Top 25 Local Experiences in Philadelphia You Can’t Miss

In 2015, Philadelphia was named the first UNESCO World Heritage City in the U.S. — a title that might surprise people who primarily know the city as the birthplace of cheesesteaks and home of the Liberty Bell. Of course, these symbols only scratch the surface of this historic city, where so many firsts happened, including the nation’s first hospital, library, theater, bank, and zoo. Beyond its pivotal place in American history, the City of Brotherly Love also boasts thriving music and arts communities, plus renowned public art and one of the world’s greatest French Impressionist collections. Philadelphia can also lay claim to several world-class hotels. Sprawling squares and parks are further reason to love the urban destination, as are miles of riverfront biking trails and a perpetually buzzing food scene — you can start with a cheesesteak with American cheese, sure, but don’t stop there. These are the 25 best things to do in Philadelphia, from mural tours to beer tastings.

Visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Make like Philly’s favorite fictional boxer, Rocky Balboa, and race up the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps. Before you enter, stop at the top and turn around to take in the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which was modeled after Paris’s Champs-Élysées. Once inside this marvelous museum, some 200 galleries await, with works of art that span millennia. Don’t miss the Marcel Duchamp rooms or the Frank Gehry-redesigned western entrance, which debuted in 2021.

Feast at Reading Terminal Market

Go early to miss the lunch rush at Reading Terminal, the country’s oldest continuously-operating indoor market. Stalls here sell everything from Pennsylvania Dutch doughnuts to Georgian khachapuri, so you can put together your own personal feast then enjoy it at the tables in the center of the market. Standout eats here include Miller’s Twist for soft pretzels, El Merkury for Guatemalan street food, Bassetts, the country’s oldest ice cream company, and DiNic’s, where you should sample Philly’s famous roast pork sandwich — it tastes best with sharp provolone and broccoli rabe.

Get a History Lesson in Independence National Historic Park

This is where you’ll get a firsthand look at the origins of American democracy. Start your park visit by admiring the Liberty Bell, then make your way across the street to Independence Hall to tour the rooms where the founding fathers debated and signed the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

Admire the World’s Largest Renoir Collection at the Barnes

The late scientist Albert. C. Barnes amassed a legendary art collection filled with impressionist, post-impressionist, and modern works. Included in that treasure trove is the world’s largest group of paintings by French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. First-time visitors to the Barnes should consider taking the one-hour highlights tour, which also brings you to pieces by Matisse, Van Gogh, Picasso, and more.

Walk Through a Giant Heart at the Franklin Institute

Walking through a larger-than-life beating heart at the Franklin Institute is a rite of passage for local school kids. Stay for the rotating exhibitions and fun hands-on activities that explore space, physics, technology, and electricity — the museum was named in honor of Benjamin Franklin, after all.

Stroll Around Rittenhouse Square

Even if you don’t make it to the weekly Saturday farmer’s market, make time to walk around Rittenhouse Square to take in public art like the Giant Frog sculpture, or sip a latte from nearby Vibrant Coffee Roasters. A green oasis in the heart of Center City, Rittenhouse is one of the five squares city William Penn planned when he first mapped out the city in the late 17th century.

Eat Your Way Through the Italian Market

For more than a century, South Philadelphia’s 9th Street Italian Market has been an enclave for produce stands and Italian specialty food shops, but in more recent decades, the corridor has welcomed a wide range of destination-worthy restaurants. Duck into DiBruno Bros. to sample cheeses and other Italian provisions, and Isgro to pick up some freshly-filled ricotta cannoli. Then feast on tacos at Blue Corn or South Philly Barbacoa.

Have Happy Hour with a View at Bok Bar

This high-school-turned-office-space is usually bustling with makers and artists, and it’s home to a great 8th-floor outdoor bar. Visit Bok Bar for happy hour so you can watch the sun set on South Philly while enjoying a spritz and snacks from a rotating list of local chefs.

Marvel at the Mosaics of Magic Gardens

Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens was painstakingly pieced together by artist Isaiah Zagar starting in 1991. Walk through the indoor/outdoor art installation to see how Zagar used handmade mosaics and found objects like bottles and bicycles wheels to indeed make magic. If you have kids in tow, pick up a scavenger hunt sheet for them to tackle.

Experience Philly’s Fiery Culinary Scene

You’ve probably already heard about the city’s booming food scene, but there are some restaurants in Philly that feel like they couldn’t exist anywhere else. Visit one — Kalaya Thai Kitchen, Her Place Supper Club, Mawn Cambodian Noodle House, Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate’s Honeysuckle Provisions, Mish Mish — to see what all the fuss is about.

See Larger-Than-Life Art

Philly is home to more than 4,000 murals, making it the (unofficial) mural capital of the world. It’s easy to find these larger-than-life works splashed on buildings all over town, but to learn more about a few of them, book a tour with the organization responsible for all these grand works, Mural Arts.

