Do and See in Philadelphia…and Beyond

© Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

∙ Take an historical walking tour of the City of Brotherly Love and former nation’s capital. Whether you opt for a guided tour or head out alone (with map, podcast or audio tour), you won’t want to miss some of the city’s most famous historical hotspots, including Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the Betsy Ross House and Christ Church. The Poor Richard’s Walking Tours, led by graduate students from the University of Pennsylvania, are among the most recommended.

Given the state of the world, it’s more timely than ever to revisit the principles of “We, the people…” and the U.S. Constitution. Make time for a stop at the National Constitution Center, an interactive history museum devoted to the Constitution, just two blocks from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. (FYI: It’s also open from 5 to 8pm on Friday and Saturday evenings if you can’t visit during the day.)

Note: Admission to some landmarks is by tour only and may require advance-purchase tickets. To get oriented, start your walk at the Independence National Historical Park Visitor Center.

You can pick up maps, tour tickets and relevant information about the historical attractions you plan to visit. Some historical landmarks have extra security and you may not be able to bring in some items or have to wait in line for security checks. Allow extra time when planning your itinerary.

∙ You’ve got till September 30 to catch Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of Pharaohs at the Franklin Institute of Science. Philadelphia is the last stop on the current tour that showcases the boy king’s treasures. This year’s exhibit is more than twice the size of the original 1977 show and includes over 100 pieces of antiquities, many of which are displayed outside of Egypt for the first time.

∙ Meander through the Italian Market in South Philadelphia. America’s oldest and largest working market, it’s a jumble of street vendors along Ninth Street selling cheeses, vegetables, olive oils, pasta, produce, seafood, water ice and other Italian cooking products and bargain-priced clothing and household items. Open year-round, its open-air stalls offer culinary treats that make you feel as if you’re in Italy. You can get free samples from many of the vendors, and although some items won’t travel, there’s no reason you can’t buy some goodies for a city picnic.

∙ Catch a rising star. Philadelphia is almost as famous for its music as it is for its historical landmarks. Thanks to a tight network of musicians, music shops, recording studios and nightclubs, the local music scene is alive and flourishing. Among the most popular venues are live performances at World Café Live and the Theater of Living Arts. (Check Philadelphia Weekly’s Music Section for more info on local bands and performances.)

∙ Savor the city at sunset. There are dozens of spots in and around the city where you can plunk yourself down (with or without a cocktail!) to bask in the glow of a summer’s evening. But there may be no more beautiful twilight view than the one from Boathouse Row (along Kelly Drive) on the Schuylkill River. (If you’re driving, the best view is from West River Drive.)

∙ Listen to the Sounds of Summer, a series of musical concerts all over the city.

∙ Their losses are legendary, but for devoted Phillies fans, no trip would be complete without catching a game at Citizens Bank Park, a venue that might warrant a trip just to explore its other attractions.

∙ Talk to the animals at the Philadelphia Zoo, America’s oldest zoo. Check out the Big Cats Falls; the summer-only free-flight bird show; the Dodge Wild Earth, 3-D “African safari” adventure ride; the Dodge Rare Animal Conservation Center and the Reptile and Amphibian House. On summer weekends, you can hop on a Zoo Link shuttle from 30th Street Station for a ten-minute ride that will take you straight to the zoo.

∙ Check out the food shops in the Reading Terminal Market, an urban farmers market that’s been going since 1893. You can get a feel for its vendors (including numerous Pennsylvania Dutch suppliers) and learn about its history at the Stories From Reading Terminal Market blog. Or you can take a guided tour (75 minutes and led by a food writer) for some behind-the-scenes dish. Check the calendar for events during your trip.

∙ Explore the nightlife in Old City, which is home to more than a dozen nightspots on Second Street, between Market and Chestnut.

∙ Need an excuse to take a break from sightseeing? Pack a picnic lunch and head to Boathouse Row to watch the sculling races on the Schuylkill River. Check the Regatta Schedule for upcoming events. (The 2007 Quaker City Masters Regatta is set for August 4.) No race scheduled? No problem. Just kick back and enjoy the view. If you feel like it, you can also walk, jog or bike along the river.

