The first time I visited the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, I walked straight past the entrance thinking it was someone’s private mansion. The elegant Beaux-Arts building stands so discreetly on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway that you could miss it entirely if you weren’t looking. But step through those bronze gates and you’re greeted by The Thinker – the actual bronze cast, not a replica – sitting in contemplation in the entrance courtyard. That moment when you realise you’re standing metres from one of the world’s most iconic sculptures, completely free to approach, rather catches you off guard.
Quick overview
Admission is pay what you wish at this small American art museum, with a suggested donation of $15 for adults (seniors $14, students $7, youth 13–18 and children 12 and under free). The garden is entirely free year-round, and you can see eight major Rodin sculptures without paying anything at all.
Opening hours: Friday to Monday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed Tuesday to Thursday.
At a glance
| Price | Opening hours | Address | Free for | Last entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay what you wish (suggested $7–$15); garden always free | Fri–Mon: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m | Closed Tue–Thu | 2151 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19130 | Garden access is free for everyone | 5:00 p.m. |
How much does the Rodin Museum cost?
This is refreshingly straightforward: the museum operates on a pay-what-you-wish basis. You decide what to pay. If you can afford the suggested donation, they’d appreciate it. If you can’t, pay what you can – or nothing at all. There’s no judgement and no gatekeeper asking awkward questions.
Suggested admission
| Ticket type | Suggested donation | Who qualifies |
|---|---|---|
| Adults | $15 | General admission |
| Seniors | $14 | Age 65+ |
| Students | $7 | Valid student ID required |
| Youth (13–18) | Free | No ID required |
| Children (12 and under) | Free | No ID required |
| Members | Free | Philadelphia Museum of Art members |
Two-day combination ticket: $30 – Provides access for two consecutive days to both the Rodin Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Given that a single-day Philadelphia Museum of Art ticket costs $30, this represents excellent value if you’re planning to visit both.
The garden is completely free to everyone, all year round, regardless of whether you enter the museum building. You can walk through the bronze gates, see The Thinker, The Gates of Hell, The Burghers of Calais, and five other major sculptures in the outdoor spaces without paying anything.
5 great things to do in Philadelphia
- 🥖 Taste the best of Philly on a food tour – including historic Reading Market.
- 🏛️ Get to know Philadelphia’s heritage sites – on a guided walking tour.
- 🍻 Go on a pub crawl – but learn the history between beers.
- 🎨 Let a guide show you Philadelphia’s best murals and street art – including Magic Gardens.
- 🌙 Discover Philly’s dark side – on an adults-only night tour.
Is the Rodin Museum free to enter?
Technically, yes – it’s pay-what-you-wish, which means you can enter without paying if you choose to. Realistically, if you can afford to contribute, you probably should. The museum is administered by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a non-profit, and the suggested donations help maintain this extraordinary collection.
The garden, however, is genuinely, completely free with no expectation of payment. It’s treated as a public space. You’ll see locals walking through on lunch breaks, couples on benches, photographers taking engagement photos. The eight sculptures displayed outdoors include some of Rodin’s most important works, so visiting just the garden is absolutely worthwhile.
Philadelphia Museum of Art members get free admission to the Rodin Museum, and vice versa – your ticket to one covers both institutions.
What time does the Rodin Museum open?
Friday to Monday: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Closed: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Garden: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily (weather permitting), with extended hours on Fridays for the Rodin Garden Bar
The limited opening schedule catches people out. The museum is only open four days a week – essentially a long weekend operation. If you’re planning a Tuesday visit to Philadelphia, the Rodin Museum won’t be an option.
The Rodin Garden Bar operates on Friday evenings with extended hours, offering drinks in the garden setting amongst the sculptures. This is weather-dependent and seasonal, typically running from late spring through early autumn.
Do I need to book Rodin Museum tickets in advance?
No. It’s entirely walk-up, pay-what-you-wish admission. Just arrive during opening hours. The museum is small and rarely crowded to capacity – even on busy days, you’ll get in without waiting.
That said, the two-day combination ticket with the Philadelphia Museum of Art should be purchased in advance online if you want it, as it’s not always available at the door.
Group visits (10 or more people) should contact the museum in advance to arrange your visit, though this is more about courtesy and scheduling than ticketing requirements.
History
The Rodin Museum exists because one man became utterly obsessed with Auguste Rodin’s work. Jules Mastbaum (1872–1926), a Philadelphia-born cinema magnate who built a theatre empire in the early 20th century, began collecting Rodin’s sculptures in the 1920s. Within just a few years, he’d amassed over 140 pieces – the largest collection of Rodin’s work outside Paris.
