Explore architecture, archives and a special exhibition at The Athenaeum of Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Athenaeum of Philadelphia has a stunning exterior with an interior to match.

"It's a beautiful structure, Italian Renaissance," says Kristina Wilson, Archivist and Gladys Brooks Curator of Architecture at The Athenaeum of Philadelphia.

"We've been in this building since 1847," says Beth Hessel, Executive Director of The Athenaeum of Philadelphia. "So much wow factor."

"We are extremely welcoming, and we encourage everybody to come in," says Wilson.

When The Athenaeum was founded in 1814, there were no free public libraries.

"The founders wanted this to be a place of common and agreeable resort for learning," says Hessel. "Over the years we have created an incredible collection that continues to grow."

Its main focus is Philadelphia architecture and architects.

"We have in our collection about 350,000 architectural drawings," says Wilson. "About 80,000 books in our circulating collection."

There is also a robust object collection that includes artifacts, furnishings and paintings, among other smaller decorative arts and items.

"A really core part of what we do is providing access to scholars and preservationists, historians, and also people in the general public who want to learn more about Athenaeum's built environment, and how it's changed over the years," says Hessel.

While it's a membership library, there are parts open to everyone, like the archives.

"You do not need to be a member to access them. All you need to do is contact The Athenaeum and make an appointment," says Wilson.

"The public can come and look, but they can become members too," says Hessel. "We have more than 3,000 members of all ages. We're a really exciting, intergenerational learning community."

There is a special exhibitions gallery that is always free and open to the public to view.

The current exhibition "To Encourage Outstanding Scholarship" celebrates the collecting legacy of Dr. Roger Moss. It's on view through December 20, 2025.

"He was our director here at The Athenaeum from 1968 until 2008, but in addition to that, he was also a professor at Penn. He was a historic preservationist," says Wilson.

An original 1805 sketch of the Arch Street Meeting House is on view, among many other items.

"We have a lot of archival materials that are just cool, old Philadelphia things," says Wilson.

There are photographs, drawings and etchings of the built environment. You can also register for a tour to see the entire building, including the member lounge and Busch Room.

"I have so many people say to me that our Reading Room is the most beautiful room in Philadelphia," says Hessel.

She says visiting that space will make you feel like you're "stepping back in time."

There's even a 'Record of Strangers' who've visited The Athenaeum. The list of names includes Charles Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe, Marquis de Lafayette, as well as Eliza Hamilton.

Wilson says Eliza Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton's widow, would have visited here in her nineties.

Taking a tour is the only way you can see the vault. It holds rare books and some of the most prized pieces in the collection, including many blueprints.

Housed here is an original, hand-rendered cross section of the dome of the Capitol Building, which was designed by Thomas Ustick Walter.

"Archives aren't static," says Wilson. "They're as vibrant and alive as they ever were. A document that's 200 years old is just as vibrant as it was 200 years ago, because a new person's looking at it, and a new person is seeing it in a different way."

Hessel says she hopes people take away a sense of "wonder and amazement" from The Athenaeum.

"And a better appreciation also for the amazing built environment that we have in Philadelphia, and the history of all the people who have helped create this space," she says.

That special exhibition, "To Encourage Outstanding Scholarship," is on view through December 20, 2025, at The Athenaeum of Philadelphia. That exhibition is free and open to the public by appointment.

For more information:
The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Special Exhibition - "To Encourage Outstanding Scholarship"

The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
219 S. 6th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106