Public Programs and Events

Alongside our galleries and exhibitions, the Penn Museum activates discovery through a wide range of public programs and events. These family activities, lecture series, performances, and workshops offer opportunities to dig deeper into the Museum’s resources, learn more about our collections, and explore the cultures represented in our galleries.

The Museum is a place that brings people, ideas, and artifacts together to discuss contemporary ideas and build civil society.

Museum event attendee

Bringing the Galleries to Life

The Museum’s signature galleries and special exhibitions showcase objects from the Museum’s global collections. Programming around these exhibitions brings them to life, inviting visitors to delve deeper into the stories and cultures these objects represent. In 2017–2018, special events related to Cultures in the Crossfire: Stories from Syria and Iraq, the new Middle East Galleries, and Bearing Witness: Four Days in West Kingston shed new light on the exhibitions.

Cultural Exploration for Families

The Museum’s programs and events are designed to encourage curiosity and discovery through ongoing series, annual celebrations, craft workshops, and one-time special events. Some of this programming is designed with families in mind. The World Culture Series, for example, introduces visitors of all ages to the rich cultural traditions found throughout the world—and illuminated in the Museum’s galleries—through celebrations including Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Chinese New Year, and African Cultures Day. More activities and performances happen throughout the year with Second Saturdays and World Wonders. And for some of our youngest visitors, Storytime Expeditions lets them hear a story surrounded by artifacts from that culture.

Public Discussions and Performances

The Museum promotes community engagement through a wide range of public discussions, performances, and gatherings. Using its spaces as performance spaces and public classrooms, the Museum’s programs invite discovery and dialogue on a range of contemporary issues. Theatrical workshops, concert, film, and lecture series, and symposia encourage visitors to explore the Museum’s collections and beyond.