Ever dreamed of sipping cocktails side-by-side with some 19th-century sculptures? Well, you’re in luck.
The Rodin Museum Garden Bar returns for its summer season on Friday, May 29, transforming the venue’s sculpture garden into a seasonal pop-up destination. Running Fridays through Aug. 28, from 4 to 8 p.m.,, the series pairs an outdoor aperitif setting with access to the museum’s renowned collection of works by Auguste Rodin, offering guests a blend of art, atmosphere, and food and drink in one cohesive space.
The weekly Garden Bar features beer, wine, craft cocktails, and small plates curated by Constellation Culinary Group, but beyond that, visitors can step inside the museum or wander around the outdoor space to explore its galleries.
In total, the garden outside the museum brings together eight of Auguste Rodin’s works.
As a release notes, while ‘The Thinker’ and ‘The Gates of Hell’ have held their places since the Philadelphia Museum of Art opened in 1929, recent conservation work has allowed several other sculptures to return to their original positions. ‘Adam’ and ‘The Shade’ are back in the arches of the Meudon Gate for the first time since 1963, while ‘The Age of Bronze’ and ‘Eve’ once again flank the portico overlooking the reflecting pool. And on the museum’s west side, a long-vacant area now holds a monumental version of ‘The Three Shades’, on loan from Iris Cantor.
Philadelphians can wander around with food and drink in hand, and on top of fare from Constellation, the Rising Up Kitchen food truck will also be on site. The truck brings comfort-focused, Philadelphia-inspired fare to the Garden Bar every Friday night, and to the North Entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Saturdays and Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The rotating menu leans into local favorites like roast pork sandwiches, cheesesteak egg rolls, Bavarian pretzels, and sweets, including chocolate chip cookies and frozen desserts, plus lighter bites and non-alcoholic drinks.
The Garden Bar season also includes select programming, including a one-night performance by The Crossing, set for Friday, July 17 at 6:30 p.m.
Admission to the Garden Bar (2151 Benjamin Franklin Parkway) is free; admission to the Rodin Museum is pay-what-you-wish, and leashed four-legged friends are welcome in the garden. The Rodin Garden Bar will be open weekly, weather permitting. Admission to the Philadelphia Museum of Art is not required but encouraged to enjoy the food truck on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, visit rodinmuseum.org
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