Nights at the Museum: Where to Visit After Hours
From adults-only dance parties to kid-friendly adventures, bypass the crowds and see your favorite exhibits in an entirely new light.
Visit the rooftop observatory at the Franklin Institute at a special nighttime visit of the science museum / Photograph courtesy of the Franklin Institute
Museums aren’t just places to look — they’re places to see differently. This week, we’re rolling out a full guide to the Philly museums that are asking questions, sparking ideas, and surprising visitors at every turn. Stay tuned all week as we spotlight how much more there is to our museums than just the galleries.
Museums don’t always close when the doors lock — some of Philly’s best come alive after hours. From adults-only dance parties to kid-friendly adventures, museum night events let you experience familiar institutions in totally a different way, and see some old favorites in a fresh light. (Moonlight!) Here, how to turn your culture into an unforgettable night out.
The Franklin Institute
Franklin Institute’s adults-only Science After Hours events feature cash bars, themed dance parties (costumes encouraged!), access to the exhibits and the rooftop observatory, live performances, science shows, and more fun.
Philadelphia Art Museum
On select Friday nights, Art Museum stays open till 8:45 p.m. so you can dance to live music or DJ sets, grab a drink at the cash bar in Great Stair Hall, and tour the galleries.
Academy of Natural Sciences
You and your kids can live out your Night at the Museum dreams at the Academy of Natural Sciences’ monthly pay-what-you-wish Dinos After Dark series. They can explore the exhibits and science demos; you can grab a beer under the T. rex.
The Barnes Foundation
The Barnes’ First Fridays give you an evening of art, live music, light fare, and cocktails with different themes. They happen on (duh) the first Friday of each month from 6 to 9 p.m.
The Barnes Foundation / Photograph by R. Kennedy courtesy of Visit Philadelphia
Woodmere Art Museum
Head to Chestnut Hill’s criminally underrated art museum on select Friday nights for live jazz concerts at 6 p.m.
Please Touch Museum
If you ever feel like kids’ museums would be a whole lot more fun without, y’know, the kids, head to the Please Touch Museum’s Museum Nights. The 21-and-up series keeps things buzzing with themed dance parties and cocktails, while your inner child can enjoy the exhibits — you just know you want to run through the Alice in Wonderland maze! Stay tuned for the next one in May. For a fancier night out, grab a ticket for their annual Imagination Ball gala.
The Rosenbach
Themed literary programs like Behind the Bookcase tours and this winter’s “Mad Women” book club offer so many ways to engage with literature (and book lovers) in the Victorian Rittenhouse townhouse. And come Halloween, look for Dracula-themed happenings (the museum has a whole Dracula collection!) including a “DracYoga”practice.
Museum of the American Revolution
At the museum’s evening Read the Revolution speaker series, authors and historians reveal the lesser-known roles of the diverse individuals who shaped this country, from enslaved Africans to the people of the Oneida Nation to the women and children who settled here.
The Betsy Ross House
Look for Tipsy History tours throughout the year, with after-hours access and a cocktail included in your ticket price. (The series offers a unique way to celebrate holidays too: Look for the upcoming Valentine’s-themed one!) As it gets warmer, monthly First Friday Movie Nights from June through September offer alfresco screenings of sci-fi/horror B-movies in the courtyard (BYOB) and admission to after-hour tours of Betsy’s house.
Sphinx at the Penn Museum / Photograph by Eric Sucar
Penn Museum
For kids, the Penn Museum hosts monthly Up Late with the Sphinx nights a special after-hours evening of games and gallery activities for families. You can make something special at a hands-on craft workshop, then take a flashlight tour through the museum. This program is best suited for children ages six to 12 … but for the adults? The museum is currently running its Mind and Mood Recharge series featuring yoga, sound bath, meditation, a wellness marketplace, and more health-focused activities. Come summer, come to the courtyard for evening concerts.
Independence Seaport Museum
Look out for speakeasy nights aboard the Olympia (in keeping with the historic warship’s Prohibition-era context). The evenings feature live music, games, themed drinks and more. And, yes, 1920s costumes are encouraged.
Museum for Art in Wood
Last year, this Old City museum introduced Gallery Groove, where they transform their gallery into a DJ dance party. The next one is planned for February 20th.
Fabric Workshop and Museum
Throughout the year, FWM hosts after-hours workshops — think screenprinting, collaging, etc. — so you can get in on the creativity, inspired by the museum’s exhibits and artists.
