LibGuides: So...What Is There To Do Around Here?: Arts and Entertainment

Theater

This area has tons of options for live shows, plays, musicals, and movies. Here are some:

The Colonial Theatre
Phoenixville, PA
This local theater serves as a cultural arts center, showing classic movies, art and independent films as well as children's programs.
Forge Theater
Phoenixville, PA
Forge Theatre brings year-round live theatrical entertainment to the Phoenixville community in the form of six productions a year.
People's Light & Theatre
Malvern, PA
This non-profit, professional theatre produces 8-9 productions per season, as well as a holiday show each season.
Sight & Sound Theatre
Lancaster, PA
The largest Christian theatre in the United States brings the Bible to life with spectacular sets, a 300-foot wrap-around stage, live animals and outstanding performances.
Barley Sheaf Players
Lionville, PA
This theater offers year-round dramas, comedies, musicals, one-act festivals, and educational programs for all ages.
Theater in the Mansion
Manheim, PA
The theater offerings at the Mount Hope Estate include murder mysteries, improv, Poe, and Christmas shows.
SALT Performing Arts
SALT Performing Arts is a community theater that does musicals, plays, mystery dinner theaters, and Shakespeare. They also have summer camps for children.

Music

Philadelphia has some great concerts, and some wonderful musicians!

Curtis Institute of Music : Student Recitals
Philadelphia, PA
The Curtis Institute of Music has some of the most talented young musicians in the world. They give over 100 free student performances a year, no tickets needed.
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia, PA
The eZseatU program offers full-time college students the opportunity to see unlimited concerts all season long for an annual membership fee of $25.
The Mann Center
Philadelphia, PA
Located in Fairmount Park, the Mann Center is the home to Philadelphia's outdoor summer performing arts festivals.
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Philadelphia, PA
Home to the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Philly Pops, the Philadelphia Ballet, and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, among others.

Enjoy the Arts!

Do you like art museums? We’ve got some. Intrigued by creative architecture? There are truly unique examples nearby. Would you rather walk around gardens? We have plenty of them too. And when you are tired from exploring all of that, relax and watch a show.

Art Museums

These museums include art and antiques, and sometimes it is the building itself that is the work of art:

Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia, PA
As one of the largest museums in the United States, the Philadelphia Museum of Art invites visitors from around the world to explore its renowned collections, acclaimed special exhibitions, and enriching programs, both in person and online.
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Philadelphia, PA
PAFA's museum is internationally known for its collections of 19th- and 20th-century American paintings, sculptures, and works on paper. Special exhibitions of international art are featured annually as well as exhibits of the Academy's collections.
Brandywine River Museum
Chadds Ford, PA
Exhibiting American art in a 19th-century grist mill, the Brandywine River Museum is internationally known for its unparalleled collection of works by three generations of Wyeths and its fine collection of American illustration, still life and landscape painting.
Wharton Esherick Museum
Paoli, PA
A National Historic Landmark for Architecture, this hilltop studio/residence, with more than 200 of Esherick's works on exhibition, has been preserved much as it was when the artist lived and worked there, and is open to the public through guided tours.
Mercer and Fonthill Museums
Doylestown, PA
These two massive concrete castles were built by an amateur architect. The Mercer Museum's wacky architecture houses early American tools and furnishings, and Fonthill was the architect's home.
James A. Michener Art Museum
Doylestown, PA
An independent, non-profit cultural institution dedicated to preserving, interpreting and exhibiting the art and cultural heritage of the Bucks County region.
Winterthur Museum & Country Estate
Winterthur, DE
This 1,000 acres country estate encompasses rolling hills, streams, meadows, and forests, plus a huge country house turned museum that has rooms of antiques and furnishing, as well as galleries and special exhibitions.
Philadelphia's Magic Gardens
Philadelphia, PA
This folk art environment and gallery space covers half a city block and consists of a fully mosaiced indoor gallery and a massive outdoor labyrinthine mosaic sculpture.
Rodin Museum
Philadelphia, PA The Rodin Museum is home to the largest collection of French sculptor Auguste Rodin's works outside of Paris. Recently renovated, the museum boasts beautiful sculpture gardens and galleries.

Gardens

The Greater Philadelphia area is rich in public gardens, arboreta & historic houses with gardens:

Chanticleer Gardens
Wayne, PA
An eclectically designed estate botanical garden.
Grounds For Sculpture
Hamilton, NJ
This 42 acre sculpture park and museum has over 270 large-scale contemporary sculptures.
Hershey Gardens
Hershey, PA
Check out their 23 acres of seasonal displays, theme gardens and the outdoor Butterfly House.
Jenkins Arboretum and Gardens
Devon, PA
Horticultural showcase of native trees, shrubs, rhododendrons, azaleas, laurel, blueberries, ferns and wildflowers.
Longwood Gardens
Kennett Square, PA
Exquisite flowers, majestic trees, fountains, and opulent architecture cover 1,050 acres with 20 indoor and 20 outdoor gardens.
Shofuso Japanese House and Garden
Philadelphia, PA
This seventeenth-century authentic Shoin-style Japanese house & garden in Fairmount Park was given as a gift from Japanese people to America for the Museum of Modern Art.
The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Thousands of rare and lovely woody plants, including some of Philadelphia's oldest, rarest, and largest trees, are set in a romantic, 92-acre, Victorian landscape garden of winding paths, streams, flowers and special garden areas.
Tyler Arboretum
Media, PA
This 650-acre grounds near Philadelphia include a pinetum, a native woodland walk, and various flowering shrub and tree collections.

Subject Guide

Melanie Oestreich

Shopping

If shopping is your thing, here are some places to spend your money and get great stuff!

King of Prussia
King of Prussia, PA
The largest shopping mall on the East Coast of the United States.
Exton Square Mall
Exton, PA
Smaller and less crowded than King of Prussia, but still has a lot of stores.
Philadelphia Premium Outlets
Limerick, PA
Features more than 150 designer and brand-name outlet stores.
Lancaster Outlets
Lancaster, PA
Lancaster has over 200 outlets stores.
Peddler's Village
Lahaska, PA
This picturesque village has 70 specialty shops, 6 restaurants, and a family fun entertainment center.
New Hope
New Hope, PA
This pictureque town has restaurants, antique shops and art galleries.
Manayunk
Manayunk, PA
Main Street in Manayunk has trendy boutiques, gorgeous galleries, and shops.