The Kimmel Center has beautiful public space. I stopped in to wait for a friend. The atrium is…read morelarge and has seating with lots of natural light. It was a hot day but cool inside. I used the restroom which was very clean. A coffee shop/bar is in the lobby.

The large concert hall (Marian Anderson Hall) replacing the old Academy of Music. Parking is below,…read moreentrance on S. Broad St on the southbound side. The hall is HUGE, much larger than the old Academy. Orchestra floor level and 3 tiers. The top tier is very far away indeed. There is conductor's circle seating sometimes, behind the concert stage. But there is no speaker for announcements there, and the announcement plus the concert performer's talk at the end with a mic was completely muffled, echoed and inaudible. Suggestion to the management, put a speaker for the conductor's circle seating, please. It could be important for an emergency, let alone improving the concert experience. The seats on conductor's level have minimum under-thigh support or padding on the seat (like a stadium seat, more or less) so if you need a more comfortable seat, try a tier or the orchestra floor level. The lighting on stage flickered annoyingly --the spots were dimming and brightening. Can't imagine how delighted the pianist was with this. The upper level had no programs given out by the ushers. This was such a common occurrence that one of the concert-goers brought to her seat a few extra programs from the ground level and passed them around. She knew she wouldn't be getting them on her seat level. The ushers should have brought some bundles up with them but apparently they frequently do not. Since this was a rather complex concert (with six or so piano works strung together and played as a unit) the program was pretty important. We shared our program around. Plenty of elevators, to access the levels and parking--though some people were not aware that there was parking below the concert venue. Some of the elevators don't go down all the levels to parking, so pay attention. The side streets during rush hour are very crowded so plan your route to the parking carefully if you are not taking public transportation.

The Franklin Institute has finally been checked off our list! We'd wanted to get here for a while,…read morebut I wasn't sure how we'd do with my littles (five and under) , turns out we had a great time. We spent three hours there and the time flew by so fast. Honestly, you could easily make this an entire day; there's so much to see and engage with, and I love that it's educational too. If you're on the fence about going, let this be your sign. Plus, right now they have Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition going on, and that's definitely worth checking out as well , it runs through September 7, 2026, and it's included with general admission. What Else We Explored * SportsZone * Body Odyssey (home of the Giant Heart) * Your Brain * The Train Factory * Sir Isaac's Loft * Amazing Machine * Changing Earth * Space Command * The Franklin Air Show By the three-hour mark we'd made it through nearly everything ,the only thing we didn't get to was the Fels Planetarium, so that's on the list for next time.

The science center named for a founding father famous for several notable scientific experiments…read morelives up to his legacy. There is so much to see in one day that one could spend the whole day there. We managed to arrive just in time for a show in the planetarium, which was beautiful with plenty of relaxing seats. This is just outside of the LEGO exhibit where visitors can explore building various things. Down the middle of the institute is a giant pendulum swinging and knocking over some pegs over the course of 24 hours. Other exhibits include space, engineering, body mechanics, etc. Plenty of things to observe and read about, but also many interactive exhibits making it fun for kids (of all ages). All of us enjoyed the giant human heart that you can walk through to explore the various ventricles and atria. Most memorable for me was watching Child #2, who sits still for nothing, be absolutely entranced by the live demonstration of a dissection of a cow's eyeball. He thought it was the coolest, and the guy giving the demo was very patient with all the kids who came up to ask questions afterwards. For anyone who likes Science, this is an absolutely fantastic place to come explore!

One of the prettiest areas in the city. Definitely worth driving down. You can easily get directly…read moreinto center city, or down toward Kelly Drive. It's worth parking and walking around for sure too!

I like Benjamin Franklin Parkway. If you've never been to Philadelphia before, I think it's a…read moremust-see. If you have time and weather permits, I recommend walking the parkway in its entirety. It's only about a mile long. Its two end points are major attractions: City Hall (technically, John F. Kennedy Plaza or Love Park: https://www.yelp.com/biz/love-park-philadelphia) and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (https://www.yelp.com/biz/philadelphia-museum-of-art-philadelphia). The Parkway is wide and scenic. It was modeled after the Champs-Elysees in Paris. Unlike the Champs-Elysees, however, Benjamin Franklin Parkway isn't lined with as many buildings, but instead more trees. Many parks and fountains are situated on the Parkway's path, from Love Park to Eakins Oval. Along with parks and fountains, there are several museums and other sights and attractions along the Parkway. They include the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Logan Circle (a.k.a. Logan Square), the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, the Franklin Institute, and the Rodin Museum. The latter is home to a historic statue, The Thinker. This part of town is officially known as the Parkway Museums District. If you're sightseeing in Philly for the first time, I suggest starting at City Hall (https://www.yelp.com/biz/city-hall-philadelphia). The midpoint of the Parkway is the aforementioned Logan Circle (https://www.yelp.com/biz/logan-circle-philadelphia-2), home of the beautiful Swann Memorial Fountain (https://www.yelp.com/biz/swann-memorial-fountain-philadelphia-2). The stretch of parkway between Logan Circle and the Philadelphia Museum of Art is lined with flags of countries from all over the world. Not every country is represented. According to the city's Parkway Council Foundation, the flags represented are those "with significant populations in Philadelphia" (http://www.parkwaymuseumsdistrictphiladelphia.org/About-the-Parkway/FAQs/25/#q5). Growing up, I was first introduced to Benjamin Franklin Parkway, unknowingly, through the Rocky movies. Rocky II (1979) in particular highlights the Parkway with Sylvester Stallone running with a bunch of kids around Swann Memorial Fountain (Logan Circle) and then up the Parkway, past The Thinker (Rodin Museum) and Washington Monument (Eakins Oval), and up the famous art museum steps: https://youtu.be/ABg0c_E7OOI?t=282. Fittingly, the steps are known as the Rocky Steps: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rocky-steps-philadelphia. These steps are probably the highlight of the Parkway for me. There's a great view of the parkway, fountains, and city from the top.

