Events

The Athenaeum of Philadelphia Speaker Series presents innovative and inspiring authors, architects and scholars from the humanities and sciences. We host book clubs, conversation groups and workshops online and onsite. Exhibits, concerts, First Fridays and behind-the-scenes trips to local museums and historical sites bring our community together through conversation and learning.

For questions about upcoming events or trouble registering, please contact us at events@philaathenaeum.org or 215-925-2688.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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Course
Every month
Monday, January 5 through
Monday, June 1 at 6:00 PM

Reading Philadelphia's Buildings and Landscapes

Kevin Block
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Discussion Group
Every month
Saturday, January 17 through
Saturday, December 19 at 10:30 AM

What the Founders Read

Bradley Owen
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Discussion Group
Saturday, March 28 at 1:00 PM

Film Discussion Group: NO OTHER CHOICE (2025)

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Social Event
Monday, March 30 at 6:00 PM

Athenaeum Book Swap

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Book Club
Thursday, April 2 at 3:00 PM

Mystery Book Club

with Joyce Portnoy
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Discussion Group
Tuesday, April 7 at 3:00 PM

Italian Conversation Group

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Discussion Group
Every month
Thursday, April 9 through
Thursday, August 13 at 12:00 PM

Philosophy Discussion Group: POLITICAL THEORY

Bradley Owen
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Speaker Series
Friday, April 10 at 6:00 PM

Philadelphia Chamber Music Society Pre-Concert Talk: A Musical Retrospective of Benjamin Franklin ft. Lyric Fest

Suzanne DuPlantis and Benjamin Wenzelberg
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Discussion Group
Saturday, April 11 at 10:30 AM

Spanish Conversation Group

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Book Club
Saturday, April 11 at 1:00 PM

Young Friends "BYO Review" Book Club

with John Cassidy & Anthony Hennen
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Discussion Group
Monday, April 13 at 1:00 PM

Spanish Conversation Group

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Discussion Group
Tuesday, April 14 at 10:00 AM

Socrates Cafe

Gil Feinberg
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Speaker Series
Wednesday, April 15 at 2:00 PM

Le Cercle Francophone d'Histoire: Camille Saint-Saëns

Eric Simonis
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Trip
Friday, April 17 at 11:00 AM

Members Tour: A NATION OF ARTISTS

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
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Discussion Group
Saturday, April 18 at 1:00 PM

French Conversation Group

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Speaker Series
Saturday, April 18 at 1:00 PM

Opera Philadelphia's Inside the Music: SLEEPERS AWAKE

Lily Kass
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Book Club
Monday, April 20 at 6:00 PM

Fiction Book Club

with Ned Scharff
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Discussion Group
Tuesday, April 21 at 3:00 PM

Italian Conversation Group

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Social Event
Tuesday, April 21 at 5:00 PM

After-Hours Reading

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Social Event
Tuesday, April 21 at 5:00 PM

After-Hours Writing

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Speaker Series
Wednesday, April 22 at 6:00 PM

International Design Series | Nature-Culture, Space, Point: A Danish American Design Perspective

Eva Christine Jensen
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Speaker Series
Thursday, April 23 at 2:00 PM

Lost Creeks of Philadelphia

Adam E. Levine
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Discussion Group
Saturday, April 25 at 10:30 AM

Spanish Conversation Group

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Course
Saturday, April 25 at 11:00 AM

WRITING THE POWER OF PLACE | Creating an Ecosystem in Fiction

'Pemi Aguda
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Discussion Group
Saturday, April 25 at 1:00 PM

Film Discussion Group

with Rebecca Rowland
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Course
Every week
Monday, April 27 through
Monday, May 18 at 12:00 PM

The Declaration of Independence: America’s Birth Certificate

Richard Bell
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Book Club
Monday, April 27 at 6:00 PM

Nonfiction Book Club

with Lee Rodgers
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Speaker Series
Tuesday, April 28 at 6:00 PM

The Painter's Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution

Zara Anishanslin
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Social Event
Thursday, April 30 at 6:00 PM

Young Friends PowerPoint Night

Young Friends
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Trip
Friday, May 1 at 11:00 AM

Members Tour: A NATION OF ARTISTS

Philadelphia Museum of Art
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Book Club
Saturday, May 2 at 10:30 AM

All-Ages "BYO Review" Book Club

Marc Meola & Rob Shoemaker
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Special Event
Saturday, May 2 at 11:00 AM

Athenaeum Writers' Gathering

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Social Event
Saturday, May 2 at 11:00 AM

Knitting Circle

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Discussion Group
Saturday, May 2 at 1:00 PM

French Conversation Group

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Speaker Series
Monday, May 4 at 6:00 PM

Book Launch: ONE LEG ON EARTH

'Pemi Aguda
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Discussion Group
Tuesday, May 5 at 3:00 PM

Italian Conversation Group

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Speaker Series
Tuesday, May 5 at 6:00 PM

Book Launch: PARTLY STRONG, PARTLY BROKEN

Nathaniel Popkin
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Book Club
Thursday, May 7 at 3:00 PM

Mystery Book Club

with Joyce Portnoy
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Discussion Group
Saturday, May 9 at 10:30 AM

