Philadelphia History Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Philadelphia History Museum
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(2013)
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 Location in Philadelphia
Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | 15 S. 7th Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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| Built | 1825 |
| Architect | John Haviland |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002319 |
| Added to NRHP | August 1, 1979 |
The Philadelphia History Museum was a special place in Center City, Philadelphia. It told the story of Philadelphia from 1938 until 2018. For most of its history, until 2010, it was known as the Atwater Kent Museum.
The museum was located in a beautiful building designed by architect John Haviland. This building, built between 1824 and 1826, has a Greek Revival style. It was first home to the Franklin Institute. The building itself is very important, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Contents
The Museum's Story: How It Began
The idea for the museum came from several important people. These included Philadelphia Mayor S. Davis Wilson and Frances Wistar, who worked to save historical places. A big help came from A. Atwater Kent, a famous inventor and pioneer in radio.
In 1938, Mr. Kent bought the old Franklin Institute building. The Franklin Institute had moved out a few years earlier. He then gave the building to the city of Philadelphia. His gift allowed the city to create a public history museum. After some updates, the museum officially opened its doors in 1941.
What Happened to the Museum?
After many years, fewer people visited the museum. It also faced money problems. Because of these challenges, the museum closed in 2018.
In 2019, a plan was approved to move the museum's large collection of items. These items went to Drexel University. Drexel University now takes care of these historical objects. They also make them available for other museums to borrow and display. Drexel officially took control of the collection in April 2022. They renamed it the Atwater Kent Collection at Drexel.
Exploring the Museum's Collections
The museum had an amazing collection of over 80,000 objects. These items all helped tell the story of Philadelphia and the surrounding area.
Treasures from Philadelphia's Past
Many items came from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. These included art and artifacts from the 17th to the 20th centuries. There were also 1,700 items related to the Quaker community.
The collection also showed off Philadelphia's history in manufacturing. It had items from the 1876 Centennial Exposition, which was a huge world's fair held in Philadelphia. There were also collections of old toys, miniatures, and items about early radio broadcasting.
Famous Objects You Could See
Some of the most exciting items on display included:
- The boxing gloves of famous boxer Joe Frazier.
- A desk that once belonged to George Washington.
- A drinking glass used by Benjamin Franklin.
- A special wampum belt. This belt was said to be given to William Penn by the Lenape people.
Images for kids
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The Philadelphia History Museum building in 2013.
See also
In Spanish: Museo de Historia de Filadelfia para niños
