I had no idea how special this experience was until I finally took the tour, and wow it completely…read morechanged the way I see the city. Id noticed the murals before just passing by, but seeing them as part of a curated journey gives everything so much more meaning. The guide helped point out details I never would've caught on my own, and it added a whole new layer of appreciation. The artwork is powerful, full of emotion, and spread across the city in a way that makes the whole place feel like an open-air gallery. It celebrates the personality of the neighborhoods and captures stories that stay with you long after you're done. What really stood out to me was how much heart is behind each piece. You can feel the intention, the humor, the honesty, and the love woven into every message along the route. It turns a familiar ride into something unexpectedly uplifting. I left feeling inspired and genuinely connected to the city in a new way. Highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to see a different, more meaningful side of Philly.

I love this. They had an initiative in the early 2000s to have graffiti art just work on art…read moreprojects as part of their community service. I believe this project is part of that circle was to have about 2OOO murals up by the mid-late OOs. By the time that happened they were way more than enough it's always nice to see free art as welll.

This is one of the coolest holiday light displays ever!! The family really goes all out!…read more The home is DRIPPING in lights, Clark is out front, as is the 1989 Ford Taurus family station wagon complete with the oversized Christmas tree they plucked right from the ground, roots and all! There's even the 1984 Chicago cop car with flashing lights! Of course, this scene wouldn't be complete without crazy Cousin Eddy and his RV!!! This is THEE coolest! He looks JUST like him and waves too! It's kind of unreal! The characters are actually made of latex and have been commissioned from an artist in California The family who owns the house, The Harbaughs', seem like the absolute sweetest! Their goal each of the past three years they've decorated is to fill the RV with Toys For Tots! The toys will specifically be given to the children at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, so if you visit, definitely bring one or a few! They don't need to be wrapped! There is also a donation box! Please give! The first year they collected donations they accumulated more than 4,000 toys! Last year that total topped out at 9,000 toys!! Cops are patrolling the street and directing traffic so it wasn't crazy at all! You can surely drive-by in your vehicle or if you feel safe, there's a cul-de-sac right behind the house with a clearly marked path! Usually, you can get up close and take photos IN the set but this year because of Covid there is a barrier. This infamous house, which gets lit on Thanksgiving and stays that way until New Years Day has gained much buzz! Even Clark, played by Chevy Chase, and Ellen, played by Beverly D'Angelo, sent the family a video shout out! Way cool! By the way, you're totally going to want to go home and rewatch this classic again! .

There's so much cool stuff within the city limits that I've committed to trying to explore…read moresomething new (to me) every week. Recently that meant exploring the trolley trails in west Fairmount Park and finding the stone spiral arch bridge. In the early 1900s, a scene trolley took people through the woods. Nature has reclaimed the trolley paths, but in recent years they have been converted into miles of hiking trails. It's not crowded--I only saw 4 other people, mountain bikers, on my visit. It's a great place to explore. It's shaded so the walk was cool. It's pretty level so the hike is easy. And if you know where to go, you can find this beautiful bridge that looks like a brick spiral. The years have taken a toll, so I wonder how much longer we'll get to enjoy it. It's cool to think that in the past so much work was put into creating a beautiful structure that really just needed to serve a simple function. Don't have time for a long hike? You can get to the bridge quickly by entering the trail from Chamounix Mansion. Park by the equestrian building and head in. It's probably less than a 1/2 mile walk to the bridge.

I'm one of those weird Aquarius people who like to explore abandoned buildings, and ancient sites,…read moreso I had to check out Stone Arch Bridge! It is an old bridge that leads to nowhere because it is no longer being used. It is surrounded by a forest, and kind of hard to find. The best way to find it is to stay at Chamounix Mansion, and follow the trail behind the trees. It's worth checking out if you like to post on Instagram, and finding hidden gems that are off the beaten path.

Good photo spot me and my boyfriend had a great time only thing is wish it stayed on 24 hrs because…read moresome days if I go it's not on

An Instagram worthy quick place to check out if you're in the Passyunk, Termini's Bakery,…read morePats/Genos area. A neon sign art installation on the side of a building, located down a deteriorated alleyway. Go after dark for the full effect, and get your camera ready to snap away! Park nearby on Passyunk, Reed or 9th streets and then walk down Percy Street. You only really need 5 or 10 minutes here, so swing by next time you're in the area!

