There's also food and drink (including cocktails), which cost extra, but not all that much. You have your choice of snacking in the Great Stair Hall or dining in the restaurant. (Reservations are advised; call 215-684-7981.)
Each evening has a theme related to the museum's collection. For example, ''Lords and Ladies of the Italian Renaissance," tonight's program, lets you see the film The Decameron, Pier Paolo Pasolini's 1970 version of Boccaccio's bawdy tales; hear Renaissance music; get expert guidance about some of the museum's Italian Renaissance paintings, and taste some (modern) Italian wines.
For another example, the Feb. 2 evening is called "Punxsutawney Phil: Ground Hog Day Delirium," and what else on which to focus the spotlight but Andrew Wyeth's Ground Hog Day. And one more: On March 16, the museum celebrates, a day early, St. Patrick's Day, with an evening called "Color Me Green," a film, Cal, directed by Pat O'Connor, a performance by the O'Donnell Irish Dancers and the spotlight on - well, it isn't exactly Irish, but it's green - the museum's collection of Chinese jade dating to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.).
The talks by museum experts are given at 6 and 7 p.m., but there are guided tours throughout the evening. The films start at 7:10. This year, the museum is dedicating the month of February to jazz, with films on jazz themes and performances by jazz artists. And throughout the spring, the museum will present art history courses during Wednesday nights on aspects of its collection, at a modest charge.
You can take SEPTA's No. 76 bus from Center City to the museum, and the bus and cabs will be waiting after the films are over each Wednesday night.
Here's the schedule through June 8. For general information, the number is 215-763-8100.