This was my first time at the National Liberty Museum and I thought it was a really great museum…read more We came w little kids who usually speed thru museums and even they really enjoyed this space. They loved the liberty bell replica and the man at the desk even rang it for us! (be prepared --it was loud!) The first floor had a section on assembly and a section on sports. Both were great and informative - and the sports section had the vince Lombardi trophy from Superbowl LII on display. The second floor had a section on heroes and it was my fave wing of the museum. I could have spent more time reading and learning about the brave people mentioned on this floor. It was very moving and the kids were into learning about the heroes too. There was also a wing on politics and it really focused on how we aren't as divided and as far apart as people think we are. It was quite thought provoking. Overall it's a really great museum and worth your time to visit.

A poignant museum, especially in today's political and cultural zeitgeist. It tackles free speech…read moreand other topics that some may find provocative, and I'm a huge fan of how boldly it approaches them. Inside, there's even a replica Liberty Bell you can actually touch--something you definitely can't do with the real one. It's also a quieter museum, so you can take photos without the rush and crowds you'd find at the official Liberty Bell site. They even have a famous Chulily chandelier on display. Clean, quiet, reflective, and well worth the visit.

If you're a history or literature buff, this is truly a hidden gem in New Jersey. I can't believe…read moreI'm the first person to review this place in four years! My 9-year-old son and I came here on a Saturday afternoon in November. They are only open for two hours, from 11-12 and 2-3. I called ahead and scheduled a tour for 2 o'clock. There is only street parking available, but we were able to park directly outside and pay at the meter. The tour starts in the house next door where you watch a ten minute video on Walt Whitman's life, then you go next door to his house where they have painstakingly recreated most of the rooms based on old photographs. The tour includes his upstairs bedroom where he passed away, and finishes in the backyard. Our tourguide was very friendly and knowledgeable and humored my son's millions of questions, many of which were somewhat off topic ("do you think Walt Whitman could do a cartwheel?!" *does cartwheel in the backyard*). The best part is that the tour is completely free, though donations are of course accepted. After the tour we drove to the Harleigh Cemetery to see his gravesite, which is only a mile or two from his house.

Whitman's house is so full of history; visiting it was a great experience. There is a short film…read morethat sets the stage. Beyond that, the guide had interesting things to reveal in every room. I was especially intrigued by the bedroom, but I won't give the surprise away.

A fun Philly holiday activity! It's is nice to walk around and sit inside or outside of the lodge…read moreand grab a drink! Fun with your family or friends. I really liked that there were tons of heaters around so even though it was cold and windy with was not too bad even sitting outside. The one thing that did stress me out was the number of unattended children running around super close to the open fire pits. I was shocked they let kids so close without supervision, we watched a group of young kids setting marshmallows on fire and running g around and their parents were in one of the cabins quite far away unable to even see them. It seemed dangerous to allow. Other than that I had a great time! Please just watch your kids if you are bringing them.

We recently rented both the double cabin and a campfire for our family outing and had so much fun…read more There's a bunch of food to choose from so everyone is happy. The two little ones in our group were not able to rent the blue skate helpers since people rented them way ahead of schedule so you may want to rent yours ahead of schedule as well,

