The green spaces of Philadelphia
Philadelphia is home to one of the largest urban park systems in the nation, with over 100 parks, squares, and recreation sites.
Philadelphia park green spaces both in the city and in its surrounding areas present ample opportunities for visitors to spend time exploring the outdoors.
Here are a few parks, historic sites, and other outdoor experiences to seek out during your visit to Philly.
Fairmount Park
Spanning 2,000 acres when combined, Philadelphia’s East and West Fairmount Park offers an abundance of biking, walking, and hiking trails to explore. The park system is also home to several museums and attractions – Philadelphia Zoo, Please Touch Museum, six historic mansions, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, and a horticultural center. Kelly Drive and Martin Luther King Junior Drive run parallel on the banks of the Schuylkill River, each with their own paths and picnic areas.
Don’t miss the iconic Boathouse Row that caps the park’s eastern end (best viewed from along MLK Jr. Drive) and the grounds of the Shofuso Japanese House and Garden adjacent to the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center.
Before exploring, read Fairmount Park Conservancy’s Digital Guide to aid your exploration of the park.
Schuylkill River Trail
Winding its way along the Schuylkill River, the Schuylkill River Trail serves as a recreation trail with paved lanes for biking, running, or walking, including a 2,000-foot-long boardwalk. The trail extends from South Philadelphia through Fairmount Park along Kelly Drive. In total, the trail is 120 miles long and extends to Frackville, PA.
Philadelphia Parks & Squares
In William Penn’s original plan for the City of Philadelphia, he envisioned five squares stationed evenly throughout the city’s grid-like system of streets. Four of these squares — Rittenhouse, Franklin, Washington, and Logan — serve as recreation and community spaces, each with their own unique features. The fifth square, Centre Square, is where you will now find Philadelphia’s historic City Hall — the largest municipal building in the United States — and accompanying Dilworth Park. Throughout the year, these Philadelphia parks host various events and installations including, live music performances, an outdoor ice rink and a holiday market.
Wissahickon Valley Park
Home to miles of trails, the 1,800-acre Wissahickon Valley Park follows the Wissahickon Creek through northwest Philadelphia. It offers a wilderness surrounded by waterfalls and wildlife. The wooded park is home to 50 miles worth of trails, a quaint tavern, event space and Historic Rittenhouse Town.
Countryside of Philadelphia
A short drive west from Philadelphia will bring you to both Valley Forge or Brandywine Valley. Both of these countryside destinations offer a green escape.
In Valley Forge, visitors can explore the over 3,400 acres of the Valley Forge National Historical Park — once home to General George Washington’s encampment during the Revolutionary War — or any number of biking trails throughout Montgomery County. Alternatively, in Brandywine Valley, visitors can find the renowned Longwood Gardens — a sprawling botanical garden complete with lush conservatories and fountains.
Heading north from Philadelphia, you can visit the Andalusia Historic House, Gardens & Arboretum — the ancestral home of the Biddle family — in nearby Bucks County.
Read the Official Visitors Guide to discover the best of Philadelphia.
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