Wednesday, November 13, 2024
You are here: Home / Archives for Philadelphia Attractions

Become Acquainted With Cezanne and Degas at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

April 21, 2015 by

One of the largest and most renowned art museums in the United States, the Philadelphia Museum of Art houses more than 227,000 pieces of art. The museum features Renaissance, American, Impressionist, and Modern Art with works by Rogier van der Weyden, Cezanne, Degas, and Thomas Eakins.

Head upstairs to take in cultures and periods throughout time, including the medieval cloister and the Indian Temple. Rotating exhibits encompass various types of media. The museum's gift shop features reproduction prints, jewelry, mugs, crafts, and other souvenirs. Consult the museum website for exhibits, admission prices, special events, and volunteer opportunities.

Note that the Philadelphia Museum of Art is closed on Mondays!

Philadelphia Museum of Art
2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19130
(215) 763-8100
www.philamuseum.org

Filed Under: Things To Do Tagged With: , ,

Philadelphia School of Circus Arts: Fitness, Flexibility, and Fun in Philly

April 7, 2015 by

Make no mistake: The Philadelphia School of Circus Arts is not just for people who are pursuing professional acrobatics careers. Instead, this school is open to anyone who is interested in improving strength and flexibility while having a blast and learning the moves of professional acrobats!

Beginners should consider the introduction to aerials workshop, which is limited to just six students, and will teach you the basics of trapeze work, silk aerials, and rope stunts. More advanced classes and private lessons are available for students who already have some experience already. Specialty classes in non-aerial skills, like juggling and unicycling, are also available, as well as conditioning classes that will help you develop the strength and flexibility to improve your acrobatic skills.

Whatever class you choose, be sure you bring a camera, because you’ll definitely want to get some shots of you performing the kinds of feats that will impress your friends!

Philadelphia School of Circus Arts
5900 A Greene Street
Philadelphia, PA 19144
(215) 849-1991
www.phillycircus.com
www.yelp.com/biz/philadelphia-school-of-circus-arts-philadelphia

Filed Under: Things To Do Tagged With: , ,

Bartram’s Gardens: A Botanical Tour Through Pennsylvania History

March 31, 2015 by

A National Historic Landmark built along the Schuylkill Riverfront in West Philadelphia, Bartram's Gardens is a 102-acre oasis in the heart of the city. Formerly the private residence of botanist John Bartram, a third-generation Pennsylvania Quaker, Bartram's Gardens is home to a comprehensive collection of North American plants. The gardens can be traced all the way back to 1728!

Open year-round, Bartram's Gardens offers visitors an opportunity to traverse the same gardens that Bartram, himself, enjoyed back in the 18th century. The collection includes shrubs, herbaceous plants, and the country's oldest ginkgo and Franklinia alatamaha trees! The gardens are open for tours April through October, and the site also hosts a playground, ball fields, picnic tables, and a dock. The gift shop abounds with local products, honey harvested on-site, books, seeds, bulbs, and other unusual distinct items.

The facilities are also available to host your special event, so call or check the website for additional information!

Bartram's Gardens
5400 Lindbergh Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19143
(215) 729-5281
www,bartramsgarden.org
www.yelp.com/biz/bartrams-garden-philadelphia

Filed Under: Things To Do Tagged With: , ,

Schuylkill River Park: A Great Urban Green Space

March 17, 2015 by

The Schuylkill River Park is a true urban gem, stretching along the bank of the Schuylkill River as it passes through Philadelphia’s Center City. The creation and maintenance of this park represent a true community effort, and while the park is a favorite destination for everyone in the neighborhood, it is particularly popular with dog owners, as it has two separate dog park areas: one for larger dogs and another for smaller pets.

Sports enthusiasts will appreciate the tennis and basketball courts, and kids will enjoy the modern, colorful playground equipment. Everyone will like the shady tree-lined paths and benches that are perfect for relaxing in the sun and reading a book or chatting with friends. The riverside path for biking and running gives access to the Fairmount network of riverside paths, too. Vegetables and flowers bloom throughout the summer in the park's community garden, while festivals and other special events regularly enliven the park's open plaza spaces.

Schuylkill River Park
2500 Lombard Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
www.fsrp.org
www.yelp.com/biz/schuylkill-river-park-philadelphia

Filed Under: Things To Do Tagged With: , ,

Check Out These Popular Bowling Alleys in Philadelphia

March 10, 2015 by

Whether you’re a part of a league or you just do it for fun, bowling is an all-American pastime beloved by people of all ages. Lace up your bowling shoes, pack up your ball and get ready for some old-fashioned fun at these two great alleys in the City of Brotherly Love.

PEP Bowl
South Philadelphia’s PEP Bowl is located just minutes away from Center City, making it a convenient bowling alley for residents all over the city. The vintage-style alley dates back to the 1950s, but it’s been updated over the years to create a state-of-the-art experience. It’s also very popular for large parties. Best of all, PEP Bowl donates its proceeds to help people with developmental disabilities find employment and necessary services in the Philadelphia area.

North Bowl
North Bowl is an upscale, stylish bowling alley with a food menu that would rival most hip restaurants. Each dish is made with local meats and produce, and the bar serves 12 rotating draft beer selections, handcrafted cocktails, and an impressive wine list. North Bowl also offers vintage arcade games, pool tables, and a lounge area if you want to hang out after your game is over. Service industry professionals love North Bowl’s Monday night Industry Night, and the bowling alley also has daily happy hours on weekdays from 5 to 7 p.m.