I'm not sure whether to rate the Philadelphia 76ers three stars ("OK") or four stars ("Good") on…read moreYelp. I'll go with four because the Sixers have won three NBA championships (1955, 1967, 1983) and in recent decades, they've made the playoffs - and won - more often than not. The Sixers' three titles are tied for sixth-most among the NBA's 30 teams. The team is tied with the Detroit Pistons (1989, 1990, 2004) and the Miami Heat (2006, 2012, 2013). When I think of the Sixers, the first thing I think of is Allen Iverson and the 2001 NBA Finals. The Sixers drafted "the Answer" with the first overall pick in the 1996 draft. Iverson played 12 seasons as a Sixer and racked up many achievements. He was the NBA regular season MVP for the 2000-01 season. He also led the league in scoring four times: 1998-99, 2000-01, 2001-02, and 2004-05. Unfortunately, the Sixers lost, 4-1, to the Shaq-Kobe Los Angeles Lakers in the 2001 Finals. The Sixers had quite the team then, with Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo, Sixth Man of the Year Aaron McKie, and Eric Snow as Iverson's top supporting cast. Raja Bell came off the bench to defend Kobe. Georgia Tech alum Matt Geiger contributed off the bench as well. Larry Brown won NBA Coach of the Year that year (2001). I'm not old enough to remember the Sixers' heyday in the early 80s with Moses Malone, Andrew Toney, "Dr. J" Julius Erving, Maurice Cheeks, and Bobby Jones. That team swept, 4-0, a Lakers team that featured Kareem Adbul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, and was coached by Pat Riley. After the ABA-NBA merger prior to the 1976-77 season, Dr. J spent his entire NBA career in Philly (11 years). Dr. J's Sixers career overlapped with Charles Barkley's when the Sixers drafted "the Round Mound of Rebound" with the fifth overall pick in 1984. Dr. J retired after the 1986-87 season. Barkley was traded to the Phoenix Suns during the offseason in 1992. Post-Iverson, the Sixers have mostly been unmemorable. The team had two Rookies of the Year in a five-year span: Michael Carter-Williams in 2014 and Ben Simmons in 2018. The Sixers drafted Carter-Williams with the 11th overall pick in 2013 and Simmons with the first overall pick in 2016. Both players dealt with various injuries and didn't last long in Philly, with Carter-Williams being traded away in just his second season and Simmons in what should have been his fifth season. Simmons never played his true rookie season (2016-17) due to injury and he was a holdout during the 2021-22 season. Good luck to the Brooklyn Nets with Simmons. Joel Embiid, who was drafted by the Sixers with the third overall pick in 2014, is the best Sixers player of the last 10 years. However, even Embiid has been sidelined for many games due to various injuries. Now while Simmons missed what would have been his first season, Embiid missed what would have been his first *two* seasons (2014-15 and 2015-16). Embiid has yet to play more than 68 games in a single season. Despite that, he's earned numerous accolades including 2023 MVP (first Sixer to win the MVP award since Iverson in 2001), seven All-Star selections, and two scoring titles (2022, 2023). In terms of durability, I have to mention Andre Iguodala who was a very durable player for the Sixers. Iguodala was drafted by the Sixers with the ninth overall pick in 2004. He started all 82 games in five different seasons, including one season when he averaged almost 40 minutes per game. That sounds unheard of in today's NBA with "load management." They don't make players like they used to. Much respect to Iguodala in that regard. After being named an All-Star in his final season in Philly (2011-12), he went on to win four championships with the Golden State Warriors. He was an integral bench player for the Warriors. Finally, I have to give a shout-out to another Georgia Tech alum who played for the Sixers -- Thaddeus Young, who the Sixers drafted with the 12th overall pick in 2007. While he never developed into an All-Star, Thad had seven solid, productive seasons for the Sixers. His best NBA seasons arguably came in his last two years in Philly when he averaged highs in points (17.9), steals (2.1), and minutes (34.6) per game. Thad is one of only five players from the 2007 NBA Draft Class that is still playing in the NBA today: https://x.com/NBA/status/1795891978225279255

food great seat good service good row 6 has a goated view of the game popcorn is goatedread more

Climbing the famous "Rocky Steps" in Philly's 93-degree heat made me feel I'd really accomplished…read moresomething when I reached the top. My reward -- a leisurely browse through the air-conditioned Philadelphia Art Museum. Augustus Saint-Gaudens' towering "Diana" sculpture welcomed me, then I gravitated towards familiar favorites: "Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen" by Degas, & Impressionist paintings; Rothko's "Orange, Red, Yellow"; & Diego Rivera murals. During my visit, Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" were temporarily on display, which are a treat to behold, as well as "Rising Up," an exhibit dedicated to boxing in the US & our fascination with the Rocky statue & steps here at the museum. Though the front of the building is iconic, there's a rideshare pick-up/drop-off point at the back West Entrance that's less congested with traffic & requires less walking for those not keen on a 72-step climb.

Nice museum to see a bunch of paintings and history. The prices are $30 for an adult, $28 for a…read moresenior (65+ years old), $14 for a student with valid ID, and $0 for those 18 years old and younger. The fountain out front was turned off. Inside is a ton of American history. Also, Japanese art, European art, and well pretty much art all around the world. Oh, and I love all of the Japanese samurai stuff. It's so cool seeing the armor warriors wore way back in the day when going into battle. Claude Monet, Picasso, Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, amongst plenty of other famous artists have paintings here. We probably spent 90 minutes to 2 hours in here. That was enough for us. A fun way to start your morning.