PHILADELPHIA THROUGH THE YEAR Part 1

PHILADELPHIA THROUGH THE YEAR

Moderating mid-Atlantic coastal waters often temper the effects of extreme heat and harsh cold, making
Philadelphia’s summers enjoyable and the winters bearable. Spring flowers and warmer temperatures breathe new life into the city, with restaurants and cafés setting up tables outdoors, while city
residents head to parks and river-fronts, anticipating summer festivals and excursions to beaches
and lakes. Activities con-tinue outdoors in fall, which heralds a rush of cool air and colorful  foliage to Philadelphia’s forested greenbelts. After Thanksgiving, activities tend to move indoors with a rush of
Christmas shoppers to quaint boutiques and shopping malls. Sports and cultural activities
are in full swing during the winter months, right through to spring.


SPRING

Cherry blossoms bloom along the Schuylkill  River in early spring, as Philadelphians flock to
the Schuylkill river walk to enjoy the warmer  weather. April also signals
the start of the Philadelphia Phillies’ baseball season.

MARCH

Philadelphia Flower Show (early Mar), Pennsylvania Convention Center. Largest indoor flower show in the
United States.St. Patrick’s Day Parade (mid-Mar), Center City. A parade celebrating Philadel-phia’s strong Irish heritage.

APRIL

Cherry Blossom Festival (early Apr). Features performances of traditional Japanese arts and culture at various locations through-out the city.Philadelphia Antiques Show (early Apr), 33rd Street Armory. Dealers from across the United States gather to display their unique finds.Philadelphia Film Festival (mid-Apr).
Showcases the best in independent and  foreign cinema.Philadelphia Furniture and Furnishings Show
(mid-Apr), Pennsylvania Convention Center.  Exhibition and sale of artisan-designed and manufactured furniture and home furnishings.Penn Relays (late Apr), Franklin Field. High school and college track stars compete in the longest  uninterrupted collegiate track meet in the nation.Equality Forum (late Apr). Begun in the 1960s, this week-long gathering  celebrates the cultural and political legacy of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities.International  Children’s  Festival (late Apr–early May), Annen- berg Center for the  Performing Arts. Jugglers, folk singers, puppeteers, and dancers delight young audiences.Philadelphia Phillies Baseball (Apr–Oct), Citizens Bank Park. The  season starts with many home games at the
43,500-capacity park.

       Sunshine Chart
This chart shows the average daily number of hours of sunshine in Philadelphia each month. June, July, and
August have long days with lots of sunshine. Spring and fall have lesser hours of sun-shine, with the shortest
days in winter, which can still have ample hours of bright sun  on clear, cold days.


MAY


Broad Street Avenue Run (early May), Olney to south Philadelphia. This 10-mile (16-km) run raises funds for the American Cancer Society.Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival (early May). A spring festival that draws 50,000  visitors to enjoy the best of living, dining, shopping, and entertainment this classy
neighborhood has to offer.Dad Vail Regatta (second weekend), Schuylkill River at Kelly Drive. Largest collegiate regatta in the  United States with more  than 100 colleges and  universities participating.
Devon Horse Show and Country Fair (late May and early Jun), Devon Fair Grounds. Equestrian
talents on display at the country’s oldest and largest event of its kind.The Mann Center (May–Sep), Fairmount Park. Performances through the summer by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Philly
Pops, and others.Penn’s Landing Festivals (May–Sep). Concerts along with ethnic events for families.
Annual Student Exhibition (May/Jun), Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. This century-old tradition
displays the works of award-winning students.

Philadelphia’s Best: Parks and Gardens - Part 2

Wissahickon Gorge

The country’s only covered bridge within a major city is sited on a hiking trail in this gorge, whose forests and creek are home to over 100 bird species. 

Logan Square

This grand square was once used as a burial ground and pastureland. Its center-piece is the majestic, multi-spouted Swann Memorial fountain designed by sculptor Alexander Stirling Calder.

Washington Square and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier



Named in honor of George Washington, the first president of the US, the centerpiece of this peaceful park is his statue, and the tomb of the unknown soldier of the  Revolutionary War. 

Rittenhouse Square 

Center City’s most popular park often fills with downtown workers who lunch under the trees. Reminiscent of New York’s Central Park, it is flanked by upscale restaurants.

