PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Woodmere Art Museum will open its long-anticipated second location, the Frances M. Maguire Hall for Art and Education, on November 1, marking the most significant expansion in the museum’s 115-year history.
Located just steps from its original Charles Knox Smith Hall in Chestnut Hill, the new Maguire Hall transforms a 19th-century residence into a modern 17,000-square-foot art destination. The expansion adds 14 galleries, a children’s art and education studio, and new public event spaces, surrounded by four acres of preserved greenspace.
“The opening of Frances M. Maguire Hall represents a transformation of Woodmere, solidifying its contribution to the broader stream of American art with its superlative collection of Philadelphia’s art,” said William R. Valerio, Ph.D., the museum’s director and CEO. “Our architectural and curatorial decisions were inspired by the spirit of our dear friend, artist and philanthropist Frances M. Maguire, whose belief in the mind-opening power of the arts knew no limits.”
The expansion allows Woodmere to showcase works that had long been in storage, including galleries dedicated to Philadelphia’s American Impressionists, mid-century abstractionists, and modernists, as well as the Red Rose Girls and Violet Oakley. The building also features a jewelry arts “vault” and a study center for works on paper.
The grounds include a new “art trail,” connecting both museum sites with sculpture installations and garden spaces designed by Andropogon Associates. Highlights include large-scale works by sculptor Robinson Fredenthal that blend art and nature into an immersive experience.
The Maguire Foundation provided the lead gift for the project in honor of the late Frances M. Maguire, a longtime Woodmere trustee, artist, and advocate for arts education. Board President James Alexandre called the expansion “a monumental achievement” that opens new opportunities for students, visitors, and scholars to engage with Philadelphia’s artistic legacy.
The opening weekend, November 1–2, will feature free admission and public festivities from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.
For art lovers, the addition of Maguire Hall not only expands Woodmere’s physical footprint but deepens its mission—offering a renewed connection between art, nature, and community while positioning Philadelphia as an even stronger center for American art and cultural heritage.
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