∙ Eat and dance at the White Dog Café’s Rum and Reggae Caribbean Street Party (August 10). There’s a Caribbean buffet dinner, exotic drinks and live reggae music (courtesy of Tribal Legacy) in an outdoor tent. You can come just for the dancing (after 10pm.). The event goes on, rain or shine. Suggested dress: Your best “tropical” attire!

∙ The 46th annual Philadelphia Folk Festival is being held from August 17 to 19 at Old Pool Farm. Click here for a list of this year’s performers and check back frequently as new musicians are being added to the lineup.

∙ Go Museum Hopping: Don’t miss the Philadelphia Museum of Art, America’s third-largest museum. Its extensive collections include art masterpieces such as Nude Descending a Staircase, Prometheus Bound, Birth of Venus and Bathers as well as Shaker furniture, Thomas Eakins’ watercolors and much more. On Friday evenings, the museum is open until 8:45 and on the first Friday of each month, there’s Art After Five, which features live music in the Great Stair Hall.

If you’re a fan of sculpture, head to the nearby Rodin Museum. The French sculptor’s most famous work, The Thinker, greets you while his Gates of Hell adorns the front door and The Burgers of Calais is on display indoors. The museum houses over 100 other pieces, representing every period of his work, in what is the largest Rodin collection outside of France. Free guided tours are available.

The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the nation’s oldest museum and school of fine arts, houses works by Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer and Benjamin West. But for many, the building itself, a High Victorian Gothic edifice, the work of architects Frank Furness and George Hewitt, is the real masterpiece.

Got a penchant for the unusual and bizarre? Add the Mutter Museum to your itinerary. Located in the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, it showcases an assortment of medical paraphernalia and preserved anatomical and pathological specimens that is not for the fainthearted. (Its Web site aptly describes it as “Disturbingly Informative.”) There are also models, illustrations, slides and photographs and scientific and medical memorabilia from 1750 to the present.

See It Before It Moves: Hop a SEPTA R5 Paoli Local train at Suburban Station or 30th Street for a quick ride out to Merion Station and the Barnes Foundation Gallery, a private art collection with a very low profile. The eccentric creation of patent medicine heir and art collector Albert Barnes, it’s home to one of the world’s largest collections of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and early Modern paintings. Its walls are adorned with the works of Renoir, Cezanne, Matisse and Picasso. Admission to the venue, located on a 12-acre arboretum, is free, but reservations are mandatory and should be made as far in advance as possible as the venue is only open to the public a few days each week. Plan to go sooner than later: The collection is scheduled to be moved to a new location in central Philadelphia. You don’t want to miss the collection in its original home.

∙ Go DayTripping: Spend a few hours at Longwood Gardens, the country’s premier horticultural garden. The “garden,” a former duPont estate, is comprised of 1,050 acres of gardens, woodlands, and meadows; 20 outdoor gardens; 20 indoor gardens within 4 acres of heated greenhouses and 11,000 different types of plants. Stay for the evening Festival of Fountains (through September 1), an outdoor light-and-fountain display that will have adults as well as kids “ooh-ing” and “ahh-ing” with delight. (Click here to check what’s in bloom during your trip.)

Explore scenic Brandywine Valley, which includes several museums including the Brandywine River Museum (home to the works of three generations of the famous Wyeth family) and other attractions such as the Winterthur Museum and Estate.

Visit a winery in the nearby Brandywine Valley or on the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail in Southern Chester County. (There’s a Harvest Festival scheduled for September 29 and 30. The $25 fee includes visits, plus tastings, to all six member wineries and other special events, including picnics, vineyard tours, concerts and more.)

Other Ideas and Inspiration: Check the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Weekend Planner (on its Entertainment page) for current listings for concerts and clubs; performance and classical music; museum and gallery events; family-oriented events and top regional attractions. …Search for events using the GoPhila.com Calendar, which breaks out events by interests, or the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance's Calendar, which includes a mix of free and paid events and allows you to search by date. You can also check Philadelphia magazine’s Event Finder.

© Cheapflights Ltd Marlene R. Fedin

Related article: The Dining Dish: Where to Eat and Drink in Philadelphia