Unspecified/General

On the central campus of the University of Pennsylvania in west Philadelphia, the Penn Museum (formally the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology) is one of the most important university-affiliated archaeology and anthropology museums in the world. The museum was founded in 1887, with its handsome Italian Renaissance-style main building completed in December 1899 to house the rapidly growing collections from the university's extensive programme of international archaeological expeditions. The museum holds nearly one million artefacts from cultures around the world, with particularly important collections from the ancient Near East, the ancient Mediterranean, Mesoamerica and Egypt. The museum has fielded more than four hundred international expeditions in the past 130 years, with its long-running Egyptian expedition (active since 1893) and Mesopotamian work at the ancient Sumerian city of Ur in the 1920s producing some of the most significant archaeological finds of the early twentieth century. The Egyptian galleries are particularly impressive, featuring the colossal 15-ton red granite sphinx of Pharaoh Ramses II (the third-largest sphinx outside Egypt and the largest in the western hemisphere), an extensive collection of mummies and the original architectural elements from the palace of King Merneptah at Memphis. The newly reinstalled Egypt galleries occupy two floors of the museum's original building. The Mesopotamian galleries display many of the finest artefacts excavated by the museum's Joint Expedition with the British Museum to the ancient royal city of Ur. Standout pieces include the celebrated Ram in the Thicket (a small gold and lapis lazuli sculpture from around 2,600 BC), the gold and silver musical instruments from the royal tombs of Ur and the extraordinary mosaic-inlaid Standard of Ur (now displayed at the British Museum). The Asia, Africa, Native American and Polynesian galleries display significant collections from each region, with particular strengths in classical China, ancient Maya, Native North American and ancient Polynesian material culture. Modestly priced and easily reached by trolley from downtown.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Telephone: 215-898-4000

Website: penn.museum

Opening Date: 30/12/1899