The Masonic Temple in Philadelphia

05/28/2026

Brother Benjamin Franklin never visited this Masonic Temple, as he died long before its construction.

Regardless, his historical and Masonic legacy is well-represented throughout the building and our museum collection.

See some of the different faces of Franklin in artwork and artifacts at the Temple below, and let us know which one is your favorite!

05/27/2026

Explore the splendor within the Masonic Temple by joining us for Free Museum Day on Tuesday, June 30, as part of Wawa Welcome America!

Reservations are required. Reserve tickets at https://themasoniclibraryandmuseumofpennsy.ticketing.veevartapp.com/tickets/view/list/tour-during-wawas-welcome-america-free-museum-day.

05/22/2026

Before becoming the executive director of the Masonic Temple, Library and Museum of Pennsylvania, Michael McKee served in the United States Air Force.

Hear his message of support to fellow veterans who may be reflecting on those they've lost in service and other sacrifices this Memorial Day weekend.

05/19/2026

Each of the Temple's seven lodge rooms has its own unique theme, focused around a specific historical and/or architectural period. Some of these carry over into our museum collection of 30,000+ artifacts!

Related artifacts in our museum collection allow visitors to see the inspiration and accuracy of our lodge room designs.

05/14/2026

Freemasonry and the Masonic Temple were the focus of the National Treasure Hunt Podcast's season 12 finale episode!

Hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black spoke with the Masonic Temple's executive director, Brother Mike McKee, and Brother Stephen Pierce, a member of Cassia Mt. Horeb Lodge No. 273, Ardmore, the founder of America's Rising Son, which offers historical tours of Philadelphia, and a fan of the "National Treasure" franchise. Their conversation covered the Temple's history, Masonic references in the movies and show, famous Masons like Benjamin Franklin and much more!

Listen to the episode at https://nthuntpodcast.com/podcast.

05/12/2026

Thanks to Tripadvisor and Visit Philly for featuring the Masonic Temple in "Underrated Philadelphia: A guide to the city's best-kept secrets."

Their writeup highlights the Temple's iconic exterior/interior design and the Masonic history it contains - two excellent reasons to visit!

Join us for a guided tour Wednesday – Saturday, at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m. or 3 p.m., to experience both.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/TripDetails-t161645293

05/05/2026

Our lighting project was featured in the spring issue of The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, F & AM's quarterly magazine, "The Pennsylvania Freemason."

Revisit one of the most memorable moments in our Temple's recent history, the completion of a five-year project lovingly supported by generous donors, at the link below!

The Masonic Temple, Library & Museum welcomes more than 12,000 visitors annually, including students, artists, tourists and Masons from around the world. Now, the 152-year-old historic and iconic building is showcased in a bold new way. One of the first ‘facade mapped’ buildings of its kind in P...

05/04/2026

The Masonic Temple wasn't around 250 years ago, but that didn't prevent us from being the hub for The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, F & AM's semiquincentennial events last weekend!

Saturday started off with building tours before the Pennsylvania Academy of Masonic Knowledge's symposium featuring Masonic authors Dr. Ric Berman and Brother Chris B. Ruli and Brother Tyler Vanice, Director of Collections, George Washington Masonic National Memorial. (Books by both authors are available in our Library collection and the gift shop.) Congratulations to Brothers David Glauner, Charity Lodge No. 190; Kristopher Yoder, Greenleaf Lodge No. 561 Free & Accepted Masons (also a past Masonic Library & Museum Speaker Series presenter on the Harry C. Trexler Masonic Library); and Andrew Fechter IV, Shiloh-MacCalla Lodge No. 558, on their Masonic Scholar awards!

After the symposium and the Liberty Tree dedication offsite, guests stepped backward in time with a colonial-themed gala celebrating the semiquincentennial, including live music from the Philly Fife and Drum Company.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for any part of this memorable day!

https://www.youtube.com/live/bDNyrxB3Pzo

📸s: Brother Stu Konefsky, Grand Lodge Photographer

04/27/2026

The Masonic Temple will be featured on an upcoming episode of the National Treasure Hunt podcast! Co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black recorded an interview with Executive Director and Bro. Mike McKee and Bro. Stephen Pierce, Cassia Mt. Horeb Lodge No. 273, Ardmore, a Philadelphia tour guide (America's Rising Son) and fan of the National Treasure movie franchise. The podcast examines the National Treasure movies and TV show through an interdisciplinary lens.

The original 2004 film follows the fictional character of "Benjamin Franklin Gates" (played by Nicolas Cage), as he races to uncover a hidden treasure left by the U.S. Founding Fathers and the Freemasons. The movie also references the Knights Templar and uses symbolic Masonic imagery throughout.

Both Mike and Stephen weighed in on how Freemasonry is portrayed in the movie and also spoke about Philadelphia history and the Masonic Temple. Stay tuned for a release date in May!

04/23/2026

With America and Philadelphia in full celebration mode for the semiquincentennial throughout 2026, we looked back 150 years at some items in our archives from our country's centennial anniversary.

Our collection includes the 1876 Centennial Portfolio, which features lithographs of various buildings and architecture of the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, and an 1876 Knights Templar hanging badge, among other items. See them in person during your next visit!