20 free museums in Pennsylvania to visit this summer

You don’t need to spend a dime to enjoy art, history, kitsch, and more at these free museums in Pennsylvania.

Our state is home to dozens of fantastic museums, and many of them are completely free! Check out some of our favorite museums that you can visit without taking out your wallet. And while admission is always free at these museums in Pennsylvania, some also host free programs and events that will help liven up your summer.

Free museums in eastern Pennsylvania

Wagner Free Institute of Science – Philadelphia 

The Wagner Free Institute of Science is so committed to being free of charge that the word is in its name! The unique natural history museum has been collecting materials since 1855 and is home to exhibits on fossils, animals from around the world, and the evolution of the scientific field since the museum’s inception 170 years ago. The institute is also known for its long-running, and also free, adult education programming.

U.S. Mint – Philadelphia 

See how the United States Mint at Philadelphia makes coins! Tours are completely free and allow visitors to witness the production of coins, as well as learn about the history of the Mint. Pro tip: A tiny “P” on a coin indicates it was made in Philly.

Allentown Art Museum

The Allentown Art Museum is one of the rare community art museums that is completely free! The museum is a vital arts institution in the Lehigh Valley, having provided free enrichment to the valley’s residents for nearly a century. The permanent collection is diverse, spanning hundreds of years and many different types of artwork, from European paintings to contemporary American installations, but the eclectic temporary exhibits are also not to be missed.

Independence National Historical Park – Philadelphia 

Independence National Historical Park contains two of Philly’s most popular historic attractions: the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. If you and your family have never made the necessary pilgrimage to Old City to see where the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were signed, it’s time to embrace your inner tourist. While you can explore Independence Hall on your own, tickets are required for guided tours—but you’ll pay just $1 online.

Science History Institute – Philadelphia 

You don’t have to choose between science and history at this free museum—you’ll learn about the history of science at Philly’s Science History Institute. You’ll discover the stories behind the development of chemistry and technology and come to understand the early days of science, including the importance of unsuccessful scholarly pursuits like alchemy and the search for the philosopher’s stone.

The Fabric Workshop and Museum – Philadelphia 

The Fabric Workshop and Museum is a contemporary art museum dedicated to artwork made with unconventional materials and methods. Though fabric arts are a favorite, the workshop and museum is a haven for artists incorporating new techniques into their work, like printmaking, video, sculpture, and more. The museum is free, though a donation of $5 is suggested.

Steamtown National Historic Site – Scranton

Discover the history of stream travel at the historic site in Scranton. Steamtown National Historic Site is a free historic site documenting the history of steam rail. You can learn about the early days of the railroad and how Pennsylvania communities built their lives around the groundbreaking innovation. The site is also home to a historic railyard with real steam trains that guests can ride—this experience, however, comes with a cost of $6.

Free museums in western Pennsylvania

The Westmoreland Museum of American Art – Greensburg 

The Westmoreland Museum of American Art is a free art museum in Greensburg, a suburb of Pittsburgh roughly 45 minutes from the city, with a large collection of American art. The Westmoreland focuses especially on pieces by artists from southwestern Pennsylvania.

Bicycle Heaven – Pittsburgh

Located on Pittsburgh’s North Side, Bicycle Heaven is a free museum with the largest collection of bicycles you’ve ever seen. Highlights include a tree that grew around two bicycles as well as a prop bike from the classic Paul Reubens movie “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.”

Trundle Manor – Swissvale 

Perfectly content with its own label of “tourist trap,” Trundle Manor is home to a couple’s collection of cryptozoology and taxidermy finds as well as other strange objects. The museum is just outside of Pittsburgh city limits in Swissvale.

The Frick Pittsburgh

Not all the museums on The Frick Pittsburgh’s campus are free, but it is completely free to wander the lovely grounds and gardens and to visit the Car and Carriage Museum, which contains vintage cars including a Model T, as well as the permanent collection within The Frick Art Museum.

Donora Smog Museum – Donora

You can learn about the sad and disturbing history of the 1948 Donora smog, the worst air pollution disaster in U.S. history, at the free Donora Smog Museum in Donora, a borough just south of Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River. The small community-run museum documents the history of the town as well as how industrial emissions led to a deadly smog that caused the deaths of 20 people and illnesses in thousands more.

Tom Ridge Environmental Center – Erie

Located within Erie’s Presque Isle State Park, the Tom Ridge Environmental Center is a free museum about the environment of beautiful and ecologically diverse Presque Isle. With engaging exhibits, programs, and a 75-foot viewing tower, the center will help you learn about the animals and plants that make the peninsula and the surrounding bay and lake home.

Johnstown Flood National Memorial – Johnstown

The excellent Johnstown Flood Museum in downtown Johnstown may cost money, but the Johnstown Flood National Memorial at the top of the mountain where the infamous floodwaters broke in 1889 is a smaller, quality museum that is completely free. At this site, dedicated to the 2,209 people who lost their lives in the flood, you’ll hear stories from people who survived the 1889 tragedy, learn about how the nation responded to help the town rebuild, and understand just what—or should we say, who, was behind it.

Free museums in central Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania State Capitol – Harrisburg

Although you might have to dodge field trip groups, you can explore the Pennsylvania State Capitol to learn more about the history of Pennsylvania and the government that passes laws for our state. You can browse the exhibits and historic halls at your own pace via a self-guided tour or book a complimentary guided tour in advance. Note that self-guided tours are not available on weekends and holidays.

Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State – University Park

Universities are an excellent place to find free museums, as these institutions often seek to share their interesting collections with the broader community. Still, some university museums are not open when school is not in session in the summer! This is not the case for the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State, which is open year-round. The art museum, which holds the largest collection of art between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, has thousands of pieces of art from around the world, like photographs by Andy Warhol, a variety of Japanese prints, and ancient, handmade objects from early cultures.

Gettysburg Museum of History

There are many Gettysburg museums where you can explore the history of the Civil War and the pivotal Battle of Gettysburg, but the small Gettysburg Museum of History is completely free. Exhibits display thousands of artifacts from America’s bloodiest war as well as the World Wars, presidents, and other American phenomena. Don’t forget to also see the battlefield at nearby Gettysburg National Military Park, which is free to explore.

Appalachian Trail Museum – Gardners      

Located, of course, along the Appalachian Trail, the free Appalachian Trail Museum tells the story of the Appalachian Trail—also known as the “AT”—from the people behind its creation and maintenance to the trail’s hikers, both past and present. You can find the museum near the midpoint of the AT within Pine Grove Furnace State Park.

York Barbell Weightlifting Hall of Fame – York

The York Barbell Weightlifting Hall of Fame is located at the corporate headquarters of York Barbell, but don’t worry about product placement. The Weightlifting Hall of Fame tracks the entire history of weightlifting, from ancient tests of strength to the bodybuilding of today, with extensive exhibits dedicated to the popular sport.

The Zippo/Case Museum – Bradford

At the free Zippo/Case Museum, you’ll learn about U.S. history by way of two classic American products: Zippo lighters and Case knives. These two brands are both based in McKean County’s Bradford, and the corporation behind them has managed to present its history in a memorable and engaging fashion, like how Zippo and Case products were utilized during World War II.

Related: 22 of the quirkiest museums in Pennsylvania