By Zach Ciavolella

Visitors to the Philadelphia Museum of Art can choose their own admission price on Friday nights from April 10 through Labor Day weekend, as the museum’s Pay What You Wish program returns.

The initiative is part of a new program dubbed “Independent Fridays,” launched as a gift to the city ahead of the museum’s 150th anniversary and the nation’s semiquincentennial. The cost of a regular museum visit can be as high as $30 per ticket, which could deter some guests, but the initiative, announced Friday, opens the door for all to visit.

“We are proud and grateful as an institution to have served the people of Philadelphia for 150 years, and the best way to honor our mission is to make our galleries and programming even more accessible,” said Daniel Weiss, the George D. Widener Director and CEO. “Independent Fridays is our birthday gift to Philadelphia, and a reaffirmation of our mission of bringing art to people and people to art in Philadelphia.”

Previously, the museum had a pay-what-you-wish program for many years, which was discontinued in 2024 and replaced by a reduced-admission program.

The program returns alongside the debut of a new exhibition, A Nation of Artists, a collaborative showcase featuring the private Middleton Family Collection and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. The exhibition highlights the creative vision and cultural diversity that shaped the United States from its founding through the modern day.

The program’s return was made possible by special funding from board chair Ellen T. Caplan and her husband, Ron, and the William Penn Foundation.

“The Pay What You Wish program is how I was first introduced to the museum as a child,” said Ellen Caplan. “It’s an honor for me and the entire board to support Dan and the museum for these exciting months ahead. There’s no better way to turn 150 than to say thank you to our city.”

Ahead of the return of Pay What You Wish Friday Nights, the museum ran a pilot of the program for the final three weeks of its recent exhibition, Dreamworld: Surrealism at 100. This resulted in a reported 128-percent increase in attendance compared to the prior three weeks. Admission revenue also increased by nearly 20 percent over the same three-week period.

After Sept. 4, the museum will return to its regular half-off discounted rates on Friday nights at $15 for general admission. Admission remains free for anyone under 18, and the first Sunday of every month is always pay-what-you-wish.

For more information, visit philamuseum.org.