Rodin Museum - Revision history

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	'''The Rodin Museum''' ~~is a museum~~ on the [[Benjamin Franklin Parkway]] in [[Fairmount, Philadelphia\|Fairmount]] dedicated to ~~the work of~~ French sculptor '''Auguste Rodin''' (1840-1917). ~~The museum houses~~ the largest collection of ~~Rodin's~~ work outside Paris, ~~including~~ bronze casts of his most famous ~~sculptures~~: ''The Thinker'', ''The Gates of Hell'', ''The Burghers of Calais'', and ''The Kiss''. The intimate ~~museum~~ and ~~its beautiful~~ gardens ~~offer a contemplative experience focused on~~ one of ~~the~~ greatest sculptors ~~in history~~.<ref name="rodin">{{cite web \|url=https://www.rodinmuseum.org/about \|title=About the Rodin Museum \|publisher=Rodin Museum \|access-date=December 30, 2025}}</ref>		'''The Rodin Museum''' sits on the [[Benjamin Franklin Parkway]] in [[Fairmount, Philadelphia\|Fairmount]], dedicated entirely to French sculptor '''Auguste Rodin''' (1840-1917). You'll find the largest collection of his work anywhere outside Paris here, featuring bronze casts of his most famous pieces: ''The Thinker'', ''The Gates of Hell'', ''The Burghers of Calais'', and ''The Kiss''. The intimate setting and gorgeous gardens create something rare. A space built for reflection, for standing with one of history's greatest sculptors.<ref name="rodin">{{cite web \|url=https://www.rodinmuseum.org/about \|title=About the Rodin Museum \|publisher=Rodin Museum \|access-date=December 30, 2025}}</ref>

	~~The museum was a gift to the City of Philadelphia from movie~~ theater magnate '''Jules Mastbaum'''~~, who~~ assembled the collection in the 1920s. Mastbaum ~~commissioned the~~ French architect Paul Philippe Cret to design the ~~museum~~ building, which opened in 1929. ~~The museum is now administered by~~ the [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]], and ~~admission includes access to~~ both ~~institutions~~.<ref name="visit">{{cite web \|url=https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/rodin-museum/ \|title=Rodin Museum \|publisher=Visit Philadelphia \|access-date=December 30, 2025}}</ref>		Movie theater magnate '''Jules Mastbaum''' gave this museum to Philadelphia. He'd assembled the collection during the 1920s, became obsessed with Rodin's vision, and wanted to share it. Mastbaum hired French architect Paul Philippe Cret to design the building, which opened in 1929. Today the [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]] runs it, and your ticket gets you into both places.<ref name="visit">{{cite web \|url=https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/rodin-museum/ \|title=Rodin Museum \|publisher=Visit Philadelphia \|access-date=December 30, 2025}}</ref>

	== History ==		== History ==
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	=== Jules Mastbaum ===		=== Jules Mastbaum ===

	'''Jules Mastbaum''' (1872-1926) was a Philadelphia businessman who built a chain of movie theaters. ~~In the 1920s, he became captivated by~~ Rodin's work and ~~began assembling a collection to donate to his hometown~~.		'''Jules Mastbaum''' (1872-1926) was a Philadelphia businessman who'd built a chain of movie theaters. He discovered Rodin's work in the 1920s and couldn't shake it. He started buying everything he could find.

	~~Mastbaum purchased bronze~~ casts, marble ~~sculptures~~, drawings, ~~and~~ prints directly from Rodin's estate and ~~from~~ the Musée Rodin in Paris. ~~He planned to create a museum that would~~ bring Rodin~~'s art~~ to ~~American audiences~~.		Bronze casts, marble pieces, drawings, prints. He purchased directly from Rodin's estate and the Musée Rodin in Paris. His goal was straightforward: bring Rodin to America, give Philadelphia something extraordinary.

	~~Tragically,~~ Mastbaum died in 1926~~, before the~~ museum~~'s completion~~. His widow, Etta Mastbaum, ~~saw the project through to its opening~~ in '''November 1929'''.		But Mastbaum died in 1926. He never saw his museum open. His widow, Etta Mastbaum, finished what he'd started. The doors opened in '''November 1929'''.

	=== The Building ===		=== The Building ===

	~~French-American architect~~ '''Paul Philippe Cret''' designed the museum in the Beaux-Arts style~~, with~~ a formal garden ~~approach leading to a classical temple-like structure. The design was intended to evoke~~ the ~~contemplative~~ atmosphere of the Musée Rodin in Paris.		'''Paul Philippe Cret''' designed the museum in the Beaux-Arts style. It's a classical structure approached through a formal garden that deliberately echoes the atmosphere of the Musée Rodin in Paris.

	=== Philadelphia Museum of Art ===		=== Philadelphia Museum of Art ===

	The Rodin Museum ~~has been administered by~~ the [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]] ~~since~~ 1939~~, ensuring professional care for~~ the collection while ~~maintaining~~ its ~~identity as a distinct institution~~.		The Rodin Museum came under the care of the [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]] in 1939. That arrangement has kept the collection professionally maintained while letting it remain its own thing.

