So many things to do in Philly in the days leading up to the 4th of July– and so many of them are FREE! Here’s a quick rundown of what museums and attractions you can visit for free, when, and links to pre-register if required.

Note: we left off any museums that are free to visit year round, as it’s probably better to visit them on less crowded days, unless they are doing something special that you wouldn’t normally see/experience.

Concerts are listed separately in this post.

Philadelphia Free Museum Days 2024

🎉 June 19th (Juneteenth) 🎉

African American Museum in Philadelphia: Opens at 10am, last guests admitted at 4pm, closes at 5pm. First-come, first-serve, pre-register here. Registration not required for the block party that will also be taking place (a family-friendly outdoor festival with live musical entertainment, vendors, food trucks, interactive experiences, etc, located between 7th and 8th Streets on Arch and within the 8th & Arch Parkway Parking lot).

🎇 June 20th 🎇

Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center, 10am to 5pm

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, 10am to 4pm

Independence Seaport Museum, 10am to 5pm, last entry at 4:30. Free admission applies to building only.

🎆 June 21st 🎆

Historic Rittenhouse Town, 10am to 1pm. Pre-registration required, email admin@RittenhouseTown.org.

Christ Church Preservation Trust, 11am to 5pm. Burial Grounds will be open dependent on weather.

🧨 June 22nd 🧨

Science History Institute, 10am to 5pm.

Woodford Mansion Museum, 10am to 4pm. Reserve tickets here.

Lemon Hill Mansion Museum, 10am to 4pm. Free jazz music on the front lawn from 1 to 4pm.

Paul Robeson House & Museum, 12 to 4pm. Pre-register here.

🔔 June 23rd 🔔

Historic Strawberry Mansion, first tour begins at 10am and the last tour at 3pm.

Laurel Hill Mansion, 10am to 4pm. Colonial crafts including tin punching and whirligig making. Pre-register here.

📖 June 24th 📖

Free Library of Philadelphia Rare Book Department, 9:30am to 4:30pm.

🎉 June 25th 🎉

Stenton, 10am to 4pm. Email programs@stenton.org or call 215-329-7312 to reserve a spot on a tour.

Underground Railroad Museum at the Historic Belmont Mansion, 11am to 4pm.

Elfreth’s Alley Museum, 12 to 4pm.

🥊 June 26th 🥊

Woodmere Art Museum, 10am to 5pm.

Wyck Historic House, Garden & Farm, 12 to 4pm.

Fabric Workshop Museum, 12 to 6pm. Pre-register here.

Rocky Movie Night at the Art Museum steps, 6pm (movie begins at 8). Arrive early for food and drinks from local food trucks, a pop-up beer garden, free snacks courtesy of UTZ and Tastykake, and/or a free 30-minute Rumble Boxing class (all ages, all abilities). Pre-register here.

📜 June 27th 📜

National Constitution Center, 10am to 5pm.

Wawa Hoagie Day, 12pm. Enjoy the entertainment while you eat one of the 25,000 Wawa Shorti hoagies being served along Arch Street between 5th & 6th Streets in the Independence Mall area.

🇺🇸 July 28th 🇺🇸

Penn Museum, 10am to 5pm. Pre-register here.

Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion, 12 to 4pm.

🎇 June 29th 🎇

Arch Street Meeting House, 10am to 4pm. Free admission plus birthday cake, historic interpreters, crafts, story times, dunk tanks, and more for George Fox’s 400 year birthday bash.

Masonic Temple, Library and Museum, 9:30am to 3:20pm. Guided tour of the building and a visit to the exhibit hall.

🏎 June 30th 🏎

Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, 10am to 4pm.

American Swedish Historical Museum, 12 to 4pm.

🦅 July 1st 🦅

National Liberty Museum, 10am to 5pm. Pre-register here.

Rodin Museum, 10am to 5pm. (This museum is usually pay what you wish and the garden is always free.)

Barnes Foundation, 10am to 5pm. Get tickets here.

Mütter Museum, 10am to 4pm. Reserve your ticket.

Philadelphia Zoo, 1 to 5pm. Free admission is from 3 to 5pm on a first come first served basis. Arrive early to celebrate the zoo’s 150th anniversary with performances, face painting, arts and crafts, games and opportunities to see some animals and their keepers up close.

🎆 July 2nd 🎆

Carpenters’ Hall Museum, 10am to 4pm. This museum is free all year but will have special programming in conjunction with Welcome America, Lego, and the Franklin Institute. Register here.

Red, White, and Blue To-Do, 9am to 9pm. A full day’s worth of events featuring the Red, White, & Blue To-Do Pomp & Parade, festooned decor, concerts, games, extended visitation hours at area historic attractions, restaurant specials, and much more, commemorating a day of “pomp and parade” as declared by John Adams in 1776.

🧨 July 3rd 🧨

Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 10am to 4:30pm. Pre-register here.

Eastern State Penitentiary, 6 to 10pm. “The Voices of Eastern State” Audio Tour via QR code, Unlocking History experiences, exhibits, artist installations, beer garden. Register here.

🇺🇸 July 4th 🇺🇸

Cliveden House, 10am to 2pm. Tour the Main House and the exhibit The Turmoil of Transition: The mid-nineteenth century at Cliveden. The Carriage House Visitor Center and grounds will also be open to the public.

Salute to Independence Parade. Kicks off at 11am at 2nd & Market and continuing to City Hall.

Johnson House Historic Site, 12 to 2pm. Docent led 60-minute guided tour of the National Historic Landmark and Underground Railroad station. Register here.

See all of the Wawa Welcome America events for 2024 in one place here.