Free Admission for Philadelphia Residents—All Month Long

As part of Philadelphia’s commemoration of the United States’ 250th anniversary—and in gratitude for the city and communities that have welcomed us—we’re opening our doors wide. If you are Philadelphia resident, you can visit Calder Gardens for free in July.

Experience an ever-changing encounter with the work of Alexander Calder—where art, architecture, and landscape exist in continual dialogue. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron with gardens by Piet Oudolf, Calder Gardens invites visitors to move at their own pace, noticing how light, sound, movement, and season shape each experience.

Calder Gardens presents a rotating installation of works spanning Calder’s 50-year career. The installation is not organized chronologically or as a fixed narrative. Instead, works are selected in response to the surrounding architecture and gardens, creating an environment that changes over time.

Inside and out, each visit offers something different. Some works remain for years, while others change seasonally. Gardens evolve. Light shifts. Movement transforms perception. No two visits are exactly alike.

Free July admission covers:

• Access to Calder Gardens’ interior galleries and all artworks on view. (View map.) Our Piet Oudolf–designed gardens are always free.
• Access to new Pictures in Motion series featuring Carlos Vilardebó’s seminal documentary Le Cirque Calder (1961) and the new short Cirque Calder on Film, directed by Vic Brooks.
• Daily visitor experiences and drop-in moments of reflection.
• Free admission to the July 27 Moon Alignment Series installment.

Not included: Specialty ticketed experiences and premium events.

• Visit during open hours—free general admission for Philadelphia residents is available by walk-up only (no reservation required).
• Show a valid Philadelphia ID.
• Receive free admission for the day.

Please note: Each visitor must present their own ID.

The following program is free for all attendees—not just Philadelphia residents—with advance registration required (separate from general admission).

Moon Alignment Series: Full Moon
Monday, July 27, 11 am–12:30 pm

Make it a full Parkway experience. Just across the street from Calder Gardens, the Barnes Foundation offers one of the world’s great collections of impressionist, post-impressionist, and early modern paintings, alongside installations of decorative arts, furniture, and objects arranged in unexpected ways.

Philadelphia residents can make the most of both experiences with free PLUS tickets—your same-day ticket to Calder Gardens and the Barnes.

Plan Your Visit.