diff --git a/MODULE.bazel b/MODULE.bazel
index 86f015b47fbc..41dc2e736f5c 100644
--- a/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/MODULE.bazel
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ bazel_dep(name = "glib", version = "2.82.2.bcr.10", repo_name = "module_glib")
 # implementation.
 
 bazel_dep(name = "libjpeg_turbo", version = "3.1.3.bcr.6", repo_name = "module_libjpeg")
+bazel_dep(name = "libpng", version = "1.6.58", repo_name = "module_libpng")
 bazel_dep(name = "nanobind", version = "3.0.0", repo_name = "module_nanobind")
 bazel_dep(name = "nlohmann_json", version = "3.12.0.bcr.2", repo_name = "module_nlohmann_json")
 bazel_dep(name = "robin-map", version = "1.4.1", repo_name = "module_robin_map")
@@ -190,6 +191,7 @@ use_repo(
     # but (unlike the prior group) these are not configurable.
     #
     "libjpeg",
+    "libpng",
     "nlohmann_json",
     "suitesparse",
     "zlib",
@@ -323,7 +325,6 @@ use_repo(
     "ipopt_internal",
     "lapack_internal",
     "lcm_internal",
-    "libpng_internal",
     "libtiff_internal",
     "libzip_internal",
     "metis_internal",
diff --git a/tools/workspace/BUILD.bazel b/tools/workspace/BUILD.bazel
index 43b7824e997f..c2393f076c83 100644
--- a/tools/workspace/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/tools/workspace/BUILD.bazel
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ filegroup(
         "@ipopt_internal//:drake_repository_metadata.json",
         "@lapack_internal//:drake_repository_metadata.json",
         "@lcm_internal//:drake_repository_metadata.json",
-        "@libpng_internal//:drake_repository_metadata.json",
         "@libtiff_internal//:drake_repository_metadata.json",
         "@libzip_internal//:drake_repository_metadata.json",
         "@meshcat//:drake_repository_metadata.json",
@@ -185,7 +184,6 @@ _DRAKE_EXTERNAL_PACKAGE_INSTALLS = ["@%s//:install" % p for p in [
     "gz_math_internal",
     "gz_utils_internal",
     "ipopt_internal",
-    "libpng_internal",
     "libtiff_internal",
     "libzip_internal",
     "meshcat",
@@ -216,6 +214,7 @@ _DRAKE_EXTERNAL_PACKAGE_INSTALLS = ["@%s//:install" % p for p in [
     "highway_internal",
     "lapack",
     "libjpeg",
+    "libpng",
     # N.B. The nanobind install is handled by //bindings/pydrake:install.
     "nlohmann_json",
     "opencl",
diff --git a/tools/workspace/default.bzl b/tools/workspace/default.bzl
index 68842c11b09a..e37a311c2981 100644
--- a/tools/workspace/default.bzl
+++ b/tools/workspace/default.bzl
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ load("//tools/workspace/implib_so_internal:repository.bzl", "implib_so_internal_
 load("//tools/workspace/ipopt_internal:repository.bzl", "ipopt_internal_repository")  # noqa
 load("//tools/workspace/lapack_internal:repository.bzl", "lapack_internal_repository")  # noqa
 load("//tools/workspace/lcm_internal:repository.bzl", "lcm_internal_repository")
-load("//tools/workspace/libpng_internal:repository.bzl", "libpng_internal_repository")  # noqa
 load("//tools/workspace/libtiff_internal:repository.bzl", "libtiff_internal_repository")  # noqa
 load("//tools/workspace/libzip_internal:repository.bzl", "libzip_internal_repository")  # noqa
 load("//tools/workspace/meshcat:repository.bzl", "meshcat_repository")
@@ -102,7 +101,6 @@ def _add_internal_repositories():
     ipopt_internal_repository(name = "ipopt_internal", mirrors = mirrors)
     lapack_internal_repository(name = "lapack_internal", mirrors = mirrors)
     lcm_internal_repository(name = "lcm_internal", mirrors = mirrors)
-    libpng_internal_repository(name = "libpng_internal", mirrors = mirrors)
     libtiff_internal_repository(name = "libtiff_internal", mirrors = mirrors)
     libzip_internal_repository(name = "libzip_internal", mirrors = mirrors)
     metis_internal_repository(name = "metis_internal", mirrors = mirrors)
@@ -164,6 +162,7 @@ def _drake_dep_repositories_impl(module_ctx):