Examine Albert Einstein’s Brain at The Mütter Museum

A one-of-a-kind institution highlighting science and medical history, The Mütter Museum is home to a staggering collection of artifacts, including a cast of conjoined twins Chang and Eng (it was made when their autopsy was performed here after their death in 1874), a piece of Albert Einstein’s brain, and Marie Curie’s electrometer.

See Where George Washington Slept

Visitors to the Museum of the American Revolution will take a deep dive into the nation’s Revolutionary Period via immersive displays, art, and artifacts — including personal diaries and George Washington’s war tent.

Watch a Show in a Historic Theater

At the Academy of Music, you can see a ballet or comedy show, or a touring Broadway production — this is the oldest opera house in the country (it still stages operas), and the same theater where opera singer Marian Anderson sang and Tchaikovsky once conducted an orchestra. For a kid-friendly show, head to Walnut Street Theatre for productions like Disney’s Frozen.

Devour a Cheesesteak

You now know that cheesesteaks aren’t Philly’s only culinary claim to fame, and yet we admit that no visit is complete without having one. Find some of the best at John’s Roast Pork, Angelo’s, Saad’s Halal, and Mike’s BBQ. For a vegan version, you can’t beat Tattooed Mom.

Drink a Milk Tube at Human Robot

Opened in 2020, Human Robot stands out as one of the city’s best breweries. Visit the Kensington tasting room or their new Rittenhouse outpost overlooking the Schuylkill River, and at either location, order a milk tube. Rooted in Czechian history, chugging the foamy pour is a new rite of passage in the Philly craft beer community.

Catch a Ballgame

Philadelphia sports fans are known to be a passionate bunch. Channel the home team spirit at Citizens Bank Park for a Phillies baseball game, high-five Gritty at a Flyers game, or chant ‘Go Birds!’ among a sea of Eagles fans at the Linc, aka Lincoln Financial Field.

Opt Outside at Fairmount Park

Fairmount Park is much more than an urban green space. The 2,000-plus-acre park spans both the east and west side of the Schuylkill River and encompasses myriad walking paths and gardens, miles of waterfront biking trails, plus the Please Touch children’s museum, Boathouse Row, Shofuso Japanese House and Garden, and the Philadelphia Zoo. Parents of small kids should also check out Smith Memorial Playground, home to a 100-year-old wooden slide.

Take a Break on the Delaware River Waterfront

On a sunny day, make your way to the Delaware River Waterfront. The century-old Cherry Street Pier has an ever-changing roster of performances, markets, and events, plus an open-air garden. Just north, the leafy Race Street Pier offers free yoga classes throughout the summer, all with views of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. And at Spruce Street Harbor Park you’ll find a floating bar, shipping containers selling tacos, burgers, and ice cream, and a grassy lawn dotted with hammocks and games.

Ride a Glass Elevator at Comcast Technology Center

There’s a lot going on in this skyscraper. There’s the lovely Four Seasons Philadelphia, with ground-floor restaurant Vernick Fish, chef Greg Vernick’s elevated ode to seafood. 60 floors up, you’ll find JG SkyHigh, an excellent spot for a cocktail with a view. The Norman Foster-designed space is spectacular, and so is the ride up inside a glass elevator.

Sample Local Spirits at a Speakeasy in Chinatown

There are plenty of places to sample Philly’s homegrown distilleries, including New Liberty Distillery, Manatawny Still Works, and Strivers’ Row, the micro-distillery making grain-to-glass, single malt whiskey and rum. Maybe the most fun, though, is at Hop Sing Laundromat, a moody, speakeasy-style bar in Chinatown mixing some of the best cocktails in the city.

Catch the Fountain Show at Franklin Square

Just north of Old City, Franklin Square is home to an antique carousel, Philly-themed mini golf, and, in the center of it all, a fountain that dates back to 1837. The square is home to events throughout the year, including the Chinese Lantern Festival, a luminous display of massive, silk-wrapped light installations available to enjoy every summer.

Visit a Roving Beer Garden

If you visit Philly anytime between May and October, seek out Parks on Tap. This one-of-a-kind beer garden migrates to a different city park each week, giving guests the chance to sip locally-brewed beers in a beautiful green space — from Clark Park in West Philly to Penn Treaty park in Fishtown — that they might not have experienced otherwise.

Snap a Selfie in Front of the LOVE Statue

This city has thousands of works of public art, but perhaps none more recognizable than Robert Indiana’s LOVE sculpture. Head to J.F.K. Plaza, more commonly called Love Park, to see it and snap a photo.

Taste Your Way Through the Southeast Asian Market

This is the place to drift around grills lined with crispy chicken wings and stalls selling fresh-pressed sugarcane juice or made-to-order papaya salad. Find the Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park, gather your preferred dishes, and set up a feast-like picnic.