Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia: history, what to see, how to get there, hours and tickets

The Barnes Foundation is an art museum and educational institution at 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. It holds the world's largest collections of paintings by Renoir (179) and Cezanne (69), plus works by Matisse, Picasso, Modigliani and Van Gogh. What sets it apart is the hanging: the walls are dense "ensembles" arranged by the founder himself, not rooms sorted by school or date. Below: the history, what to look at, how to get there, hours, tickets and rules. For the rest of the city, see our Philadelphia guide for Russian speakers.

History of the Barnes Foundation: from Merion to the Parkway

Albert C. Barnes (1872-1951) made his fortune, the foundation says, by co-inventing an antiseptic. In 1912, at 40, he began buying modern paintings with help from his childhood friend, the painter William Glackens. At his West Philadelphia factory he built seminars on art and philosophy into the workday.

In 1922 Barnes chartered the foundation as an educational institution, to teach people from all walks of life how to look at art. That year he bought a 12-acre arboretum in Merion, Pennsylvania, and hired architect Paul Philippe Cret to design a residence and gallery, where art appreciation classes were free. The foundation officially opened in Merion on March 19, 1925, as its 2025 annual report recalls. In the early 1920s he added more than 100 African masks and sculptures. In 1926 he hired Violette de Mazia, who became director of education after his death in 1951.

His wife, Laura Barnes, became director of the arboretum in 1928 and founded its horticulture school in 1940. From 1927 Barnes funded scholarships for African American artists, writers and musicians. In 1946 he met Horace Mann Bond, president of Lincoln University, a historically Black university, and invited its students to classes. In 1951 he changed the bylaws so that Lincoln's trustees nominate members of the Barnes board; today they nominate five.

In 2012 the foundation moved to Center City Philadelphia, saying it would better serve Barnes's educational mission. The Parkway building is by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Partners, and the galleries still show Barnes's final 1951 arrangement. The arboretum stayed in Merion at 50 Lapsley Lane; the foundation sends visitors to Saint Joseph's University to plan a visit there.

What to see: the collection and the ensembles

The ensembles. Barnes made them as teaching tools for his 1920s classes. One wall mixes cultures, periods and media: a French medieval sculpture beside a Navajo textile, paintings beside African masks, Native American jewelry, Greek antiquities and wrought iron. The point, in the foundation's words, is to draw out visual similarities between things we do not normally think of together. The walls are arranged exactly as he left them. The foundation invites you to browse its 3,000-plus objects online by color, light, line and space, which is a good way to look in the galleries too.

Paintings. Works the foundation features on its collection page include:

• Paul Cezanne, The Card Players (1890-92)
• Georges Seurat, Models (Poseuses) (1886-88)
• Amedeo Modigliani, Jeanne Hebuterne (1919)
• Pablo Picasso, Young Woman Holding a Cigarette (1901)
• Claude Monet, The Studio Boat (1876)
• Vincent van Gogh, The Postman (Joseph-Etienne Roulin) (1889)

Ironwork. Barnes acquired 887 wrought-iron objects and showed them among the paintings.

This page covers the permanent collection only; for current exhibitions see barnesfoundation.org. More sights are on our places to see in Philadelphia page.

How to get to the Barnes Foundation

• SEPTA buses. The foundation lists routes 7, 32, 33, 38, 48 and 49. SEPTA's stop data puts all six next to the Barnes: route 33 stops at 20th St & Ben Franklin Pkwy, and routes 7, 32, 38, 48 and 49 at 21st St & Ben Franklin Pkwy (route 38 also at 20th St).
• PHLASH. The Barnes is Stop 5 on the Philly PHLASH shuttle.
• Bike. Racks are on Pennsylvania Avenue, and there is an Indego bike share station.
• Car. The Barnes lot is on Pennsylvania Avenue between 20th and 21st Streets, first come, first served; use 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19130 in GPS. Visitors pay $12 for up to 4 hours and $2 for each extra hour; members pay $10 for up to 4 hours and $2 for each extra hour.

Hours and tickets

Public hours are Thursday to Monday, 11 am to 5 pm. Members' hours are 10 am to 5 pm on the same days, and the hour from 10 to 11 am is for members only. The Barnes is closed Tuesday and Wednesday, and also on July 4, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The foundation lists its hours on its plan your visit page.

Hours and prices checked November 5, 2026 on barnesfoundation.org. A ticket includes the special exhibition and is valid for two consecutive days. Online you choose a ticket type, a date and a time slot; tickets are non-refundable. Check the plan your visit page before you go.

Free ACCESS/EBT admission also covers people who receive medical assistance only. A paid personal care attendant with a visitor who has severe disabilities gets in free; ask for this when buying tickets.

Rules and tips before you go

• Bags. Every bag is inspected. Backpacks, backpack-style child carriers, oversize strollers, umbrellas, bulky coats and bags over 12 x 10 inches go to the free coat check or Lower Level lockers. Weapons, including knives, are banned.
• Photos. Personal photography is fine unless posted otherwise; no flash, tripods or selfie sticks.
• Sketching. Graphite pencil only, in a notebook no larger than 9 x 12 inches; staff may ask you to stop when galleries are crowded.
• Children under 15 must be with an adult. No food or drink in the galleries, and no third-party tours.
• Access. The main entrance is barrier free and an elevator serves every floor. The galleries are small, so some larger mobility devices may not fit everywhere. A limited number of manual wheelchairs are lent first come, first served, with no reservation needed; headsets and t-coil loops are free. Book a sign language interpreter for a docent tour at least three weeks ahead.
• Tours. Request a guided tour at least four days ahead at 215-278-7200.

Questions people ask

How much is admission to the Barnes Foundation?

An adult ticket to the Barnes Foundation is $30, seniors pay $28, and youth 13 to 18 and college students pay $5. Children 12 and under, members, Philadelphia pre-K to 12 teachers and ACCESS or EBT cardholders get in free. A ticket covers the special exhibition and is valid for two consecutive days.

What days is the Barnes Foundation open?

The Barnes Foundation is open Thursday to Monday from 11 am to 5 pm, and members can come from 10 am, with 10 to 11 am reserved for them. It is closed Tuesday and Wednesday, and also on July 4, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Because a ticket is valid for two consecutive days, you can split the collection over two visits.

Why are the paintings at the Barnes hung so close together?

Albert Barnes built these ensembles himself as teaching tools for his 1920s classes. He placed paintings beside African masks, Greek antiquities and wrought iron so viewers would see shared color, line and form. His final 1951 arrangement was kept when the foundation moved to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in 2012.

Can you take photos inside the Barnes Foundation?

Yes, personal photography is allowed at the Barnes Foundation unless a sign says otherwise. Flash, tripods and selfie sticks are not allowed. Sketching is permitted with a graphite pencil in a notebook no larger than 9 x 12 inches, and staff may ask you to stop when the galleries are crowded.