	== Collection ==		== Collection ==
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	=== The Gates of Hell ===		=== The Gates of Hell ===

	Rodin ~~worked~~ on '''The Gates of Hell''' ~~for nearly~~ 40 years~~, creating a monumental bronze doorway inspired by~~ Dante's ''Inferno''. ~~The work was~~ never ~~completed~~ in ~~Rodin's~~ lifetime, ~~but~~ bronze casts were ~~made~~ after his death.		Rodin spent almost four decades on '''The Gates of Hell'''. Nearly 40 years. He drew inspiration from Dante's ''Inferno'' and created a monumental bronze doorway that seems to contain all human suffering and struggle. He never finished it in his lifetime, yet bronze casts were cast after his death.

	~~The Gates contain over~~ 180 figures~~, many of which Rodin later developed as~~ independent sculptures~~, including~~ ''The Thinker'' (originally conceived as Dante ~~contemplating Hell)~~.		Over 180 figures inhabit these doors. Many became independent sculptures later. ''The Thinker'' emerged from this work, originally conceived as Dante standing at the top, looking down at the chaos.

	=== The Thinker ===		=== The Thinker ===

	'''The Thinker''' ~~is positioned prominently in~~ the garden, ~~greeting~~ visitors ~~as they approach the museum~~. ~~The figure represents a~~ man in ~~deep meditation~~, ~~struggling~~ with ~~powerful internal conflict~~.		You see '''The Thinker''' right away. It dominates the garden, posed at the reflecting pool's head where visitors encounter it first. This man sits in the grip of interior conflict, wrestling with something vast and unknowable.

	~~Originally~~ titled ''The Poet''~~, the sculpture was~~ meant to ~~represent~~ Dante ~~at the top of the Gates of~~ Hell. It ~~has~~ become one of the most ~~recognized works of art in the world~~.		Rodin originally titled it ''The Poet''. He meant it to be Dante contemplating Hell below. It's become one of the world's most recognizable artworks. Everyone knows this figure.

	== The Grounds ==		== The Grounds ==
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	=== Formal Garden ===		=== Formal Garden ===

	A long, tree-lined reflecting pool ~~leads~~ from the Parkway to the ~~museum~~ entrance, ~~creating~~ a processional ~~approach~~ that builds anticipation:		The approach matters here. A long tree-lined reflecting pool stretches from the Parkway to the entrance, a processional path that builds anticipation:
	* Clipped hedges and formal plantings		* Clipped hedges and formal plantings
	* Reflecting pool with ''The Thinker'' at its head		* Reflecting pool with ''The Thinker'' at its head
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	=== Sculpture Garden ===		=== Sculpture Garden ===

	Bronze sculptures ~~are displayed throughout~~ the garden:		Bronze sculptures populate the garden grounds. You walk around them. Natural light shifts throughout the day, constantly changing how they look. Trees and landscaping frame each piece.
	* Outdoor setting allows viewers to walk around ~~works~~
	* Natural light ~~creates changing effects~~ throughout the day
	* Trees and landscaping ~~complement the sculptures~~

	== Visiting the Rodin Museum ==		== Visiting the Rodin Museum ==
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	=== Tips ===		=== Tips ===

	* Allow 45 minutes to 1 hour		Budget 45 minutes to an hour. The garden's worth visiting even if you skip the interior. Combine your trip with the nearby [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]] just down the street. Morning light or late afternoon sunlight hits the sculptures best.
	* Visit the garden even if you ~~don't enter~~ the ~~museum~~
	* Combine with ~~a visit to~~ the nearby [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]]
	* Best lighting: morning or late afternoon

	=== Getting There ===		=== Getting There ===

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	* Reflecting pool with ''The Thinker'' at its head		* Reflecting pool with ''The Thinker'' at its head
	* Benches for contemplation		* Benches for contemplation
	* Views of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway		* Views of the [https://biography.wiki/a/Benjamin_Franklin Benjamin Franklin] Parkway

	=== Sculpture Garden ===		=== Sculpture Garden ===

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	\| image_caption = The Thinker at the Rodin Museum		\| image_caption = The Thinker at the Rodin Museum
	\| type = Art museum, sculpture garden		\| type = Art museum, sculpture garden
	\| address = 2151 Benjamin Franklin Parkway		\| address = 2151 [https://biography.wiki/b/Benjamin_Franklin Benjamin Franklin] Parkway
	\| neighborhood = Fairmount		\| neighborhood = Fairmount
	\| coordinates = 39.9617,-75.1739		\| coordinates = 39.9617,-75.1739

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{{Infobox Museum
| name = Rodin Museum
| type = Art museum
| address = 2151 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
| neighborhood = Fairmount
| phone = (215) 763-8100
| website = https://rodinmuseum.org
| established = 1929
| founder = Jules Mastbaum
| collection_size = 150+ works
| admission = Pay what you wish
| hours = Wed-Mon 10am-5pm
| public_transit = SEPTA Bus 38, Phlash
| architect = Paul Philippe Cret, Jacques Gréber
}}

