The Barnes Foundation
Philadelphia, PA · 1 hour 17 minutes from Reading · $20 to $50 a person
Plan the day
The Barnes Foundation is an art museum on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, PA. It holds the collection Dr. Albert C. Barnes assembled from 1922, hung in wall ensembles kept exactly as he left them.
The galleries hold 179 Renoirs and 69 Cézannes, the largest holdings of each anywhere, with Matisse, Picasso, Modigliani and Van Gogh, more than 100 African masks and sculptures and 887 pieces of wrought iron. Barnes hung them in dense ensembles that set a masterpiece beside door hinges and spatulas, and the walls are still arranged exactly as he left them at his death in 1951. Children 12 and under enter free.
Before you go
Park in the lot on Pennsylvania Avenue between 20th and 21st Streets, $12 for up to 4 hours. Bags are inspected at entry; backpacks, oversize strollers, umbrellas and bags over 12 by 10 inches go in the free coat check. Personal photos are fine; no flash, tripods or selfie sticks.
Coming up
Noguchi to Asawa: Designing Postwar America runs until January 10, 2027, and Sky Hopinka: Red Metal Dust until January 18, 2027.
Checked October 8, 2026 on the official site. Hours, prices and seasons change, so confirm there before a long drive.
