THINGS TO DO
IN PHILADELPHIA
ELIAV’S
RECOMMENDATIONS
Top Sites in Philadelphia
ART MUSEUMS
BARNES COLLECTION
The Barnes Foundation is the world’s greatest private collection of Impressionist Art, they hold more than 4,000 objects, including over 900 paintings, estimated to be worth over $25 billion. The true draw of this widely visited museum is the Barnes’ permanent collection, featuring 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes and 59 Matisses, along with works by Manet, Degas, Seurat, Prendergrast, Titian and Picasso — one of the world’s largest collections of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and early Modern paintings and African sculpture.
PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART
Classic, grand, and impressive, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is a cultural institution. It is Philadelphia's answer to the Louvre, and houses one of the country's finest collections of art and sculpture. Modeled after the Parthenon in Athens, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the most recognized buildings in Philadelphia. Once you've made it to the top of the "Rocky Stairs," take a breath and dive into the museum's impressive works by Matisse, Van Gogh, Picasso, Cézanne and more. You'll also find entire structures from around the world, including a 14th century Buddhist temple.
HISTORICAL & SCIENCE MUSEUMS
MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
After it debuted in 2017, the Museum of the American Revolution quickly became one of the best attractions in Philadelphia. The only museum in the US devoted to telling the full story of the American Revolution, it reviews all the important historical events through interactive exhibits that engage visitors of all ages. Museumgoers appreciate the layout of the museum, which follows a chronological path, and holds many of George Washington's personal artifacts including his sleeping and office tent used during the Revolutionary War.
INDEPENDENCE NATIONAL PARK
(LIBERTY BELL & INDEPENDENCE HALL)
Philadelphia is the only UNESCO World Heritage City in the United States precisely because of the historical events that transpired right here, and it’s not just one museum or historic landmark. Rather, it’s a collection of buildings that played host to events that shaped American independence or honor that hard-won heritage. Begin at the Visitor Center to get your bearings and start your tour—visitors can enter with timed entry tickets—at Independence Hall, then stop by the Liberty Bell Center for a look at ostensibly the most famous broken item in the world. Afterwards, wander past the park’s other historic buildings including Carpenters Hall, the meeting site of the first Continental Congress, then make your way to the Benjamin Franklin Museum, Betsy Ross’s House and Elfreth’s Alley (the oldest continuously occupied street in America, dating back to 1703).
CONSTITUTION CENTER
For history loving visitors to Philadelphia, there’s a lot to choose from—the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and the Museum of the American Revolution, to name a few spots. But those interested in democracy shouldn’t miss the National Constitution Center. Located near the Liberty Bell, the center was created as a bipartisan institution by Congress and opened in 2003. Nearly 20 years in, the building still feels fresh and modern, and so does the programming. The center regularly hosts events about American democracy; including, for instance, a Democratic primary debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in 2008.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF
AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY
Established in 1976, the National Museum of American Jewish History has three-and-a-half floors of permanent collections and special exhibits. Starting with the arrival of a small group of Jews in 1654, the museum traces the American Jewish experience through today, telling the story with its collection of 30,000 artifacts. The core exhibition walks visitors through the wave of immigration from Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, through World War II, the establishment of Israel, and ends with an Only in America Gallery/Hall of Fame. Start your tour at the top of the building and wind your way down through the years.
MUTTER MUSEUM
The Mütter Museum, housed within a portion of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, can trace its origins back to 1858, when Dr. Thomas Mütter donated his collection of medical models and specimens in an effort to honor medicine’s heritage and celebrate its advancements. The museum's 25,000-item collection, spread between two floors, includes everything from medical instruments and wax models, to bones and anatomical, or “wet,” specimens, all ranging from the fascinating, to the disturbing, to the downright disgusting. A few highlights include a Civil War-era set of amputation instruments, a jar of skin from a patient with a skin-picking disorder, and a giant, desiccated colon that'll have you eating kale for weeks. All gawking aside, it’s a true testament to the study and practice of medicine.
INTERESTING ACTIVITIES
MURAL TOUR
Philadelphia is known for its world-class museums, but few realize that it's also home to one of the world’s great outdoor art galleries, courtesy of its 4,000 (and counting) murals. There are more murals in Phladelphia than any other city in America. Mural Arts Philadelphia, the brains behind these public art displays, runs walking tours of the seemingly endless string of outdoor art—but the best way to see it all is, undoubtedly, by foot. Groups of 15-20 meet at PAFA, the oldest art institution in the U.S., before meandering through Center City, and taking in a dozen or so murals. Whether it’s the tile lining the walls of the subway, or the mural brightening a city parking lot, it's not just something we look at; it’s something we live with every day. Guides are professional and passionate; they enjoy showing off the murals, and sharing insight into how they’re created, as well as stories about the program’s outreach to area homeless, incarcerated, and schoolchildren.
