Rodin Museum

The Rodin Museum in Philadelphia has the largest collection of Rodin sculptures outside of France. But that’s not saying it’s very big. This is what you would call a “jewel box” of a museum. On a slice of land just down the sidewalk from the major Philadelphia Museum of Art, it’s included with your ticket to the bigger museum, or you can pay just as much as you like to get in.

Rodin Museum – The Garden

(Pronounced row-DAN, FYI)

Approaching from the street, you see Rodin’s famous The Thinker in front of a large gate. Entering through the gate presents you with a pretty garden surrounding the small museum and a water feature almost larger than the building itself.

To the left and the right are two bigger-than-life sculpture groupings. On the left are three male figures, The Three Shades, pointing the way to hell. They are a detail from the gates of hell, which I’ll talk about in a minute. To the right side are the Burghers of Calais, another group of men in various stages of grief, defiance, and resolve as they are marched away for execution.

On the front of the building itself is The Gates of Hell, an actual door covered in over 200 figures, mostly in suffering, anguished poses. Several of Rodin’s larger works come from figures on this door, including the Three Fates and The Thinker. Visitors used to enter through this door when the Rodin Museum opened in 1929 but was discontinued sometime later. Pause and take a close look at the door to see how all of the mini-sculptures fit together as you might open or close the door. It’s a fascinating work of art, and that’s all without even entering the museum or paying a dime.

Inside the Rodin Museum

I do recommend actually going inside, however! It’s a beautiful space with marble floors and arched ceilings. Rodin’s work is scattered around the well-lit room, extending to alcoves on either side and a long library-like room along the back. Featured prominently in the main hall is Rodin’s popular The Kiss, across from a bust of the movie-theater businessman who built the place.

Rodin is an absolute master at hands and faces. Oversized hands bend toward each other in the Cathedral, burst out of a headstone, or – in a copy of his own hands – grasp a tiny figure. His faces are usually more interesting than beautiful. You find them proud, victorious, defiant, even broken. Rodin’s gestures and expressions speak volumes.

I’ve been a Rodin fan since I was a teenager and fell in love with the romanticism of The Kiss. But even so, I wasn’t even that eager to go to yet another art museum. I am so glad I did! The artistry is just breathtaking. And it’s so nice to be so close to the art in such an intimate setting as the Rodin Museum. And a word about copies vs. originals – there are several “official” casts of Rodin’s work, made in Rodin’s time. Plus, Rodin himself made several versions of the same thing himself, refiguring parts of a whole, or in different sizes. Even in this small museum, you’ll see two versions of The Thinker. But almost all of the figures in Philadelphia are one of the 12 “official casts,” except for perhaps The Kiss, which is a copy made after Rodin’s death.

Admission

One of the best things about visiting the Rodin Museum is that you can pay as much as you want! It’s considered “pay-as-you-wish”, though there are suggested donation amounts of $12 per adult, $11 for seniors 65+, $7 for students with ID, and free for anyone 18 and under. Whatever donation you make at the Rodin Museum goes toward your ticket at the big Museum of Art. Conversely, you can pay $25 at the Museum of Art for two consecutive days of access to both the larger museum and the Rodin Museum.

Somehow, I managed to see both locations for only $10, but I think it was a mistake. I only paid $10 for the Rodin Museum. Then when I took my receipt to the Museum of Art, they let me in without my paying anything extra. I’m not sure if that was due to confusion on their part, or if I stumbled into a promotion, but I didn’t look that gift horse too hard in the mouth! I wouldn’t try it with a family of 6, however.

There is a small (and very cute) gift shop at the entrance, and bathrooms and a self-serve coat check on the other side. No snacks or dining is available.

Hours & Parking

Hours at the Rodin Museum is only Friday-Monday, from 10 am-5 pm. They’re regularly closed on July 4th, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day, and close at 3 pm on Christmas Eve.

There are several parking garages near the Rodin Museum, even a “Rodin Place Parking” but they’re on the small side. A tiny lot is just behind the museum, but it only looked like a handful of handicapped parking spots to me. The big Museum of Art has a large garage behind it, which is a 20-minute walk away from the Rodin.

However you get there and however much you pay, I would highly recommend a trip to Philadelphia’s Rodin Museum! It’s a treasure and a unique experience outside of Paris.