Rodin Museum

Philadelphia cinema magnate Jules Mastbaum bought his first Rodin bronze during a 1924 visit to Paris. Over the next two years he acquired more than 150 sculptures in bronze, plaster, marble, and terracotta. He first considered placing major works in theater lobbies, then commissioned a dedicated museum on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.Mastbaum died before construction began, and his family completed the gift. The museum opened in 1929 with indoor galleries and a Parisian-style garden designed around the sculpture. The Thinker stands near the entrance, and The Gates of Hell fills a gallery wall. Suggested admission is charged inside; the garden is free. The museum is open Monday and Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. More

Philadelphia cinema magnate Jules Mastbaum bought his first Rodin bronze during a 1924 visit to Paris. Over the next two years he acquired more than 150 sculptures in bronze, plaster, marble, and terracotta. He first considered placing major works in theater lobbies, then commissioned a dedicated museum on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.Mastbaum died before construction began, and his family completed the gift. The museum opened in 1929 with indoor galleries and a Parisian-style garden designed around the sculpture. The Thinker stands near the entrance, and The Gates of Hell fills a gallery wall. Suggested admission is charged inside; the garden is free. The museum is open Monday and Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. More