         },
         "lapack": "lapack",
         "libjpeg": "libjpeg",
+        "libpng": "libpng",
         "nlohmann_json": {
             # We provide both aliases, since Drake first-party only needs
             # :singleheader-json but third-party (VTK) needs :json.
diff --git a/tools/workspace/libpng/BUILD.bazel b/tools/workspace/libpng/BUILD.bazel
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..572c1bbb238f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/workspace/libpng/BUILD.bazel
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+load("@drake//tools/skylark:cc_hidden.bzl", "cc_static_hidden_library")
+load("//tools/install:install.bzl", "install", "install_files")
+load("//tools/lint:lint.bzl", "add_lint_tests")
+
+package(default_visibility = ["//visibility:private"])
+
+cc_static_hidden_library(
+    name = "libpng",
+    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+    deps = ["@module_libpng//:libpng"],
+)
+
+install_files(
+    name = "install_license",
+    dest = "share/doc/libpng",
+    files = ["@module_libpng//:license"],
+)
+
+install(
+    name = "install",
+    visibility = ["//tools/workspace:__pkg__"],
+    deps = [":install_license"],
+)
+
+add_lint_tests()
diff --git a/tools/workspace/libpng_internal/BUILD.bazel b/tools/workspace/libpng_internal/BUILD.bazel
deleted file mode 100644
index 3875982e90a4..000000000000
--- a/tools/workspace/libpng_internal/BUILD.bazel
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-load("//tools/lint:lint.bzl", "add_lint_tests")
-
-exports_files(["png_drake_vendor.h"])
-
-add_lint_tests()
diff --git a/tools/workspace/libpng_internal/package.BUILD.bazel b/tools/workspace/libpng_internal/package.BUILD.bazel
deleted file mode 100644
index 9e96ad9558d5..000000000000
--- a/tools/workspace/libpng_internal/package.BUILD.bazel
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,114 +0,0 @@
-# -*- bazel -*-
-
-load("@drake//tools/install:install.bzl", "install")
-load("@drake//tools/skylark:cc.bzl", "cc_library")
-
-licenses(["notice"])  # libpng-2.0
-
-package(default_visibility = ["//visibility:private"])
-
-# Allow Drake's linter cross-checks to use the headers.
-exports_files(glob(["*.h"]))
-
-# This setting governs when we'll compile with Intel SIMD enabled. We don't use
-# Intel SIMD on macOS (even for Apple hardware that supports it) to reduce our
-# test matrix burden for the deprecated architecture.
-config_setting(
-    name = "build_intel",
-    constraint_values = [
-        "@platforms//cpu:x86_64",
-        "@platforms//os:linux",
-    ],
-)
-
-_PUBLIC_HDRS = [
-    "png.h",
-    "pngconf.h",
-    ":pnglibconf.h",
-]
-
-_PRIVATE_HDRS = [
-    "pngdebug.h",
-    "pnginfo.h",
-    "pngstruct.h",
-    "pngpriv.h",
-]
-
-_SRCS = [
-    "png.c",
-    "pngerror.c",
-    "pngget.c",
-    "pngmem.c",
-    "pngpread.c",
-    "pngread.c",
-    "pngrio.c",
-    "pngrtran.c",
-    "pngrutil.c",
-    "pngset.c",
-    "pngtrans.c",
-    "pngwio.c",
-    "pngwrite.c",
-    "pngwtran.c",
-    "pngwutil.c",
-]
-
-_SRCS_INTEL = [
-    "intel/filter_sse2_intrinsics.c",
-    "intel/intel_init.c",
-]
-
-genrule(
-    name = "_pnglibconf.h",
-    srcs = [
-        "scripts/pnglibconf.h.prebuilt",
-        "@drake//tools/workspace/libpng_internal:png_drake_vendor.h",
-    ],
-    outs = ["pnglibconf.h"],
-    cmd = "cat $(SRCS) > $@",
-)
-
-cc_library(
-    name = "libpng",
-    srcs = _SRCS + _PRIVATE_HDRS + select({
-        ":build_intel": _SRCS_INTEL,
-        "//conditions:default": [],
-    }),
-    hdrs = _PUBLIC_HDRS,
-    copts = [
-        "-fvisibility=hidden",
-        "-w",
-        # Turn off <config.h> guessing. It should be implicitly off by default,
-        # but it would be a disaster if the default somehow didn't work.
