccini, Attack of the Fantoccini) where puppets are the stars of their own pieces, has returned. Think of it as vaudeville for puppets: short variety acts that run the gamut of imagination and emotions, from silly to touching to bust-a-gut funny. Like a film festival of animation, Fantoccini has something for everyone, from comic and bizarre to down-right hilarious. This show is recommended for ages 13 and up.
Selma Bortner: Body of Work
Location: James A. Michener Art Museum
Neighborhood: Bucks County
October 30, 2004 - January 30, 2005
Bucks County printmaker Selma Bortner has been exhibiting her colorful and evocative prints for more than thirty years. She studied at the Tyler School of Art and the Philadelphia College of Art, and taught at the Department of Fine Arts at Bucks County Community College from 1968 to 1991. Using stories and recurring symbols, Bortner's work explores her personal experience with breast cancer, as well as the problems of appearance and self-image faced by women in modern culture. This retrospective exhibition contains examples of her prints from the early 1960s to 2004.
Specific Density
Location: Gershman Y
Neighborhood: Center City - All
November 21, 2004 - January 21, 2005
THE GALLERIES AT THE GERSHMAN Y In the Borowsky Gallery: Specific Density Artists from InLiquid Artists from the web-based collaborative InLiquid, whose work is jam-packed with imagery, materials and visual ideas.
Take-home “Celebrations!”
Location: National Liberty Museum
Neighborhood: Center City - All
December 1, 2004 - December 31, 2004
A free handbook for all young visitors called "Celebrations" will explore the holiday celebrations of cultures and religions across the globe with hands-on games, quizzes, recipes, craft projects and more! The handbook also includes a self-guided tour of Museum exhibits that highlight celebrations across the world. Sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline.
Talk to me like you love me
Location: Painted Bride Art Center
Neighborhood: Center City - All
November 5, 2004 - January 15, 2005
Pennsylvania artists Mathew Curtius and Gina Triplett have teamed up to record the exchange of visual ideas that have developed over the years they’ve been together, yet worked separately. This series of brightly colored, mixed media paintings employ a handful of marks that are referential to their individual modes of working, while also reacting to the contributions of the other person.
Tamar Hirschl: Fragmented Memories
Location: Philadelphia Art Alliance
Neighborhood: Center City - All
September 30, 2004 - January 9, 2005
International artist Tamar Hirschl will present a new body of mixed media, drawings and works on vinyl and paper at the Philadelphia Art Alliance [PAA] in the first floor galleries. All the works on view present her overarching interest in the dichotomies of destruction and rebirth, war and recuperation, as well as those concerns more intimate to the artist's own experience, focusing on internal and external conflicts, adaptation, and shifting cultural identities.
Temple University Chorale, Singers, and Women's Chorus
Location: Mitten Hall
Neighborhood: Center City - All
December 1, 2004
Janet Yamron, Jeffrey Cornelius, and Tram Sparks, conductors.
The Clean House
Location: The Wilma Theater
Neighborhood: Center City - All
December 1, 2004 - January 9, 2005
Get acquainted with the work of Sarah Ruhl, an astonishing up-and-coming playwright. The Clean House has already won the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, awarded annually for the best English Language play written by a woman. The Clean House is a warm and innovative look at love and family. Four women discover the power of the perfect joke, and along the way they learn through love, loss, and friendship that the real beauty of life lies in its mesmerizing messiness.
The Emerging Songwriters Series
Location: Manayunk Music Exchange
Neighborhood: Other Philadelphia Neighborhoods
Starting January 7, 2003
4 local songwriters share their work every Wednesday in a candlelit, cozy and very hip environment. Come check out some of the area's up and coming talent.
The Gift of Giving
Location: Shubin Theatre
Neighborhood: Center City - All
December 1, 2004 - December 12, 2004
Just in time for the holidays - a family friendly play based on the stories of O. Henry which illustrates that no material gift can ever replace the invaluable gift of love. It is a nondenominational look at the spirit of giving.
The Poetry of Clay: The Art of Toshiko Takaezu
Location: Philadelphia Museum of Art
Neighborhood: Center City - All
August 7, 2004 - March 6, 2005
This exhibition features ceramics, weavings, and a monumental bronze bell by the American artist Toshiko Takaezu. Born in Hawaii in 1922, Takaezu studied ceramics with the renowned artist and teacher Maija Grotell and weaving with Marianne Strengell at Cranbrook Academy in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The creative spirit of Japanese art and its approach to material and decoration have been integral to her work ever since.
The Santaland Diaries
Location: Society Hill Playhouse
Neighborhood: Center City - All
December 1, 2004 - December 18, 2004
David Sedaris' hysterical holiday classic cuts through the usual sticky-sweetness of Christmas and reveals a world of fake snow, forced enthusiasm, and vomiting children.
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition
Location: Franklin Institute
Neighborhood: Center City - All
July 10, 2004 - January 2, 2005
This blockbuster exhibit allows you to experience the sights, sounds, and feelings of this epic tragedy. Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition features hundreds of artifacts recovered from the Titanic wreck site and a chronological journey from the ships design and construction, through its fateful maiden voyage and sinking, to the scientific recovery efforts that made this exhibit possible.
