Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
24 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
25 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
26 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
27 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Pennsylvania Philadelphia Paul Robeson House

Paul Robeson House

The singer, actor, and activist lived here during his final years, and now it’s a museum dedicated to his legacy.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Added By
Jordan St. Stier
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The Paul Robeson House & Museum   Ekem
The Paul Robeson House & Museum   Ekem
Historical marker outside the Paul Robeson House   chrisinphilly5448
Paul Robeson in “The Emperor Jones”   United Artists
A portrait of Paul Robeson in 1938   Yousuf Karsh/National Archives of Canada
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

This unassuming West Philadelphia row house was the home of Paul Robeson, an artist and activist who gained fame in the mid-20th century, but was blacklisted because of his political beliefs.

The son of a former slave, Robeson was born in 1898 and grew up in Princeton, New Jersey. He earned a scholarship to Rutgers University, where he was valedictorian of his graduating class. Over the course of his career, Robeson was an actor, professional athlete, concert singer, activist, speaker, linguist, attorney, author, humanitarian, and scholar. He spoke fifteen languages, and was the first Black American actor to play the lead in a major theater production—his turn in Othello holds the record for the longest-running Shakespeare play in Broadway history with nearly 300 performances.

Robeson spoke out against racism and fascism, which earned him both admirers and enemies. In the 1940s and 50s, conservatives made attempts to silence and discredit Robeson, which took a toll on his health. In the 1960s, Robeson stepped out of the public eye.

He spent the last 10 years of his life in this house, which was owned by his sister Marian Forsythe. He would host recitations and concerts for family and friends and wave to neighbors, but he rarely left. Toward the end of his life, he stayed in his bed. Robeson died in 1976, and his sister the following year. In 1994, the West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance purchased the house and turned it into a museum celebrating Robeson’s life. 

The house had lain vacant for more than a dozen years, and required major restoration, which was completed in 2015. The museum features exhibits about Robeson and offers space for art shows, community meetings, and other events. In 1991, it was declared a historical landmark by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

Related Tags

Houses Civil Rights Museums Black History Homes

Know Before You Go

The Paul Robeson House & Museum is open from Thursday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Private and group tours are available by appointment. Nearby the house at 45th and Chestnut Streets, is a mural of Robeson that faces a high school bearing his name.

Community Contributors

Added By

Brady Santoro

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

November 13, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/paul-robeson-about-the-actor/66/
  • https://shakespeareandbeyond.folger.edu/2016/02/26/a-contract-for-othello-paul-robeson/
  • https://www.paulrobesonhouse.org/restoration-of-robeson-house/
  • http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/paul-robeson-about-the-actor/66/
  • https://shakespeareandbeyond.folger.edu/2016/02/26/a-contract-for-othello-paul-robeson/
  • https://www.paulrobesonhouse.org/restoration-of-robeson-house/
Paul Robeson House
4951 Walnut St
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19139
United States
39.956728, -75.221356
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Spruce Hill Bird Sanctuary

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

Dickens and Little Nell

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

Grave of Thomas Wiltberger Evans

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Places 75
Stories 40

Nearby Places

Spruce Hill Bird Sanctuary

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

Dickens and Little Nell

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

Grave of Thomas Wiltberger Evans

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Places 75
Stories 40

Related Stories and Lists

An American Civil Rights Tour

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • Mary McLeod Bethune Council House

    Washington, D.C.

    Mary McLeod Bethune Council House

    The final residence of an educator, civil rights leader, and presidential advisor was also the first headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women.

  • Placard detailing the bombing of the Looby House, erected by the State of Tennessee.

    Nashville, Tennessee

    Site of the Looby House Bombing

    An attack on a prominent Black attorney's house sparked a watershed moment in Nashville's civil rights movement.

  • Elmira, New York

    John W. Jones Museum

    A historical home in upstate New York honors the work of John W. Jones, a formerly enslaved man who was a major agent for the Underground Railroad.

  • Inside.

    Johannesburg, South Africa

    Satyagraha House

    The home of Mahatma Gandhi during part of the 21 years he spent living in South Africa is now a guest house.

  • This house was transported piece-by-piece from the Huizhou region of China.

    Salem, Massachusetts

    Yin Yu Tang: A Chinese Home

    A rare 16-bedroom Qing Dynasty house re-erected on the campus of the Peabody Essex Museum. 

  • Childhood Home of Rosa Parks

    Abbeville, Alabama

    Rosa Parks Childhood Home

    The future civil rights leader grew up in this Alabama farmhouse.

  • The Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument.

    Jackson, Mississippi

    Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home

    This ranch house in Jackson's Elraine neighborhood was home to the civil rights icons and the site of a shocking assassination.

  • Boston, Massachusetts

    George Middleton House

    Historic home of a Black veteran of the American Revolution and one of the earliest civil rights activists in the United States.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.