Mastbaum didn’t collect for himself. His vision from the start was to donate the collection to his native Philadelphia and build a museum specifically to house it. He commissioned Paul Philippe Cret, a prominent French-American architect based in Philadelphia, to design the building, and Jacques Gréber, a French landscape designer, to create the garden.
Tragically, Mastbaum died in December 1926, three years before the museum opened. He never saw his vision realised. His widow and daughter completed the project in his honour, and the Rodin Museum opened to the public on 29 November 1929 – the largest collection of Rodin’s work outside the Musée Rodin in Paris.
Over 390,000 people visited in the first year alone. The museum has been administered by the Philadelphia Museum of Art since opening, maintaining the intimate, contemplative atmosphere Mastbaum envisioned.
Between 2011 and 2012, the museum underwent comprehensive restoration to return the building and gardens to Cret and Gréber’s original design. The $9 million renovation restored architectural details, reinstalled the collection with improved lighting and interpretation, and replanted the gardens following Gréber’s 1920s plans.
Inside the Rodin Museum
The museum is deliberately small and focused – a single building with a handful of galleries. You can see the entire collection in 45 minutes to an hour, which is part of its charm. It’s designed for contemplation rather than marathon viewing.
The Garden is where most visitors begin, and it’s spectacular. Eight major bronze sculptures are displayed amongst carefully manicured hedges, reflecting pools, and symmetrical pathways in the French formal garden style. The Thinker (1880–1904) sits in the entrance courtyard – this is one of the original casts made during Rodin’s lifetime, not a later reproduction. You can walk right up to it.
The Gates of Hell (1880–1917) dominates the garden’s central axis. This monumental bronze portal, standing over 6 metres tall, was Rodin’s most ambitious project. Based on Dante’s Inferno, it features 180 figures writhing in torment. Rodin worked on it for 37 years and never considered it finished. Many of his most famous sculptures – including The Thinker – originated as figures within The Gates.
The Burghers of Calais (1884–1889) depicts six citizens who offered themselves as hostages during the Hundred Years’ War. The figures are life-sized and displayed at ground level (not on a pedestal), allowing you to walk among them. It’s emotionally powerful in a way photographs don’t capture.
Inside the museum building, the collection continues through several intimate galleries. Rodin was extraordinarily prolific, and you’ll see examples from every phase of his career: early academic works, his revolutionary naturalistic style, studies of hands and torsos, portrait busts, and maquettes showing his working process.
The Kiss (1882), one of Rodin’s most famous works, is displayed in the museum along with multiple casts and studies. You can compare different versions and see how Rodin refined the sculpture over time.
The collection also includes Rodin’s drawings and studies – less well-known than his sculpture but revealing of his working methods. These are displayed in rotating exhibitions due to light sensitivity.
What strikes you is the repetition and variation. Rodin constantly reused forms – a hand from one sculpture appears in another, figures are scaled up or down, compositions are reworked. The museum’s collection allows you to trace these connections, seeing how The Thinker emerged from The Gates of Hell, or how studies of hands evolved into finished works.
What’s included with your ticket?
With museum admission (pay what you wish):
- Entry to all galleries
- Access to the garden and outdoor sculptures
- Rotating exhibitions and special displays
- Free Wi-Fi
Always free (no ticket required):
- The garden and eight outdoor sculptures
- Grounds and reflecting pools
- Benches and public spaces
Available for additional cost:
- Two-day combination ticket with Philadelphia Museum of Art ($30)
- Rodin Garden Bar (Fridays, seasonal) – drinks priced individually
Things to do near the Rodin Museum
Philadelphia Museum of Art (750 metres, 10-minute walk) – One of America’s largest art museums, housed in a monumental Beaux-Arts building at the top of the “Rocky Steps.” Collections span 2,000 years and include Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Duchamp’s Fountain, and a complete Japanese teahouse. The museum administers the Rodin, so your ticket covers both.
Barnes Foundation (300 metres, 4-minute walk) – Directly across the parkway, the Barnes houses one of the world’s finest collections of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and early Modernist paintings. Over 180 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes, 59 Matisses, and significant works by Van Gogh, Picasso, and others. The eccentric display arrangements follow collector Albert Barnes’s original vision.