Track of the Rainbow Serpent
Location: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
Neighborhood: University City / West Philadelphia
May 30, 2004 - August 28, 2004
Thirty contemporary Australian Aboriginal paintings offer a provocative window into the Aboriginal view of the world and the cosmos in this unique new exhibition, which originated through an unusual creative dialogue between Aboriginal artists and UPM Consulting Curator and cultural anthropologist Dr. Peggy Reeves Sanday. In 1948, Dr. Sanday's father, Frank Reeves, "discovered" Wolf Creek Crater, a large meteorite crater in Western Australia. In the 1990s, Dr. Sanday visited the crater for the first time and discovered that it was part of the traditional territory of several Aboriginal groups. Determined to investigate the crater's meaning in Aboriginal culture, she quickly learned that, as "traditional owners" of the crater, the Aboriginal people were prohibited from direct discussion about their sacred knowledge. However, they agreed to tell their stories through collaborative paintings using the unconventional medium of canvas. Her quest for a broader perspective on the meteor crater evolved into an exciting exploration of Aboriginal aesthetics and cosmology, where the Rainbow Serpent plays a pivotal role as the primary creative agent, not just of the crater but of all features of the natural environment. The exhibition features a short video and photos of the Aboriginal artists, the anthropologist, and the crater that brought them together. 1st floor Merle-Smith Changing Exhibitions Gallery.
Treasures From the Royal Tombs of Ur
Location: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
Neighborhood: University City / West Philadelphia
March 13, 2004 - May 29, 2005
The University Museum's celebrated, nationally-traveling exhibition returns, for a limited engagement, to its Philadelphia home this spring and summer before traveling to additional sites.
Trials and Turbulence: Pepón Osorio, An Artist in Residence at DHS
Location: Institute of Contemporary Art
Neighborhood: University City / West Philadelphia
September 8, 2004 - December 12, 2004
This exhibition culminates Pepón Osorio's three-year Artist-in-Residence at the Philadelphia Department of Human Services (DHS). A former social worker and 1999 MacArthur Fellow, Osorio (b. Santurce, Puerto Rico, 1955; lives Philadelphia) conceived of this volunteer project as a series of interventions aimed at opening up the traditionally closed system. Working closely with DHS social workers, administrators, and clients, Osorio focused on the foster care system to conduct an institutional critique at one of the most vulnerable intersections between private life and public policy.
Trolley Tour of Fairmount Park Houses
Location: Philadelphia Museum of Art
Neighborhood: Center City - All
June 14, 2004 - December 15, 2004
Riders board a Victorian-style trolley for a tour of Philadelphia's historic Fairmount Park Houses, a gracious group of seven 18th - and early 19th -century historic houses established by wealthy landowners as a refuge from the pressures of daily urban life. Trolleys depart both from the Philadelphia Museum of Art's West Entrance and from Sixth and Market Streets, across from the Independence Visitor's Center.
Tyler Arboretum
Location: Tyler Arboretum
Neighborhood: Delaware County
Starting February 1, 2004
Tyler Arboretum is a sanctuary of natural beauty only minutes from center city Philadelphia. Tyler is one of the oldest and largest arboreta in the northeastern United States, encompassing 650 acres of horticultural collections, rare specimens, ancient trees, historic buildings, and extensive hiking trails. The Arboretum offers a wide variety of workshops, classes, and tours for both adults and children, as well as school groups, scout groups, and clubs. Please browse our Web site for a listing of our programs, then plan a visit to this unique and beautiful destination, where we connect neighbors with nature. The Arboretum is open year round, except for Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Uncovering the Past
Location: Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting January 1, 2003
Uncovering the Past displays archeological discoveries from Philadelphia sites including the First African Baptist Church and the Commuter Tunnel.
University City District
Location: University City District
Neighborhood: University City / West Philadelphia
Starting August 10, 2004
With its funky vibe and unique spirit, University City is Philadelphia's most vibrant and diverse neighborhood. Explore colorful dining, shopping, and cultural offerings. University City-Left of Center.
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
Location: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
Neighborhood: University City / West Philadelphia
Starting January 1, 2003
The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, through its research, collections, exhibitions, and educational programming, advances understanding of the world's cultural heritage. We are proud of our 115-year history, our important mission, and our vision for the future.
Victorian Holiday Tours
Location: Pennypacker Mills
Neighborhood: Montgomery County
October 23, 2004 - December 9, 2004
Head out into Philadelphia’s beautiful countryside for a free guided tour of Pennypacker Mills, the circa 18th century mansion used by General George Washington as a headquarters and later home to Governor Pennypacker. Marvel at stunning holiday decorations throughout the mansion and a special exhibit in the galleries featuring original Victorian period decorations.
Walls: A Visual Conversation
Location: Asian Arts Initiative
Neighborhood: Center City - All
November 1, 2004 - February 25, 2005
Walls: A Visual Conversation explores walls and barriers, shadows and membranes, and the meaning and manifestation of division and detritus from Palestine to India.
Warmdaddy's
Location: Warmdaddy's
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting January 1, 2003
Since 1995 Warmdaddy's has celebrated the southern Blues experience. Live music nightly Tuesday through Sunday, and Sunday gospel brunch.
When the President is the Patient
Location: College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Neighborhood: Center City - All
Starting January 1, 2003
alf of America's presidents have been seriously ill while in office. This exhibit explains how many sick presidents have misled the public about their health, and how they have often been poorly served by their physicians.
Wizard of Oz
Location: Media Theatre for the Performing Arts
Neighborhood: Delaware County
December 1, 2004 - January 2, 2005
The yellow brick road will brighten the holidays for all ages when audiences go 'over the rainbow' with Dorothy and Toto.

Woodmere Art Museum
Location: Woodmere Art Museum
Neighborhood: Chestnut Hill / Mount Airy, Germantown
Starting January 1, 2003
Woodmere Art Museum celebrates Philadelphia's artistic legacy through its permanent collection, exhibitions, and educational programs.