Philadelphia’s Best: Parks and Gardens - Part 1

Philadelphia’s Best: Parks and Gardens

William Penn wanted his city to be “a green countrie towne” and included five squares in his original city grid. Today, four of these, Logan, Rittenhouse, Franklin, and Washington Squares, are pleasant areas with trees and park benches. Along the Schuylkill River on the outskirts of Center City is Fairmount Park. Its 9,200 acres (3,700 ha) of parkland and gardens make it America’s largest urban park. The area has biking and walking paths along the river and one of its tributaries,Wissahickon Creek, which runs within a gorge. Fairmount Park includes the peaceful Shofuso Japanese House and Garden and
restored historic houses that were once the homes of the colonial elite. Beyond Philadelphia, near the Delaware state border, are the exquisite Longwood Gardens.

Morris Arboretum of the  University of Pennsylvania

Located in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood, this scenic  tract of land includes ponds, greenhouses, meadows, and gardens with thousands of rare plants and “trees-of-record”.

Longwood Gardens

Industrialist Pierre S. du Pont designed this extravagant horticultural wonderland filled
with spectacular choreographed fountains, whimsical topiaries, conservatories with exotic
plants, and meadows and gardens replete with more than 11,000 varieties of indoor
and outdoor plants.

Fairmount Park

This extensive greenbelt along the Schuylkill River and Wissahickon Creek is dotted with statues and features miles of running and biking paths.

Philadelphia’s Best: Museums - 2

National Museum of  American Jewish History

Housed in an impressive
five-story building over-
looking Independence Square,
this museum explores over
350 years of American Jewish
history.

Independence  Seaport Museum

A prominent seafaring
museum, showcasing
the submarine Becuna
and the cruiser Olympia.
This view (left) is of the
interior of the submarine
 Becuna.

Philadelphia’s Best: Museums

                    Philadelphia’s Best: Museums - 1
Philadelphia has several world-famous museums that  reflect its cultural diversity, as well as its maritime and
colonial past. Many are along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, including The Franklin Institute, the Academy
of Natural Sciences, and the Philadelphia Museum of  Art, which is the third-largest fine arts museum in the
country. The Rodin Museum near Logan Square houses the largest collection of sculptor Auguste Rodin’s works outside Paris, while the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, across the Schuylkill River, has an excellent collection of artifacts from civilizations past and present. Due to move to the Parkway’s “Museum Mile” in 2012, the Barnes Foundation has an extraordinary collection of early French-modern and Postimpressionist art.

Philadelphia Museum
of Art
This museum houses over
300,000 objects, including
a 12th-century stone portal
from a French Augustinian
abbey.

Rodin Museum
The Shade is just
one of nearly
130 plaster,
bronze, and
marble sculptures
housed in an
impressive temple-like
structure along the
Benjamin Franklin
Parkway.

The Franklin Institute
The Giant Walk-Through
Heart is a key exhibit of
this children-friendly
science museum named
after statesman and
inventor Benjamin
Franklin.

Academy of Natural Sciences
A favorite exhibit at
Philadelphia’s natural history
museum is Dinosaur Hall,
home to fossil constructions of
the largest carnivores to ever
walk the earth

Pennsylvania Academy  of the Fine Arts
An ornate, arched foyer is
the entrance to the country’s
oldest fine art school and
mus eum. It was founded in
1805 with a collection of
American paintings by
artists such as Benjamin
West and Impressionist
Mary Cassatt.

Philadelphia History Museum at Atwater Kent

On display here are
more than 100,000
objects, including
Norman Rockwell’s
Saturday Evening Post
covers depicting
“vignettes of daily life”.

PHILADELPHIA Travel Guide No:1

PHILADELPHIA AT A GLANCE

Many of Philadelphia’s most popular sights are to be found in Old City, within what’s called “America’s most historic square mile.” They include Independence Hall (see pp42–3) and the iconic Liberty Bell (see p44). Outstanding museums, including the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (see pp74–5), the Philadelphia Museum of Art (see pp90-93) and, from early 2012, the Barnes Foundation (see pp86–7),
are located in the city center. More than 100 places of interest are described in the Area by Area and Beyond Philadelphia sections of this
book. To help you make the most of your stay, the following six pages are a guide to the best of Philadelphia, with a selection featured below

PHILADELPHIA’S TOP TEN SIGHTS

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