Philadelphia is a city with inexhaustible opportunities for a good time. Check out our top 10 must-do’s while you’re visiting the City of Brotherly Love!
Soak in the entirety of the City of Brotherly Love and watch the city sparkle from the 57th floor of One Liberty’s Observation Deck. Open 365 days a year, the Observation Deck offers unique panoramic views of the city that you won’t find anywhere else. The space is available for special events and proposals as well, with tickets easily available for purchase online. Take someone special and see Philly from a new perspective!
Taking a trip to the Reading Terminal Market is always sure to be the main event of any day in Philly. The place is jammed with countless eateries and shops, the aisles and walkways routinely transformed into a battlefield of hungry customers, chronically squeezed shoulder to shoulder. If you do decide to visit Reading Terminal I highly suggest going a little earlier to beat the crowds that will inevitably be in full swing by lunchtime. With food options varying from things like cheesesteaks, gumbo, southern, to Chinese, there is never a shortage of options for even the most indecisive of diners. Reading Terminal is also home to the delicious and legendary Bassetts Ice Cream. Opened in 1893, Bassetts is renowned as America’s oldest ice cream brand, as well as one of the last original vendors within Reading Terminal Market—with its ever-constant lines snaking around the shop boasting its legitimacy, you will absolutely regret skipping desert.
Harbor Park is Philadelphia’s most beloved family-friendly park, with its widely popular boardwalk located right along the Delaware River, showcasing some of Philadelphia’s favorite vendors, including: Garces, Chickie’s and Pete’s, Franklin Fountain, and more! In the summertime, Spruce Street Harbor Park becomes one of Philadelphia’s hottest destinations, offering homemade hammocks and swings to lounge in throughout the park, as well as mini-golf, two arcades, a roller skating rink, and a newly introduced 60 foot high Ferris Wheel—offering views of Philly’s skyline, the river and the Ben Franklin Bridge. However, this place is far from a ghost-town in the winter and becomes home to one of the city’s most popular ice-skating rinks. Boasting an award winning beer garden, Harbor Park is a Philadelphia favorite, catering to tourists and locals of all ages.
South Street is a very popular block within Philadelphia—typically if you are over the age of 21. With no shortage of bars and restaurants, South Street is never short of dull moments; jam-packed with drunken adults, concert-goers, and tourists on any given weekend, there is always something to do. Whether you are looking for your next tattoo or organizing a happy hour with co-workers, this is an area that has it all. Home to the legendary Jim’s Steaks and Theater of Living Arts, South Street should absolutely be the next check on your Philadelphia bucket list.
What is more Philadelphian than going out to grab a cheesesteak? If you are visiting the area then this obviously should be on the very top of your must-do. While Philadelphia has many places to grab a great cheesesteak, I suggest staying away from the overrated Geno’s and Pat’s and trying something a little more underground—after all, you’re only in Philly once. In my opinion, Jimmy G’s makes one of the best cheesesteaks in the city, but if you must, then you may make your way over to the legendary Jim’s Steaks on South and join in on the lines of people huddled around the popular restaurant.
Philadelphia is also home to many important museums that are a great family-friendly option if you are visiting with relatives! If you think yourself to be something of an art-guru then I suggest making your way over to the Philadelphia Museum of Art—where they offer tours, events, hands-on activities, and unique exhibits. A favorite among children within the city is the Please Touch Museum, offering a chance to learn through play with the help of interactive exhibits, programs, and events. Another one of the most visited museums in Pennsylvania, and a top-five rated destination within the city is the Franklin Institute, one of the leading science centers in the country. The museum is always presenting new and ground-breaking exhibits for tourists and families alike.
Philadelphia would not be Philadelphia without its rambunctious sports fans, the die-hards who aren’t shy about vocalizing their opinions to any poor unsuspecting fan of any opposite city. Whether you choose to check out the Flyers, Phillies, or Sixers, is up to you; each event easily accessible by the use of Septa. If you don’t have time to grab a ticket then I highly suggest heading over to Xfinity Live, equipped with beer halls, theaters, and countless entertainment options, this is the alternative and most ideal spot to watch a game alongside true Philadelphia sport fanatics.
Fairmount Park is one of Philadelphia’s most historic parks, offering more than 2,000 acres of trails, woods, and hills, it is a breathtaking escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. With sports fields, bike trails, art performances, and gardens, Fairmount Park is a great way to spend time outdoors in nature.
Philadelphia has a number of music venues from the TLA, The Met, The Well Fargo Center, to The Electric Factory; artists flock to Philly, filling in these venues like clockwork. Philly also offers many spaces for local musicians and artists to showcase their talents, such as places like, Boot & Saddle, Johnny Brenda’s, MilkBoy, and more. If you are a fan of music, Philadelphia is where you want to be.
Shopping on Walnut Street is personally one of my favorite things to do in the city. With an endless amount of retail stores and shops, you’ll want arrive on Walnut Street with the intention of shelling out your hard-earned cash on all that the street has to offer.
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