Filed Under: Things To Do Tagged With: , , ,

Please Touch Museum: A Fun Philadelphia Museum

February 3, 2015 by

While most major cities have a children’s museum, none are quite like the Please Touch Museum. Philadelphia’s most hands-on museum targets creativity in children ages seven and younger, and it uses kids’ inherent desire to touch and explore to create a truly unique learning experience.

Exhibits like the Flight Fantasy and Rainforest Rhythm enable visitors and their families to run, jump, crawl, and feel in order to learn about the world around them. Kids will race miniature sailboats and blow bubbles to discover how water moves, play hopscotch in a cloud, create their own rockets, and even make music during every visit to the Please Touch Museum. The museum also offers a number of different youth programs and story hours for children of all ages.

The Please Touch Museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

Please Touch Museum
4231 Avenue of the Republic
Philadelphia, PA 19131
(215) 581-3181
www.pleasetouchmuseum.org
www.yelp.com/biz/please-touch-museum-philadelphia

Filed Under: Things To Do Tagged With: , ,

Browse Gifts and Party Supplies With a Twist at Occasionette

January 6, 2015 by

This East Passyunk Avenue boutique offers a whimsical selection of gifts and party supplies. South Philly artist Sara Selepouchin, who was trained as an architect, opened Occasionette in 2013 as a way to expand her online business. She has been selling fun, quirky diagram drawings under the label Girls Can Tell since 2005, and her shop offers her entire line of items, as well as a selection of other offerings from makers from around the country.

You’ll find reusable recycled cotton lunch bags, baby onesies, bar and tableware, notebooks, cards, temporary tattoos, and tea towels. Girls Can Tell wares are all printed in the U.S., and many are printed in the studio attached to the shop. Items not printed in-house are handled by local, independent printers. Also, you’re welcome to bring your dog into the shop.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Mondays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

Occasionette
1825 East Passyunk Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19148
(215) 465-1704
http://www.occasionette.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/occasionette-philadelphia

Filed Under: Things To Do Tagged With: , ,

Science Is Fun at the Franklin Institute

December 2, 2014 by

The Franklin Institute holds a special place in the hearts of many Philadelphians. This kid-friendly museum has fun and interactive exhibits, like the giant heart that invites little ones to crawl inside to explore its physiology from the inside out. At the electricity exhibit, you can use your own body to complete an electrical circuit! Kids will enjoy trying their hands at traditional papermaking methods and using levers and pulleys to hoist themselves up in Sir Isaac's Loft.

Of course, no trip to the Franklin Institute is complete without a stop at the Fels Planetarium to experience the magic of the night sky in cutting-edge astronomical shows. There's so much to do at the Franklin Institute that it's easy to spend an entire day wandering from room to room and exploring all the interactive exhibits!

The Franklin Institute
222 N. 20th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 448-1200
www.fi.edu
www.yelp.com/biz/the-franklin-institute-science-museum-philadelphia

Filed Under: Things To Do Tagged With: , ,

Get Up Close and Personal with Dinosaurs at the Academy of Natural Sciences

November 18, 2014 by

Look up upon entering Dinosaur Hall, and you'll find yourself face to face with a fully-constructed Tyrannosaurus Rex, the largest meat-eating dinosaur in history. Discoveries like the T-Rex—and others that shaped the prehistoric and modern worlds alike—are exhibited and showcased throughout the four stories of The Academy of Natural Sciences, which resides on Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

This family-friendly, hands-on museum lets you climb into the skull of a dinosaur, try on its horns and claws, touch a Madagascar cockroach or snake, and go on an archeological dig. Be sure to investigate the tropical rain forest, where you'll be surrounded by butterflies from all over the globe. There are also a multitude of 3-D exhibits that replicate habitats of large game animals, such as wildebeests and Indian tigers. Various events and special exhibits are highlighted throughout the year. The museum also has adult and family programs, a cafe and a gift shop.

The Academy of Natural Sciences
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 299-1000
www.ansp.org

Filed Under: Things To Do Tagged With: , ,

Take in a Show at the Academy of Music in Center City

November 4, 2014 by

Built in 1857, The Academy of Music on Broad Street is the oldest Opera House in use not only in Center City, but also in all of the U.S. Modeled after La Scala Opera House in Milan, the Academy is home to the Opera Company of Philadelphia, the Broadway at the Academy performance series, and the Pennsylvania Ballet.

The decor is glamorous and decadent and showcases a 5,000-pound crystal chandelier in the entrance. Many orchestral, operatic, and Broadway-born performances are scheduled throughout the year, such as Bruckner's Final Symphony, Salome, Beijing, and Tokyo. Broadway productions have included shows like The Wizard of Oz, Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles, Motown the Musical, Newsies, and Evita, to name just a few. The Academy also offers many concerts that are free to the public.

The Academy of Music
240 Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 893-1999
www.academyofmusic.org
www.visitphilly.com/music-art/philadelphia/the-academy-of-music/

Filed Under: Things To Do Tagged With: , ,
Next Page »

Pin It on Pinterest