READING TERMINAL MARKET
GO TO DINIC’S ITALIAN SANDWICH
Over 80 food/merchant vendors can be found in the old Reading train station (Yes, from Monopoly). All of humanity seems to have come together in a happy hubbub at Reading Terminal Market. The sprawling space has been around since 1893, though now, its vegetable, fish, and meat vendors are compounded by dozens of restaurants, bakeries, and bars. Look for old-timey neon signs to help you make sense of the dozens of options—or just head straight for DiNic's, where the roast pork sandwich, topped with a frenzy of broccoli rabe, is practically the beating heart of the place. Follow it up with a scoop (or three) of Bassett's silky ice cream.
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA CAMPUS
Founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin, the University of Pennsylvania (better known as Penn) looks like the textbook definition of an Ivy League university, with enough elaborate Gothic buildings and lush courtyards to make you want to dive headfirst into the nearest library. The campus, and particularly Locust Walk, which runs through it, offers visitors and students a respite from the bustle of the city, and on nice days, even doubles as a picnic site. The grounds are also home to Alexander Calder's art, and “Brick House,” a new Simone Leigh sculpture; a statue of Ben Franklin hanging out on a bench; and Franklin Field, the country's oldest operating football stadium. Head west to explore the campus, and have lunch at West Philly institution White Dog Café.
ITALIAN MARKET
GO TO JOHN’S ROAST PORK
Philadelphians often call their hometown “a city of neighborhoods.” The Italian Market, and the neighborhood that's been built up around it, is a perfect example. Open since the 1880s, this year-round market is the beating heart of South Philly, a historically Italian neighborhood that, in recent years, has also become home to pockets of Mexican and Vietnamese immigrants. The market, which lines South 9th Street, buzzes with shops and outdoor vendors, all showing off the best of the community. Don’t miss the old guard provision shops like DiBruno’s, Claudio’s, and Talluto’s—you must sample the fresh mozzarella—and if you’re looking for lunch, check out the newer additions to the area, like South Philly Barbacoa and Kalaya Thai Kitchen. No matter what brings you to the market, make sure to arrive hungry, with cash in hand.
WALK AROUND CENTER CITY
RITTENHOUSE, LOVE STATUE, CITY HALL
BEN FRANKLIN BOULEVARD
Philadelphia City Hall was the tallest building in the world upon completion in 1894, and remains the heart of Center City. Look up and you’ll see William Penn, 548 feet above the ground, looking out over the city he designed. The views of the building—the largest municipal building in the United States—are impressive, but don’t simply stroll past. Dilworth Park, which hosts an annual Christmas market, a seasonal ice skating rink, and free summertime fitness classes, is on its doorstep. Nearby find the famous LOVE statue, Ben Franklin Boulevard and Rittenhouse Square.
IF YOU WANT A CHEESESTEAK…
And you are by Independence National Park, go to Sonny’s or Campo’s
And you want the “famous” (but not as good), go to Pat’s or Geno’s in South Philly
OUT OF CENTER CITY
LONGWOOD GARDENS
Longwood Gardens, purchased by industrialist Pierre du Pont in 1906, is a little like Philadelphia’s answer to Versailles, with 1,083 acres of themed, manicured gardens. Naturally, spring and summer are the best seasons for florals, but with a Conservatory renowned for its indoor displays, this Kennett Square spot is a popular year-round destination. If you're here in the summer, make sure to check out the Fountain Garden, when a dramatic water show set to classical music is performed several times every day—the Conservatory, with its twinkling lights, trees, and poinsettias, is a must at Christmas.
BRYN ATHYN
The Bryn Athyn Historic District, a National Historic Landmark District, includes four historic buildings: 1) Cairnwood Estate was built as a family home for the industrialist John Pitcairn[10] and his wife Gertrude. 2) Bryn Athyn Cathedral serves as the episcopal seat of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, an international Swedenborgian church. 3) Glencairn was originally the private residence of millionaire philanthropist Raymond Pitcairn. The castle-like building now serves the Academy of the New Church and Bryn Athyn College as Glencairn Museum, housing a collection of mostly religious artwork and artifacts from around the world and is open to the public. 4) Cairncrest was built as a home for John Pitcairn's son, Harold Pitcairn, an aviation pioneer and developer of the autogyro.
MERCER MUSEUM IN DOYLESTOWN
The Mercer Museum is a six-story reinforced concrete castle designed by Henry Mercer (1856-1930) and completed in 1916. Today, it is one of Bucks County’s premier cultural attractions and a Smithsonian affiliate.The museum complex features local and national traveling exhibits, as well as a core museum collection of over 17,000 pre-Industrial tools. This permanent collection offers visitors a unique window into pre-Industrial America through sixty different crafts and trades, and is one of the world’s most comprehensive portraits of pre-Industrial American material culture. The museum also features a research library that is a center for local history related to Bucks County and the surrounding region, with its roots dating back to the founding of the Bucks County Historical Society in 1880.