The Marian Anderson Museum & Historical Society will reopen to the public on Saturday, following five years of extensive repairs from a devastating flood that damaged the historic site in 2020.
The museum, located in the Philadelphia home of the iconic contralto singer, has undergone thorough renovation after the catastrophic flood damaged artifacts, exhibits and key systems.
"It was hard to continue our programs while the building was undergoing such a huge renovation and our collection is being restored," said Jillian Patricia Pirtle, CEO of the National Marian Anderson Museum and Historical Society. "Now we are finally here and we are reopening with a wonderful new exhibit that shares Marian Anderson's story with the world."
Despite losing access to their historic building and Anderson's artifacts during the repairs, the museum continued its programming throughout the closure period.
The reopening will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday at the museum's location on South Martin Street. The celebration continues Sunday with a gala at the Crystal Tea Ballroom in the Historic Wanamaker Building. Tickets for the gala remain available at $150.
A Faith Tribute Service was held last Sunday at the Historic Tindley Temple UMC as part of the reopening festivities.
The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) provided significant funding to the museum from 2022 to 2025. The DAR also displayed Anderson's concert gowns from the 1930s at its Washington, D.C. headquarters to raise awareness for the restoration efforts.
The museum's new exhibit, "Marian: The Philadelphia Story," opens Saturday and will run through November 2025.
Anderson, who died in 1993, broke racial barriers in the classical music world. In 1939, after the DAR refused to allow her to perform at Constitution Hall because of her race, she gave a historic concert at the Lincoln Memorial arranged by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
The museum building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011 and is designated as a Philadelphia Historical Commission landmark.