Amazing artwork you can visit for free. It's in the Curtis Building and is a stunning mosaic of…read moreTiffany glass. The shading and lighting are stunning.

It's a Maxfield Parrish mural made of Tiffany glass, commissioned by the Curtis Publishing Co for…read moreits then-new building. It's an impressive piece of public art and is over 100 years old. It's worth stopping to admire it if you are in the area. The staff understands why you're here; as we peeked through the windows one evening, security waved us in to get a closer look. Years ago, when I worked nearby, I'd stop in for a moment of calm on my lunch hour. It's a soothing, romantic image and truly an historic art treasure in the city.

This hidden gem is the perfect place to pretend you're a model or a photographer. A great, albeit…read moredirty, place to snap some cool pictures. It's also a solid place to set up and fish or to get up to some general mischief. This based on the three types of people I saw in my visit here: photographers, fishermen, and shirtless parkour-ing teens. My best advice is to wear closed toed footwear. This place is littered with broken glass and other assorted garbage. I wore flip flops, and while I managed to avoid injury, my feet were stained with a layer of black dirt. It's kind of a sketchy area of town, but it's worth a visit to up your insta game.

The best view of the city is from here…read more It has come a long way in the past few years as volunteers have installed trashcans and cleaned up a lot of the trash that has been dumped here. Be mindful and whatever you bring, carry it out. I bring my two large dogs back here on walks to the end of the pier for the amazing view that shows the mix of nature taking over old industry against the new industry - the skyline of Philadelphia. Usually, you will see other urban explorers, fishermen, photographers, and artists. But be cautious, last time I was here kids were playing with dynamite and people have been mugged here. Just be smart and pay attention.

Climbing fifty stories isn't too bad…read more You don't have to be in tip-top shape to participate in this event, but it's probably a good idea to practice beforehand. In any case, it doesn't take too long to do all fifty floors. Most folks finished in less than ten minutes. There was quite a crowd; we even saw Mayor Nutter. All proceeds benefit the American Lung Association. Can't wait for 2011's Stair Climb!

Visited this neat geyser on the side of the road on my way to Hershey park. Not much in the area as…read moreit's located in the side of the road/across from someone's house. There is a space to pull over on the side of the road. Didn't smell too much like sulphur until up close

Let's clear one myth out of the way. This is not an actual geyser. I mean sure it's called that,…read morebut in reality it's not. I think overall though, the name works better than calling it a man made air ventilation hole that excess ground water now escapes from under high pressure from a long vacant mine. Why Big Mine Run? Was the mine big? Did it have the runs? I don't know but it could also simply be the name of the street it's located on so over time the name just stuck. Either way this geyser serves a purpose as without it the underground water would have nowhere to escape to except into local homeowners basements. If you're coming, know that now, in summer, is not the best time. Ideally you're looking for early to mid-spring when there has been a good combination of snow melt and some recent rain. During our visit in April the water was a solid 6-7 feet in the air. After a long dry spell you may not get much past some gurgling. Speaking of air, note that it does indeed stink by the geyser. That luscious sexy rotten egg scent is Sulphur from all of the mineral runoff. It's not bad then every so often the water will surge a bit and like Old Aunt Dinah Flo after $40 of Taco Bell, Wham!, it stinks. One last obvious one is that at the end of the day this is not a tourist attraction. This is not a place to leave garbage just like there is no parking here for a reason and that reason is I'm pretty sure the geyser is on private property. If you take a look on Google or Trip Advisor that of course doesn't mean anything to a lot of dipshits out there. Be decent. Pull over, stay in the car and take your pictures/video and leave it at that. Obviously this is not a destination stop by itself. This is at best a 5-10 minute junket which can easily be coupled with a visit to Centralia, Knoebels, Yuengling or the Pioneer Coal Mine. But if you love a good roadside oddity/curiosity and are in the area, this one is a must see and is worth the brief detour.

Probably one of the oddest and most unique places I have visited. The lore around Centralia is…read morestuff of legends. Many a show and documentary about abandoned places will mention this town. Even so far as a video game and movie using the premise. The history part of this. Centralia started out as Native American land sold to settlers around 1749. Reading Road was being developed and came through this area causing the land to be surveyed and ultimately developed. A few land swaps later and with the discovery of anthracite coal nearby a village started to pop up. Mining started in 1856 and continued for decades, up until the 1960s. While mining declined, and the population of the town, Centralia continued on. There are differing accounts on when and how the mine caught fire, but most people agree it was during the town dump clean up prior to the Memorial Day celebrations in 1962. Long story short, the fire department set the dump on fire to clean it up and this caught a coal seam as well. Over the years the signs that there was a problem went unnoticed until about 1979. At a gas station where they found the tank holding the gasoline was extremely hot. In 1981 a 12-year-old boy fell into a sinkhole because of the fire. In 1983 the U.S. Congress offered a buyout and nearly all the residence moved out, 500 structures were demolished. By 1990 only 63 people remained. In 1992, eminent domain came into play, condemning the remaining buildings. Legal suits followed, failed, by 2010 only five homes remained. Side note: nearby Byrnesville was also abandoned due to the underground mine fire. The fire continues to this day. Those five people remained after another lawsuit. Claiming the fire had moved on from underneath the town and the air quality had improved to levels o other nearby towns. My visit here was kind of quick. In order to get here I put in the only church left, otherwise I would have bypassed this area completely. But I am persistent and I knew I would find the area. It is interesting, and what an understatement that is. Knowing what happened here, that this used to be a vibrant small town like so many others in the area. Full of shops, houses, government buildings, and schools. But when you drive through here on the broken grid that once ferried numerous vehicles it feels different, you just get this feeling of unease. Not because there is only five houses, one church, a municipal building, and a handful of cemeteries. But because all movies about abandoned places tell you to get gone. But not me, I decided why not just keep going on the grid. That is until I came upon a dead end street (no pun intended there). This dead end literally lead into the woods. See the pictures attached to this, the one where it says "Stay out of the woods, there is more there than you think." That made the hair on the back of neck stand up. While I tried to turn around on the road I felt like I was being watched. Maybe it was subconscious but I made my way back towards the main roads. With that, let's segway into the next topic. Be aware of your surroundings. Not just for your own safety, but because there are still people living here. Also, there might be other vehicles on the broken street grid. Besides the broken street grid there are several reminders that a full town existed here. The cemeteries obviously, but the remnants of sidewalks, fences and retaining walls. You can obviously see where the school once stood as it is kind of obvious with that retaining wall taking up a whole block. On the outskirts you can see where the highway ended. Like I said, if you did not know that a town once existed here, you would fly by the area in your vehicle as if nothing mattered. You might even think to yourself that this would be a nice place for a town.

Abandoned town and tourist attraction are not words that usually go together but that's what has…read morebeen going on for the past few decades in the town formally known as Centralia. For the people that don't know the history I'm not going to go over it because I assume if you're looking at a listing for this place you probably have some idea of the backstory and if not, there are more than enough websites, blogs and videos out there that explain what has gone on here over the past 60 years. If you go, understand that this is not a destination stop because there is not a lot to see. Maybe a brief stop on the way to/from somewhere else like Knoebels, Yuengling or the Pioneer Coal Mine for example. What are you going to see? It's basically the three cemeteries and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church (Mass is Sunday at 11am - if you attempt to worship there you will be welcomed but they also very much know who is an outsider and who is a regular) and not much else. The few houses that remain are occupied by the last of the remaining residents. IME, no, they don't want to be bothered and no they don't want to talk with the tourists. Lots of dumped garbage and overgrown weeds/foliage. On weekends there will always be other people driving/walking/dirt biking/ATVing/off-roading the same as you looking for ?? whatever people come to Centralia for. The main prior "attraction" of the Graffiti Highway has been mostly covered over with dirt mounds for a few years yet when we were walking around during our visit we ran into two other groups near Odd Fellows Cemetery that had no idea and were looking to ATV on it. Good luck with that. I've seen other sites and reviews referencing that at this point in time there is no more smoke to be seen and that's not true in the least. Before coming here we stopped at the Pioneer Coal Mine in Ashland and our guide said that's an urban legend that is told to dissuade visitors. He told us that if you come during winter or on cold days you will definitely see smoke somewhere if you spend a few minutes driving around. Sure enough as we were driving down Big Mine Run Road we saw a few plumes of smoke coming up from the hillside not terribly far from the back of Odd Fellows. There is no goon squad up there telling people they can't wander around but at the same time I think the legend obviously is greater than the reality. It's worth a visit to say that you've been and that you've seen it but I think it's best to just leave well enough alone and have your expectations in check or else you might be disappointed that whatever you think is here, isn't really here.