Spanish Conversation Group

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Speaker Series
Saturday, May 9 at 1:00 PM

Opera Philadelphia's Inside the Music: THE BLACK CLOWN

Lily Kass
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Book Club
Saturday, May 9 at 1:00 PM

Young Friends "BYO Review" Book Club

with John Cassidy & Anthony Hennen
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Discussion Group
Monday, May 11 at 1:00 PM

Spanish Conversation Group

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Book Club
Monday, May 11 at 6:00 PM

Fiction Book Club

with Ned Scharff
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Discussion Group
Tuesday, May 12 at 10:00 AM

Socrates Cafe

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Speaker Series
Tuesday, May 12 at 6:00 PM

International Design Series | Bridging a Thousand Years: From Medieval Indian Temples to the Global Diaspora

Darielle Mason
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Concert
Thursday, May 14 at 5:30 PM

Allegro Chamber Music Concert: Bijoux Saxophone Duo

Aiwen Zhang and Valentin Kovalev
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Course
Saturday, May 16 at 11:00 AM

ART AND THE POWER OF PLACE | Layers of Time II: Collage

Yannick Lowery
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Discussion Group
Saturday, May 16 at 1:00 PM

French Conversation Group

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Social Event
Monday, May 18 at 5:00 PM

Member Monday

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Book Club
Monday, May 18 at 6:00 PM

Nonfiction Book Club

with Lee Rodgers
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Discussion Group
Tuesday, May 19 at 3:00 PM

Italian Conversation Group

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Social Event
Tuesday, May 19 at 5:00 PM

After-Hours Reading

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Social Event
Tuesday, May 19 at 5:00 PM

After-Hours Writing

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Speaker Series
Wednesday, May 27 at 2:00 PM

Le Cercle Francophone d'Histoire: Georges Bizet

Eric Simonis
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Speaker Series
Thursday, May 28 at 6:00 PM

PHILLY UNFILTERED: Public Space

Shawn McCaney & Matthew Jordan-Miller Kenyatta
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Film Screening
Monday, June 1 at 2:00 PM

MONDAY MOVIE MATINEE: Witness (1985)

Carrie Rickey
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Discussion Group
Tuesday, June 2 at 3:00 PM

Italian Conversation Group

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Speaker Series
Tuesday, June 2 at 6:00 PM

When The Declaration of Independence Was News

Emily Sneff
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Book Club
Thursday, June 4 at 3:00 PM

Mystery Book Club

with Joyce Portnoy
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Social Event
Thursday, June 4 at 6:00 PM

NEW DATE: One for the Books: A Bok Reading Party

Athenaeum Young Friends
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Book Club
Saturday, June 6 at 10:30 AM

All-Ages "BYO Review" Book Club

Marc Meola & Rob Shoemaker
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Social Event
Saturday, June 6 at 11:00 AM

Knitting Circle

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Discussion Group
Saturday, June 6 at 1:00 PM

French Conversation Group

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Discussion Group
Monday, June 8 at 1:00 PM

Spanish Conversation Group

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Film Screening
Monday, June 8 at 2:00 PM

MONDAY MOVIE MATINEE: Philadelphia (1993)

Carrie Rickey
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Gallery Tour
Monday, June 8 at 5:00 PM

EXHIBITION OPENING | Discourse and Discovery: Places of Gathering in Philadelphia

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Book Club
Monday, June 8 at 6:00 PM

Fiction Book Club

with Ned Scharff
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Discussion Group
Tuesday, June 9 at 10:00 AM

Socrates Cafe

Gil Feinberg
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Social Event
Thursday, June 11 at 6:00 PM

RESCHEDULED: One for the Books: A Bok Reading Party

Athenaeum Young Friends
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Discussion Group
Saturday, June 13 at 10:30 AM

Spanish Conversation Group

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Film Screening
Monday, June 15 at 2:00 PM

MONDAY MOVIE MATINEE: The Sixth Sense (1999)

Carrie Rickey
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Social Event
Monday, June 15 at 5:00 PM

Member Monday

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Discussion Group
Tuesday, June 16 at 3:00 PM

Italian Conversation Group

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Social Event
Tuesday, June 16 at 5:00 PM

After-Hours Reading

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Social Event
Tuesday, June 16 at 5:00 PM

After-Hours Writing

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Speaker Series
Wednesday, June 17 at 6:00 PM

International Design Series | Polish American Bridge Engineer Ralph Modjeski

Peter Obst
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Discussion Group
Saturday, June 20 at 1:00 PM

French Conversation Group

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Discussion Group
Monday, June 22 at 1:00 PM

Spanish Conversation

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Book Club
Monday, June 22 at 6:00 PM

Nonfiction Book Club

with Lee Rodgers
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Discussion Group
Saturday, June 27 at 10:30 AM

Spanish Conversation Group

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Course
Saturday, June 27 at 11:00 AM

ART AND THE POWER OF PLACE: Connecting to Place through Botanical Artwork: Mixed Media

Jody Graff
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Discussion Group
Saturday, June 27 at 1:00 PM

Film Discussion Group

with Rebecca Rowland
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