Penn Museum

Dads dig archaeology 💙

LAST MINUTE GIFT IDEA! 🎁 Treat the father figure in your life an entire year of legendary adventures and time together with a Penn Museum Membership: https://www.penn.museum/join-give/membership

Photo © Visit Philadelphia

⚽ Getting in the spirit for the FIFA World Cup in with this Maya Ballgame Trophy Belt!

FUN FACT: The world’s first ball game was played by the Maya over 3,000 years ago—but the ball was not something you could hit with your legs or head.

Players would wear a hip belt to protect themselves from a ball so heavy, it could easily break bones!

In Philadelphia to watch the game? 🏆
Visit us and look for this stone yoke artifact on view in our Mexico and Central America Galleries! https://bit.ly/2plyHXB

Epic Gift Idea 🌊 ⚔️

Browse legendary books from our Shop with tales of emperors and thrilling voyages—just like this translation of the Odyssey from University of Pennsylvania professor Emily Wilson!

Get your gift now on our refreshed Penn Museum Shop site: https://bit.ly/43rMgUU

Every April, the Center for the Analysis of Archaeological Materials (CAAM) puts on its End of Year Showcase to highlight student research. This year featured 16 student projects across different subfields of archaeological science.

👀 Check out the latest PENN MUSEUM VOICES blog post "All Eyes on Student Research": https://bit.ly/49NlBFP

Seven Indigenous Maya elders from San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala, traveled to New York in April to share teachings on Maya culture through a series of organized events.

During their visit, they expressed a strong interest in seeing materials connected to their heritage at the Penn Museum and the Kislak Center for Special Collections at Penn Libraries’ Van Pelt Library. At the Penn Museum, they viewed textiles from their community collected in the 1930s.

At Van Pelt Library, they examined the Memorial de Sololá, an early 18th-century Spanish-language manuscript documenting the region from which they originate. Originally part of the Penn Museum’s library in the 1890s, the manuscript was later transferred to the University of Pennsylvania’s rare book collection in the mid-20th century. The elders spent nearly an hour carefully reading the text and paying their respects.

Hey Minecrafters 💎⛏️ Think you know your obsidian from your iron?

Trade screen time for family time and discover the real-world roots of your favorite game in this hands-on adventure.

On June 20, come along on a kid-friendly guided tour where we’ll explore the real-world artifacts and cultures behind Minecraft’s most iconic elements. Unearth ancient tools from Africa, journey through the vibrant cities of Mesoamerica, and check out the battle-ready armor worn by Greek hoplites.

Then, get creative in our hands-on workshop, where you’ll make your own dazzling paper mosaic using colorful tiles—an original form of pixel art that goes back thousands of years.

Adventure Mode Activated is designed for families with kids ages 6-12. Program registration includes full-day access to the Museum’s galleries and exhibitions. Space is limited—advance registration required: https://bit.ly/4nU6Ned

250 years is recent history on this land.

As semiquincentennial festivities mark 2026, the Penn Museum joins the 250th anniversary celebrations with year-round happenings. Don't miss free community events along with thought-provoking talks, tours, and films highlighting Indigenous perspectives that offer nuance and complexity to our nation's evolving story.

💚 TONIGHT, June 3: Screening + Panel Discussion, In Pursuit: Philadelphia and the Making of America - Free

💚 Saturdays in June: America's First Peoples Guided Tours

💚 June 13: Penn & Philly: 250 Free Community Day - Free

💚 June 26: Wawa Welcome America Celebration - Free

💚 July 11: Public Dedication and Artist Talk: Native Futurism by Indigenous artist Holly Wilson

💚 July 14: Summer Teacher Institute: Learning from the Native North America Gallery

💚 October 10: Indigenous People's Day Celebration - Free

💚 On View All Year Round: Native North America Gallery

Stay on top of all our America 250 happenings:
https://bit.ly/4o3FNZP

⚡ Interns Have Entered the Chat ⚡

A warm welcome to this year's cohort of students participating in our nine-week paid summer internship program!

Every year, college students and recent graduates accepted into our paid program gain professional development experiences in a museum environment as they prepare for careers and/or graduate programs.

The 2026 cohort is working with several departments and projects across the :

🔹 Biological Anthropology
🔹 Marketing and Communications
🔹 American Section (Provenance)
🔹 Family Programs
🔹 Penn Cultural Heritage Center
🔹 Public Programs
🔹 Collections
🔹 Unpacking the Past
🔹 Academic Engagement and Director's Office
🔹 Ur Digitization Project
🔹 Archives

Support the Summer Internship Program with a donation today! https://bit.ly/43QoLWu