Barnes Foundation

The Barnes Foundation is an art museum on Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, displaying more than 4,000 works, including over 900 paintings from the Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and Modern periods. The galleries spread across two floors of a modern building with natural light streaming through large windows.

Albert Barnes founded the institution in 1922 in Merion, a suburb west of Philadelphia, to use his collection for educational purposes. In 2012, the museum moved into a new building in the center of the city, ending years of legal disputes.

The paintings hang in dense arrangements, often spanning multiple walls, so that a canvas appears beside an African mask or a wrought iron grille. This presentation follows the idea that artworks speak to one another and comment on each other.

The museum opens Thursday through Monday between 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM, and advance reservations are recommended. The rooms are wheelchair accessible, and signage guides visitors through the different floors.

Each room follows a fixed arrangement that Barnes himself designed and that cannot be changed after his death. The furniture, metalwork, and decorative objects are integral parts of each ensemble and not mere accessories.

Location: Philadelphia

Inception: 1922

Founders: Albert Coombs Barnes

Architects: Paul Philippe Cret

Address: Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Opening Hours: Thursday-Saturday,Sunday, Monday 11:00-17:00

Phone: +12152787000

Email: info@barnesfoundation.org

Website: https://barnesfoundation.org

GPS coordinates: 39.96077,-75.17272

Latest update: December 12, 2025 17:51