Behind the Scenes Tours

Take your group experience to the next level! Dig deeper into the history behind the Penn Museum’s world famous excavations, talk to our Conservation team about how they preserve objects in preparation for new exhibitions, and gain an insider’s view of artifacts from the vaults of storage not regularly on display for the general public.

Visit the Penn Museum Archives

Explore the Penn Museum's historic Archives, housed in the charming nineteenth century former library of the museum! The records within this intriguing space tell the story of where and how we obtained the objects in the Penn Museum, right from the words of working archaeologists! Take a trip through these rich stories with Museum Senior Archivist Alex Pezzati as you investigate the many unusual tales from this vast collection

Length: 1 hour per session
Capacity: 20 people per session
Booking: Please allow at least three weeks lead time when arranging for a trip to the Archives
Pricing: Please contact group sales for pricing information

Research Around the World

Since its founding in 1887, the Penn Museum has sent out more than 300 field expeditions, to places such as Ur, Iraq; Memphis, Egypt; and Tikal, Guatemala. Go behind the scenes with Penn Museum archaeologists during their excavations in Egypt, Mesoamerica, or Iraq. Hear stories and anecdotes from the Museum’s past, illustrated with vintage photographs, drawings, maps, letters, and more.

Penn Museum Greatest Hits

The archives houses magnificent works of archaeological art and pioneering photography from around the world, as well as maps, documents, and correspondence from famous individuals See some of the finest visual materials and interesting documents from the collection, and hear the stories behind them.

Photography in Archaeology and Anthropology

The histories of archaeology and photography are intertwined, and photographic documentation is essential in both archaeology and anthropology. The archives houses more than half a million images, in all formats. See rare photographic prints of pioneering photographs of people and places from around the world, 1860s through 1920s, including images by Edward S. Curtis, William Henry Jackson, Bonfils, and more.

Archaeological Illustrations

The work of artists and illustrators is essential in archaeology. Over the years, the Penn Museum has employed a number of extremely talented artists. Before the development of color photography in the mid-1930s, these artists made all color illustrations by hand. The archives also houses archaeological caricatures and cartoons. See masterworks of archaeological art and hear the stories of the people who made them.