Philadelphia is considered a "livable" city in part because of its impressive and unique collection of public artworks. In fact, according to the Smithsonian Institution, Philadelphia has more outdoor sculpture than any other city in the country!

A Museum without Walls
The city’s extraordinary collection of public art can be attributed to Philadelphia’s long history of civic involvement. In 1872, the Fairmount Park Art Association became the nation’s first public art organization. In 1959 City Council passed the trailblazing “percent for art” ordinance, making Philadelphia the first municipality in the United States to mandate that a percentage of construction costs for city projects be set aside for fine arts. That same year, the Redevelopment Authority established its unprecedented program that requires redevelopers to allocate one percent of their construction costs for fine arts. Today, the city's public artworks are initiated by a wide range of individuals, organizations, and agencies with different missions. Visit Philadelphia Public Art Agencies to learn more about how public art is commissioned. With thousands of public artworks, including sculptures, murals, and other permanent installations, Philadelphia is truly a "museum without walls."

Discover Public Art in Philadelphia!
Find descriptions and photographs of a selection of the city's public artworks. Visit our map to find a work by location or search by artist or title. Click on any entry on the map or in the indexes to view and learn more about an artwork.
Search for public art by title
Search for public art by artist
Explore our interactive public art map

Find Other Public Art Resources
Philadelphia Public Art Agencies
Researching Public Art in Philadelphia
Public Art Tours (under construction)