Ministry of Awe, billed as an ever-evolving immersive art experience, recently opened inside a reawakened 19th-century bank at 27 N. 3rd St., in Old City.
Created by public artist Meg Saligman and more than 100 Philadelphia-based artists, Ministry of Awe transforms the former Manufacturers National Bank – vacant since 1985 – into 6 stories of art.
“Our currency is the human spirit,” Saligman said during a media preview.
MoA spans six floors and 8,500 square feet in historic architecture designed in 1870 by famed Victorian architect Frank Furness.
Since 2022, more than 100 artists across disciplines – including installation, performance, sculpture, textile, sound, digital media and interactive technology – have come together to co-create Ministry of Awe as a nonprofit cultural space.
Visitors are invited to explore immersive installations, performances, sculptures, soundscapes and interactive environments.
“You are free to wander,” Saligman said.
The wandering starts in the lobby, with its grand architecture, paintings and a giant nose that sniffs visitors and analyzes their scent, and continues all the way up to “The Heavens,” where murals on the walls are brought to life.
Highlights include murals, stained glass, the original bank vault and a room featuring mini ballerinas in jewelry boxes and a toy ballerina performance on a big screen.
Guests will have a chance to forge a signature of John Hancock and others, and have their signature analyzed. They’ll also have an opportunity to ask a Magic 8 Ball for advice or to tell their fortune.
In keeping with the bank theme, visitors who use the restroom will hear a recorded voice say, “Thank you for your deposit,” as the toilet flushes.
And what historic building would be complete without all kinds of nods to nostalgia – a cartoon shown by projector on a wall, a typewriter, a floor TV, a 45 record player, rotary phone, filing cabinets, calculators and a Rolodex. ••
Tickets are $29.99 general admission, $19.99 ages 3-13 and $24.99 for senior citizens and military.
Hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
To buy tickets or for more information, visit https://moaphilly.org/