The '''Rodin Museum''' is a museum on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in [[Fairmount]] dedicated to the work of French sculptor Auguste Rodin. Housing the largest collection of Rodin's work outside Paris, the museum features approximately 150 bronzes, marbles, and plasters, including casts of ''The Thinker'' and ''The Gates of Hell''.<ref name="rodin">{{cite web |url=https://rodinmuseum.org |title=Rodin Museum |publisher=Philadelphia Museum of Art |access-date=December 23, 2025}}</ref>

== History ==

=== Jules Mastbaum ===

Philadelphia movie theater magnate Jules Mastbaum became passionate about Rodin's work in the 1920s and assembled an extensive collection with the intention of donating it to the city. Mastbaum commissioned architects Paul Philippe Cret and Jacques Gréber to design a purpose-built museum on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Tragically, Mastbaum died in 1926, three years before the museum opened. His widow saw the project to completion, and the Rodin Museum opened in 1929.

=== Philadelphia Museum of Art ===

The Rodin Museum is administered by the [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]], located nearby on the Parkway. A single admission ticket can include both museums.

== The Collection ==

=== The Thinker ===

The museum's most famous work is the bronze cast of ''The Thinker'' (''Le Penseur''), positioned prominently in the front garden. Originally conceived as part of ''The Gates of Hell'', the figure became one of the most recognized sculptures in the world.

=== The Gates of Hell ===

A monumental bronze cast of ''The Gates of Hell'' (''La Porte de l'Enfer'') stands in the museum courtyard. This 20-foot-high sculptural door, inspired by Dante's ''Inferno'', occupied Rodin for 37 years and contains 180 figures including early versions of ''The Thinker'' and ''The Kiss''.

=== Other Major Works ===

* '''The Burghers of Calais''' — Monumental bronze group
* '''The Kiss''' — Marble sculpture
* '''Monument to Balzac''' — Bronze portrait
* '''The Age of Bronze*** — Early breakthrough work
* '''St. John the Baptist Preaching*** — Life-size bronze

== The Building ==

=== Architecture ===

Paul Philippe Cret designed the Beaux-Arts building in the style of a French château:

* Formal garden approach with reflecting pool
* Columned entrance portico
* Intimate gallery spaces
* Sculpture garden

=== Gardens ===

The outdoor spaces are integral to the experience:

* Front garden with ''The Thinker'' and reflecting pool
* Courtyard with ''The Gates of Hell''
* Sculptures integrated with landscaping

== Visiting ==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Detail !! Information
|-
| '''Hours''' || Wed-Mon 10am-5pm
|-
| '''Admission''' || Pay what you wish (suggested $12)
|-
| '''Address''' || 2151 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
|-
| '''Time needed''' || 45 minutes to 1 hour
|-
| '''Photography''' || Permitted
|}

== Getting There ==

* '''Walking''' — On the Parkway between 21st and 22nd Streets
* '''SEPTA Bus''' — Routes 38, 43; Phlash Downtown Loop
* '''Parking''' — Street parking, Philadelphia Museum of Art garage nearby
* '''Combined visit''' — Walk to Philadelphia Museum of Art (5 minutes)

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

{{FAQ
|q1=Is the Rodin Museum free?
|a1=The Rodin Museum operates on a pay-what-you-wish basis, meaning you can pay any amount for admission. The suggested donation is $12. This makes it one of Philadelphia's most accessible museums.

|q2=Can I see The Thinker in Philadelphia?
|a2=Yes, a bronze cast of Rodin's famous sculpture ''The Thinker'' is prominently displayed in the front garden of the Rodin Museum. It's visible from the street and can be viewed even when the museum is closed.

|q3=How long does it take to visit the Rodin Museum?
|a3=The Rodin Museum is intimate compared to larger art museums. Most visitors spend 45 minutes to 1 hour viewing the collection and gardens. It pairs well with a visit to the nearby Philadelphia Museum of Art.

|q4=Is the Rodin Museum connected to the Philadelphia Museum of Art?
|a4=Yes, the Rodin Museum is administered by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and is included with PMA admission. You can visit both on the same day with one ticket, and they're a short walk apart on the Parkway.
}}

== See Also ==

* [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]]
* [[Benjamin Franklin Parkway]]
* [[Barnes Foundation]]
* [[Fairmount]]

== References ==
<references />

== External Links ==

* [https://rodinmuseum.org Official Website]
* [https://philamuseum.org Philadelphia Museum of Art]

{{#seo:
|title=Rodin Museum - The Thinker and Gates of Hell in Philadelphia
|description=The Rodin Museum houses the largest collection of Auguste Rodin's sculpture outside Paris, including The Thinker and The Gates of Hell. Pay-what-you-wish admission.
|keywords=Rodin Museum, The Thinker Philadelphia, Gates of Hell, Auguste Rodin, sculpture museum, Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia museums
|type=Article
}}

[[Category:Museums]]
[[Category:Art Museums]]
[[Category:Fairmount]]
[[Category:Benjamin Franklin Parkway]]