Museums and Culture
Left to right, top to bottom: The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Fabric Workshop, Independence Mall, The Print Center, The Philadelphia Zoo & Historic Old City
The Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is among the largest art museums in the United States. It has collections of more than 227,000 objects that include "world-class holdings of European and American paintings, prints, drawings, and decorative arts". The Main Building is visited by more than 800,000 people annually, and is located at the west end of Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The Perelman Building opened in 2007, and houses some of the more popular collections, as well as the Museum's library, with over 200,000 books and periodicals, and 1.6 million other documents.
The Fabric Workshop and Museum
The Fabric Workshop and Museum, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, is a non-profit arts organization devoted to creating new work in new materials and new media in collaboration with emerging, nationally, and internationally recognized artists. Founded in 1977, the Fabric Workshop and Museum has an Artist-in-Residence Program, an extensive permanent collection of new work created by artists in collaboration with the Workshop, in-house and touring exhibitions, and comprehensive educational programming including lectures, tours, in-school presentations, and student apprenticeships.
Independence Mall is a three-block section of Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It lies directly north of Independence Hall, and is bounded by Chestnut, Race, 5th and 6th Streets. The south block is called the First Block, the middle block is called the Second Block, and the north block is called the Third Block. Buildings and structures on the Mall include the National Constitution Center (3rd block); the Independence Visitor Center and the Free Quaker Meetinghouse (2nd Block); and the President's House Memorial and the Liberty Bell Center (1st Block). Buildings surrounding the Mall include Congress Hall, Independence Hall, and Old City Hall to the south; the Philadelphia Bourse, the National Museum of American Jewish History, Christ Church Burial Ground, and the Philadelphia Mint to the east; the approach to the Benjamin Franklin Bridge to the north; and WHYY-TV, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, the James A. Byrne Federal Courthouse, and the Rohm & Haas Building to the west.
The Print Center, a non-profit gallery located in Philadelphia’s historic Rittenhouse Square neighborhood, encourages the growth and understanding of photography and printmaking as vital contemporary arts through exhibitions, publications and educational programs. Founded in 1915 as The Print Club, one of the first venues in this country dedicated to the appreciation of prints, the organization supported the "dissemination, study, production, and collection of works by printmakers, American and foreign." In 1942, The Print Center donated its collection of prints to the Philadelphia Museum of Art forming the core of their fledgling print department. Past exhibitions have featured the work of masters like Albrecht Durer, Mary Cassatt, and Pablo Picasso, as well as American pioneers Ansel Adams, Walker Evans and Dox Thrash, and the work of the work of the most compelling artists of their day including Edna Andrade, Louise Bourgeois, John Coplans, Leon Golub, Emmet Gowen, Red Grooms, Ann Hamilton, Jasper Johns, Kerry James Marshall, Abelardo Morell, Kiki Smith, Nancy Spero, Art Spiegelman, Doug + Mike Starn and Kara Walker.
The Philadelphia Zoo, located in the Centennial District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, was the first zoo in the United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, its opening was delayed by the American Civil War until July 1, 1874. The Philadelphia Zoo is one of the premier zoos in the world for breeding animals that have been found difficult to breed in captivity. The zoo also works with many groups around the world to protect the natural habitats of the animals in their care.The zoo is 42 acres (17 ha) and is home to more than 1,300 animals, many of which are rare and endangered. The zoo features a children's zoo, a paddleboat lake, a rainforest themed carousel, and many interactive and educational exhibits.
Located next to Independence Mall, where the country’s Founding Fathers declared liberty and built a free nation, Old City still boasts charming cobblestone streets and plenty of 18th-century charm — along with an independent streak that’s evident in everything from its owner-operated shops to its edgy art scene. Its proximity to the Liberty Bell, Penn’s Landing and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge makes Old City, which runs from Vine Street to Walnut Street north to south and from 7th Street to the Delaware River east to west, a favorite for out-of-towners as much as for the residents who call it home.
Places to Eat
Beyond the colorful China Gate at 10th and Arch Streets lives Philly’s vibrant Asian enclave, settled in the mid-19th century by Cantonese immigrants.On any given day or night, Chinatown bustles with activity and authenticity, from the steaming platters of hand-stretched noodles to the seasonal street festivals to the locally guided tours and the bubble tea.
Mouth-watering aromas. Locally grown and exotic produce. Amish specialties. Fresh meats, seafood, and poultry. Handmade confections and baked goods straight from the oven. Everything you need to create a memorable meal, from cookbooks, to table linens, to kitchen ware, to fresh cut flowers, and more. Plus the widest variety of restaurants under one roof. Find it all here at Philadelphia’s historic public market, Reading Terminal Market!
Restaurants near the Walnut Street Theatre District
A wide selection of fine dining restaurants of all sorts and classic historic pubs as well.
Getting Around
- Taxi Cab Companies in Philadelphia
- Septa - Public Transit System in Philadelphia
- Maps of Philadelphia
Some Helpful Articles
- Conde' Nast Traveler's page on Philadelphia
- "36 Hours in Philadelphia" The New York Times, July 7, 2013
- "What to do in Philadelphia" The Travel Channel
- "Philadelphia's Food and Restaurant Renaissance: The Guardian, September 20, 2013
- My Big Fat Weekend: How to Spend 3 Days Eating (A Lot) in Philadelphia: Bon Appetit, May 8, 2014
All images courtesy of VisitPhilly.com and uwishunu.com.