The Franklin Institute (1.1 km, 15-minute walk) – Science museum named after Benjamin Franklin, featuring a planetarium, a walk-through human heart, and rotating exhibitions on topics from space exploration to dinosaurs. Particularly good for children and families.
Logan Square (900 metres, 12-minute walk) – One of William Penn’s original five squares, now featuring the Swann Memorial Fountain (1924) with three bronze Native American figures representing the Delaware, Schuylkill, and Wissahickon waterways. The square is surrounded by important buildings including the Free Library of Philadelphia and the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.
Eastern State Penitentiary (1.5 km, 20-minute walk or 5-minute drive) – A former prison operating from 1829 to 1971, now a museum offering tours through crumbling cell blocks. Al Capone was imprisoned here. The ruins are deliberately preserved in a state of decay, creating an eerie, thought-provoking experience. As far as I’m concerned, it’s one of the best reasons to visit Philadelphia.
Elsewhere in Philadelphia, many of the city’s key attractions cluster in the Historic District. Key historic attractions in this part of Philly include Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell Center and the Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial. The Benjamin Franklin Museum and Museum of the American Revolution are also here.
Practical tips
- Location: On the Benjamin Franklin Parkway between 21st and 22nd Streets, directly across from the Barnes Foundation
- Getting there: SEPTA bus routes stop nearby. PHLASH downtown loop bus stops at the museum (stop 8). Metered street parking on the parkway and side streets. Philadelphia Museum of Art parking garage available ($20 for first four hours)
- Time needed: 45 minutes to an hour for the complete museum; 20–30 minutes for just the garden
- Photography: Allowed throughout for personal use. No flash, tripods, or selfie sticks
- Accessibility: Fully wheelchair accessible with ramps throughout. Wheelchairs available at front desk
- Children: Very suitable for children – outdoor sculptures, manageable size, not overly formal. Under-12s free
- Crowds: Rarely crowded due to limited opening hours spreading visitors across four days. Weekday mornings quietest
- Weather: Garden sculptures are outdoors and best appreciated in good weather, though open year-round
- Combine with: The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Barnes Foundation, and Franklin Institute are all within easy walking distance on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- Free access: The garden is completely free and worth visiting even if you skip the museum interior
FAQs
Do I have to pay the suggested donation?
No. Pay-what-you-wish means exactly that – you decide what to pay, including nothing. If you can afford to contribute, please do, as it supports the museum’s operation and conservation work.
Can I visit just the garden for free?
Absolutely. The garden is treated as public space and is free to everyone with no expectation of payment. Eight major sculptures are displayed outdoors, including The Thinker, The Gates of Hell, and The Burghers of Calais.
Why is the museum only open four days a week?
Limited staffing and funding. The Rodin is a small institution administered by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the restricted schedule allows them to maintain quality with available resources. It’s been this way for years.
How does the two-day ticket with the Philadelphia Museum of Art work?
You get admission to both museums for two consecutive days. Since the Rodin is only open Friday to Monday, plan accordingly – if you visit the Art Museum on a Tuesday, you won’t be able to use the combination ticket at the Rodin until Friday.
Is it worth visiting if I’ve been to the Musée Rodin in Paris?
Yes, though the Philadelphia collection is smaller. The intimate scale and garden setting offer a different experience from the Paris museum. If you’re already in Philadelphia, it’s worth the hour, especially given the free/pay-what-you-wish model.
How long does it take to see everything?
Most visitors spend 45 minutes to an hour. The museum is deliberately small – five or six galleries plus the garden. You’re meant to spend time contemplating individual sculptures rather than rushing through.
Can I bring food into the garden?
Drinks are available at the Rodin Garden Bar on Fridays (seasonal). Outside food isn’t explicitly prohibited in the garden but isn’t encouraged inside the building.
Is there a café or restaurant?
No on-site café, though the Rodin Garden Bar operates on Friday evenings (seasonal, weather permitting). Plenty of dining options nearby in the Fairmount neighbourhood.
Do I need to be an art expert to appreciate this?
Not at all. Rodin’s sculptures are emotionally powerful and technically masterful – they work on an immediate, visceral level. The museum provides context if you want it, but the work speaks for itself.
More Pennsylvania travel
Other Pennsylvania travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- Understanding Abraham Lincoln in Gettysburg.
- Drake Well: The birthplace of the oil industry.
- What to expect at the Flight 93 National Memorial.
- 4 great reasons to visit Pittsburgh.
- Review of the very weird Mutter Museum in Philadelphia.
