The Athenaeum of Philadelphia

The Athenaeum of Philadelphia has long been one of Philadelphia’s important cultural centers. I’ve been in this building since I was a kid, and you know what? … it hasn’t changed much. At a recent function here, one could almost feel like time has stopped. For outside visitors, there is always something to see from a special exhibition gallery to the Bonaparte Room to the magnificent second floor library and its adjacent game room. And all this in one old classically designed building on Washington Square!

A must-​see!
I recommend a visit for one of two reasons; either you are (1) a member of the library and wish to conduct research, check out books, and/​or study, etc., or (2) a visitor and enjoyer of architecture, history, and art.
As a visitor, I was delighted by the privilege to visit the Philly Athenaeum in its entirety for FREE! (At the Boston Athenaeum, as a visitor, I only had access to the ground level.)
After checking-​in at the receptionist area (first room on the left after entering the building), I was given a brief history of the Athenaeum by one of the docents;
Something along the lines of.
–«A member-​supported non-​profit library and historic site with fine and decorative arts from the first half of the 19^th century, featuring free exhibitions.»
After grabbing a pamphlet or two, the bf and I were off to explore the building!
Note the Napoleon Bonaparte room (permanent exhibit), decadent and dramatic ceilings and staircase, and of course, the two reading rooms!
For a quiet, at-​your-​own-​pace, and off-​the-​beaten path look at early 19^th century art and architecture, this is your one-​stop shop, if you will.
The only letdown was that the place was in-​between traveling exhibits, thus there was less to see this time around. One of the other friendly docents explained, in great detail, the future exhibit (Yellow-​back Novels), which will be on display March 2^nd — 31^st. Her enthusiasm for the subject was contagious; I can’t wait to come back next month to check it out!
A note on the hours;
M-​F; 9 – 5
FIRST THREE saturdays of the month; 11a-​3p
All this, plus online resources, 5 stars!

I am RECOMMENDING the Athenaeum for fine art large format scanning. They have a $ 150,000 Cruse scanner that gets the job done. Technician Jim was a pleasure to deal with. The location is interesting and comfortable. All of this, combined with their pricing, adds up to good value. I advocate supporting this organization with your large format scan work.

It’s a dream come true for Philadelphia and architecture appreciators alike!
Did you know, you can schedule a research appointment here? You can use
to confirm they’ll have what you’re looking for, grab the call number (s), and schedule an appointment. You don’t have to be a member, either!
That’s what I did. The Athenaeum gave me a chance to actually *touch* (can you believe that!?) and look through the architect’s original drawings for Alden Park apartments from 1925 – 1928. I’ve scheduled another appointment with the Curator of Architecture, who is so helpful, to go back and look at the drawings for the Alden Park Inn & Restaurant.
The museum itself is beautiful, and they seem to have a lot of great exhibits. Also, it’s free to go in and look around!
If you love this kind of stuff… you can’t miss the Athenaeum!