American art sometimes seems to have started late compared to its European cousin, but the history of art in Philadelphia is the history of art in America. The portrait gallery in the Second National Bank building contains a fine collection of 18th-century portraiture. The Academy of Fine Arts and the Barnes house famous collections of American and European Impressionists. The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Rodin Museum on the Ben Franklin Parkway, have their collections of 19th and 20th century masterpieces by Renoir, Picasso, Matisse, Rodin, Cassatt, Wyeth and hundreds more. There’s a strong representation of modern and post-modern work around town. The Museum of Art, the ICA, the galleries in Old City, even the venerable Academy are frequent stops for works by Charles Burns, Laurie Anderson, Richard Serra and others.

Design is strongly represented here as well. The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Moore College of Art are good sources for inspiration. The Foundation for Architecture provides a series of walking tours and lectures on various aspects of Philadelphia architecture.

One of the world’s best collections of Impressionist paintings is the Barnes collection, in the suburb of Merion. All of the pieces here are instantly recognizable from reproductions, but only a small number have ever traveled and then only recently. The Philadelphia Museum of Art and its small companion, the Rodin Museum represent a brief history of world art on the Ben Franklin Parkway: Ancient Egypt, Impressionism, Expressionism, Cubism and Post- Modernism comes with guided tours and souvenir reproductions available in the gift shop.

Because of the city’s rich history, there are plenty of museums chronicling national history, including the multicultural and technological innovations that came with democracy. These museums and historic sites are friendly to children and innovative in the way they educate and entertain at the same time. Be warned, however: Like many American museums, the ones in Philadelphia generally make few concessions to foreign visitors. It can be hard to non-English signs or tour materials. But Americans like to be helpful and it is always advisable to contact a place in advance to see what can be arranged.