Exhibition on the life of Marian Anderson with rare collections, artefacts, performance gowns, photographs, letters, music and paintings at the National Marian Anderson Museum.
Marian: The American Story is running at the National Marian Anderson Museum from February through November 2026, opening on Marian Anderson's birthday, February 27. It's a brand-new exhibition put together for the semiquincentennial—America 250—and it traces Anderson's life through rare collections, artifacts, performance gowns, photographs, letters, music and paintings.
Much of the show centers on the museum itself: the National Marian Anderson Residence Museum, a three-story 19th-century house she bought in 1924 in Center City Philadelphia. Between her world tours, she turned the place into an entertainment space with a portable bar and a piano, where she hosted friends and fellow musicians. The house is now a state Historic Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it's run by the Marian Anderson Historical Society, which Blanche Burton-Lyles founded 31 years ago.
Beyond the house, the surrounding Marian Anderson Heritage Village is home to the Scholar Artist Program, which supports young musicians who become ambassadors of her legacy. The exhibition brings together the public side of her career—the gowns and the music—and the private one, the home where she lived and hosted.
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General admission is $10. School groups with a brown-bag lunch are $15, and groups with a catered breakfast, lunch or dinner are $25. You'll find the museum at 762 S Martin Street in Center City Philadelphia, PA 19146.
Date
18 October – 30 November
Price
Paid
Recommended Age
+14 years