-        "-DPNG_NO_CONFIG_H=1",
-        # Don't allow the pngpriv.h auto-sensing of Neon to take effect.
-        "-DPNG_ARM_NEON_OPT=0",
-        "-DPNG_ARM_NEON_IMPLEMENTATION=0",
-    ] + select({
-        ":build_intel": [
-            # Use SSE4.1 (or earlier) SIMD instructions.
-            "-msse4.1",
-            "-DPNG_INTEL_SSE_OPT=1",
-            "-DPNG_INTEL_SSE_IMPLEMENTATION=3",
-        ],
-        "//conditions:default": [
-            "-DPNG_INTEL_SSE_OPT=0",
-            "-DPNG_INTEL_SSE_IMPLEMENTATION=0",
-        ],
-    }),
-    includes = ["."],
-    isystem = True,
-    linkopts = ["-lm"],
-    linkstatic = True,
-    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
-    deps = [
-        "@zlib",
-    ],
-)
-
-install(
-    name = "install",
-    docs = ["LICENSE"],
-    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
-)
-
-exports_files(["drake_repository_metadata.json"])
diff --git a/tools/workspace/libpng_internal/png_drake_vendor.h b/tools/workspace/libpng_internal/png_drake_vendor.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 2bfd955bb315..000000000000
--- a/tools/workspace/libpng_internal/png_drake_vendor.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-#pragma once
-
-/* The following are Drake's adjustments to libpng. */
-
-/* Always use the macros, never the slow out-of-line functions. */
-#undef PNG_READ_INT_FUNCTIONS_SUPPORTED
-
-/* Suppress benign eXIf warnings, as they produce unnecessary test output. */
-#undef PNG_READ_eXIf_SUPPORTED
diff --git a/tools/workspace/libpng_internal/repository.bzl b/tools/workspace/libpng_internal/repository.bzl
deleted file mode 100644
index b18916d94279..000000000000
--- a/tools/workspace/libpng_internal/repository.bzl
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-load("//tools/workspace:github.bzl", "github_archive")
-
-def libpng_internal_repository(
-        name,
-        mirrors = None):
-    github_archive(
-        name = name,
-        repository = "pnggroup/libpng",
-        upgrade_type = "tag",
-        commit = "v1.6.58",
-        sha256 = "a9d4df463d36a6e5f9c29bd6f4967312d17e996c1854f3511f833924eb1993cf",  # noqa
-        build_file = ":package.BUILD.bazel",
-        mirrors = mirrors,
-    )
diff --git a/tools/workspace/vtk_internal/settings.bzl b/tools/workspace/vtk_internal/settings.bzl
index dcc973cdd214..dcd275e84873 100644
--- a/tools/workspace/vtk_internal/settings.bzl
+++ b/tools/workspace/vtk_internal/settings.bzl
@@ -632,7 +632,7 @@ MODULE_SETTINGS = {
             "VTK_MODULE_USE_EXTERNAL_vtkpng=1",
         ],
         "deps_extra": [
-            "@libpng_internal//:libpng",
+            "@libpng//:libpng",
         ],
     },
     "VTK::tiff": {