Free & Cheap Activities in Philadelphia

The Franklin Institute, located in the city of Philadelphia, offers Community Nights for both visitors and local residents alike of all ages. There is no admission charge for the events that take place on specific nights throughout the year beginning at five in the evening. Community Night is a fun-filled and educational science event that includes the well-known permanent exhibits of the Franklin Institute, hands-on activities, and special programs. Guests register for the event on-site, no pre-registration necessary. Permanent exhibits that children in particular can explore include the SportsZone, Your Brain, Changing Earth, Space Command, and several others.

222 North 20th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, Phone: 215-448-1200

The Science History Institute takes guests on an adventure through the wonderful and weird world of materials and matter. The free museum is open to the public from 10:00am until 5:00pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Visitors can explore both the permanent collection and rotating exhibitions as well as free special programs on weekends (check website event calendar for details).

315 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106, Phone: 215-925-2222

The Barnes Foundation’s mission is to promote "the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts and horticulture." As part of that mission, the foundation offers a special event known as PECO Free First Sunday Family Day. This a free event that takes place on the first Sunday of the month for families that have kids who under eighteen years of age. Tickets for the PECO Free First Sunday Family Day are available at the museum beginning at 10:00am. Visitors can also explore the special exhibition and collection for free on this day.

2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19130, Phone: 215-278-7000

The Philadelphia Academy of the Fine Arts offers a “Pay-As-You-Wish” admission to view its permanent collection while preparing their next special exhibition. The facility is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00am until 5:00pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00am until 5:00pm. With admission to the Philadelphia Academy of the Fine Arts, guests can also join one of the free public tours that in the Historic Landmark Building’s lobby at 1:00pm and 2:00pm on Wednesdays, Fridays, and on Saturdays. The Philadelphia Academy showcases work by talented artists in the region, a permanent collection, and special exhibitions.

118-128 North Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19102, Phone: 215-972-7600

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays from 10:00am until 5:00pm, and open on Wednesdays and Fridays to 8:45pm. The museum is closed on most Mondays. “Pay What You Wish” admission is offered on the first Sunday of each month, as well as on all Wednesdays. Highlights of the collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art include the most important and largest collection of Marcel Duchamp’s works, the finest sculpture collection by Constantin Brancusi anywhere outside of Europe, and one of the country’s best collections of sculpture by Auguste Rodin.

2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19130, Phone: 215-763-8100

The Fireman’s Hall Museum in the city of Philadelphia is situated inside of a renovated firehouse built in 1902. It is known as one of the premier fire museums anywhere in the United States and is dedicated to the preservation of the fire history of Philadelphia, as well as the promotion of fire safety. The city is the birthplace of the country’s first volunteer fire companies. The Fireman’s Hall Museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00am until 4:00pm. It’s open until 9:00pm on the first Friday of every month. Admission to the museum is free.

147 N. 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106, Phone: 215-923-1438

Independence Hall is one of the most famous sites in Philadelphia. It is the birthplace of the nation, the site where both the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were discussed and signed. There is no fee for admission, however, visitors must get a timed ticket to explore the site during a tour between the months of March and December. Timed tickets aren’t needed during January to February. There is a limited number of free tickets, which are offered on a basis of first come, first serve. Tickets are available at the Independence Visitor Center.

520 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106, Phone: 215-965-2305

The famous Liberty Bell is displayed within the Liberty Bell Center inside of a glass chamber with the Indepence Hall set in the backdrop. In addition to viewing the original Liberty Bell, visitors can watch a ten-minute video presentation about the iconic bell and explore exhibits related to one of the country’s symbols of liberty. Various exhibits are on display along the left side of the Liberty Bell Center’s hallway. The Liberty Bell originally rang in Independence Hall, which was formerly the Pennsylvania State House, in the year 1753. It has been on display in the Liberty Bell Center since 2003.

526 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19106, Phone: 215-965-2305

Carpenters' Hall was the site in 1774 of the First Continental Congress, as well as home to the First and Second Banks of the United States, The American Philosophical Society, and Benjamin Franklin’s Library Company. It is a historic treasure of the city that is open to the public to visit with no admission fee. The building is open from 10:00am until 4:00pm and is closed on Mondays throughout the year, along with Tuesdays in the months of January and February. There are numerous different things of historical importance on display within Carpenter’s Hall.

320 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA, 19106, Phone: 215-925-0167

The Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site today isn’t your typical historic house museum. Rather than furnished rooms, there are illustrations displayed along the walls that show how the home’s rooms may have once been furnished when Edgar Allan Poe lived there. Visitors can explore the historic home of Poe in Philadelphia during a tour that last around thirty to forty-five minutes, or choose to just to do their own self-guided tour through the house. Guests who feel a bit daring can go down to the home’s basement that has a rather striking similarity to the basement described by Poe in “The Black Cat.”

532 N 7th St, Philadelphia, PA 19123, Phone: 215-965-2305