Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Why Visit

PAFA boasts an impressive collection by local and national luminaries.

A rare jewel nestled in the heart of Center City, PAFA boasts an impressive collection by local and national luminaries such as Charles Willson Peale (founder of the Academy), Thomas Eakins (who taught here), and Violet Oakley.

Its Frank Furness-designed Historic Landmark Building, heralded by the 51-foot Paint Torch sculpture by Claus Oldenburg, remains one of the finest surviving examples of Victorian Gothic architecture in the Americas.

Must-See

One of Gilbert Stuart’s portraits of George Washington serves as a special source of pride for locals, as do other well-known paintings by artists such as Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Edward Hopper and Cecilia Beaux — to name just a few.

The grand staircase at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. — Photo by B. Krist for Visit Philadelphia

Events

For more than 110 years, the Annual Student Exhibition (ASE) has been one of the city’s most anticipated annual events.

Each spring, PAFA students showcase their work in the museum’s galleries, and members of the public can buy pieces created by the art scene’s next crop of rising stars.

The Annual Student Exhibition (ASE) at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. — Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia