About
Established in 1939, Museum Council of Greater Philadelphia is a volunteer based membership organization dedicated to supporting the Arts and Culture in the Philadelphia region. Our members include: museums, aquariums, zoos, botanical gardens, historic sites, arboretums, and individuals from emerging professionals to leaders in the field.
Our Historic Past…
On February 16, 1939, a group of Philadelphia museum representatives met to discuss the New York World’s Fair. The group saw the fair, which was held from April to October that year, as an opportunity to promote and advertise Philadelphia and its museums. Out of this meeting was born the Philadelphia Council of Museums. Among its charter members were Dr. Henry Butler Allen and William F. Jackson of the Franklin Institute, Dr. Fiske Kimball of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Franklin H. Price of the Free Library of Philadelphia.
The Council played an important role in preserving our region’s treasures through fostering communication and cooperation. This was especially true in the 1940s following World War II, when the Council found ways to preserve artifacts during such a crisis and frequently worked with organizations to come up with preservation solutions.
Our “On the Move” Present…
With a growing membership, the Museum Council’s primary mission is to promote and publicize cooperation among the city’s cultural institutions.
Throughout the year, our members come together for networking events, Behind-the-Scene Tours, and professional development opportunities. We host lectures and workshops on a variety of topics affecting today’s museum professionals and hold annual meetings to keep our members updated on our many efforts. In the spirit of the season, we also host a membership celebration every fall, where the Museum Council community can come together and celebrate our common passions and goals.
Museum Council is governed by a six-person board, and has three active sub-committees: Programming, Membership, and Marketing & Communications.
Our Shining Future…
The vast world of museums changes everyday and we want to be ready. We don’t know what lies ahead, but with the help of our members we will try to stay on the cutting edge of new trends in the museum world and to create a few of our own. To infinity and beyond!