Philadelphia Museum to Build New Student Learning Center

A $20 million gift will triple educational space for the 36,000 students who visit the museum annually.

Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Scholarships

Gouache-painted illustration of a sunlit, airy museum interior with large columns, evoking the scale of a future educational space. — The Philadelphia Museum of Art will develop a new 19,000-square-foot learning center following a $20 million donation from the Brodsky family. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Philadelphia Museum of Art will build a new 19,000-square-foot learning center funded by a $20 million donation from Lois G. and Julian A. Brodsky. The facility will replace current areas to expand educational opportunities for the 36,000 students who visit the museum annually.

Why it matters

The donation addresses a critical constraint for local students, as the museum's existing educational space is limited to less than 6,000 square feet. This expansion aims to accommodate higher student participation and provide dedicated learning environments that were previously unavailable.

The museum received a $20 million gift to replace its current 6,000-square-foot education facility with a new 19,000-square-foot center. The project, which supports the museum's existing policy of free admission for visitors aged 18 and younger, is currently in the design phase.

The players

Philadelphia Museum of Art

A major cultural institution in Philadelphia that serves approximately 36,000 students annually and provides free admission to youth.

MGA Partners

The architecture firm appointed to develop the initial design for the new learning center.

Lois G. and Julian A. Brodsky

Donors who provided the $20 million gift to fund the museum's new learning and engagement facility.

The details

The museum will convert existing shared meeting and classroom areas in its north wing into the dedicated Lois G. and Julian A. Brodsky Learning and Engagement Center. Architects from MGA Partners have been appointed to create the initial design for these specialized zones. This transition is intended to resolve long-standing space limitations that have restricted the museum's ability to host its annual volume of 36,000 student visitors.

October 23, 2026: The museum announced the $20 million donation.
Summer 2027: The initial design for the new center is expected.

Education Landscape

This project follows the pattern of physical upgrades established by the May 2021 Frank Gehry renovation and expansion of the museum. It reflects a broader institutional focus on expanding infrastructure to meet the demand for educational access.

Students and families in the Philadelphia area can look forward to significantly expanded learning facilities in the coming years. Families should watch for future announcements regarding the project timeline if they plan to integrate museum visits into their upcoming academic or extracurricular schedules.

The takeaway

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is tripling its dedicated education footprint to better serve its 36,000 annual student visitors. Families can check the museum's visitor portal regularly for updates on how construction may shift classroom availability or youth programming over the next few years.