The center city tour was great! Sandi was great!! We've been center city locals for five years and we wanted to learn about the murals around us. We hit a bunch of murals in 1.5 hours, and some of them I'd never seen! 10/10 tour service. 10/10 selection of tours. Reasonable cost for the tour. We'll be doing more! read more

Among other things, Philadelphia is a city of public art. I could not help but spot sculptures and statues here and there, but it was this particular mural - six stories tall - that really drove it home. There have been plans for an office/mixed use tower in the parking lot that faces this mural but for now, we have the opportunity to take it in entirely. Wow, there's some detail here and a story. If you're passing near, I suggest you stop and check this one out near 150 North Broad Street. [Review 18311 overall - 603 in Pennsylvania - 1833 of 2022.] read more

Mural Arts Philadelphia - Mural Arts Philadelphia, 150 N Broad St - Art Galleries Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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One of the first things I noticed on my first trip to Philadelphia was how amazing their public art is. That always stuck with me. Some research led me to discover that Mural Arts Philadelphia can be thanked for most (if not?) all this meaningful community artwork. At a later time, I found out that Mural Arts offers walking tours. I probably wouldn't do it during COVID for personal reasons, but the next time I'm in Philadelphia, I totally will. Thank you, Mural Arts Philadelphia for the work you do arranging such beautiful, meaningful, bright and interesting public art throughout the city. From their website: "With a robust portfolio of 50-100 public art projects each year and ongoing core programs in education, restorative justice, mental health, and public art and civic engagement, Mural Arts' work and the incredible resulting outdoor gallery are an inseparable, iconic part of the city's civic landscape." Thank you, Mural Arts for all the work you do recognizing how important public art is to a city. You're doing a stellar job beautifying Philadelphia and I look forward to taking one of your tours in the future! read more

Mural Arts Philadelphia - Art Galleries Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I love street art and was very excited to learn that there was a mural tour in Philadelphia. Our guide was very knowledgeable and it was interesting to have the back stories and specifics of murals pointed out to us. I definitely saw some that I wouldn't have found on my own. While I enjoyed the stories, I probably would've enjoyed it more if they were a little bit shorter and we got a couple more murals, but that's just my personal opinion. read more

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Great service. Great vibes. the BEST art! You definitely will not be disappointed! Multiple locations. Traveling tattoo artist. What more could you ask for?! read more

After a day of extensive walking, we decided to book the trolly tour to give ourselves a little break. We were the only ones who weren't senior citizens, and we felt the tour catered to that population. We were hoping that we would be getting outside of the trolly to view the murals, but we only were able to do that once during the entire tour. I don't know if that was due to time limits or the fact that we ventured into some pretty sketchy neighborhoods. Unfortunately, due to staying in the trolly, we had mostly partially obstructed views of the murals. Additionally, while our tour guide was full of interesting tidbits of information, most of it was delivered a minute after we had already passed the mural. Imagine: "Oh and we just passed xxxx, painted by xxxx". Not very helpful at that point. This tour got old pretty quickly. I'm guessing most of the able-bodied persons opt for the self guided walking tour. I would do that if I were to do another mural tour in Philly. read more

I love tours offered by mural arts Philadelphia. Got recommended from lonely planets the travel book. We did two tours so far, the love letter train tour and the mural mile walking tour. We especially like the love letter tour: the tour guide is really knowledgeable, and everything was very organized, we hopped on and off the train in a group but no one got left behind! Who'd notice all those cool murals and the stories behind them even if you take the trains daily? The mural mile walking tour was pretty good as well, we got to see a lot of the murals hidden on 13th street, and my favorite mural is actually a pretty low-key mural by Connery House, a shelter for homeless people. It looks dirty and the color seems faded, but it is actually collaged of thousands of weaving products handmade by homeless people. And on the side are some real pictures of the process they learn how to weave. The whole mural feels so subtle, you would not notice anything when walking past the front, just like the way we walk past homeless people on the street. Overall, a nice and special way to spend 2 hours in Philly, tour is 23 dollars per person and some money goes into the program. Who wouldn't want to see more cool murals in the city! read more

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Well.... I am super impressed. I try to learn something when I travel and going to Parents Weekend at Drexel did not disappoint. Drexel arranged a quick tour of West Philly to see the work that has been by this group and it was remarkable! read more

Have done the Ale & Arts tour and the North trolley tour. Both were worth taking a couple hours of time to do whether you're visiting the city or have lived here for years. Would say both tours included more area residents than visitors. These murals really do make the city unique, are a great expression of certain neighborhoods and have a healing effect to the underprivileged that those not in similar positions should be aware of. Ale & Arts was a nice way to see some murals you walk past every day, get a good intro to the program in a relaxed setting. Guide was a bit disorganized with the whole thing, his explanations but we figured it out. Worth a try for sure. The North trolley tour showed a wider range of murals in North Philly which as I understand is the epicenter of the mural world. Guide did a good job explaining everything, even though she was a huge b*tch to the bus driver. We ventured into some realllly sketchy neighborhoods (think people yelling at our open-air bus "I know you ain't tourin' the hood, ain't nothin' to see here" or "Helloooo white people!") but...yeah it's part of the experience I guess. read more

TLDR: Rich murals, see less touristy parts of city, download audio tour if you can, free (good for poor students, etc.), end at Magical Gardens recommended -- enjoy! Walking the Mural Mile (path on website) is a great (free!) way to explore the city on foot while enjoying the many murals it has to offer. The route took us to less touristy areas (just what we like) which were lovely in the fall. The murals were all so rich in color and symbolism, offering a great texture to the art that nicely complements the spirit of the city. The website offers an audio tour download that we didn't do (poor planning), but it sounds like a great way to get background information on the splendid pieces we saw. Some sites offer a phone number to call for information, but it didn't go through for us. You can still enjoy the murals without the extra info, though. After the mile, we ended by visiting the Magical Gardens (South Street, between 10th &11th) -- a spectacular end to an art-filled day. read more

Amazing program. I went on a tour of the murals with my room mate and not only had a blast, but got to see an awesome peek into the birth and life of the Mural Arts Program. It is so inspiring to know that people are working hard to make sure art is accessible to everyone. It often gets left behind and cut first from budgets but the Mural Arts Program thrives as the nations largest art initiative of it's kind. 3,000 murals in 25 years--- What an incredible piece of Philadelphia history. Keep going! read more

Was in Philly and did the Love Tour.... so awesome! It was great because I got to see awesome murals done by a person who grew up in the city. The number of murals is a little overwhelming but that's a good thing. I also saw parts of Philly that I otherwise would not have ventured into on my own. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars is because everything I read prior to going on the tour made me think I'd get to see a specific set of murals and in actuality there are many that are impossible to see from the tour route because they pass by so quickly in different directions when you're on the train. Overall great experience and I would highly suggest it to both locals and visitors. Our tour guide was awesome and very informative as well! I'd suggest that they make a book of the Love Tour Murals because I'd buy it. read more

Loved the love letter tour! not lucky enough to get there on valentines day but still great. I HIGHLY recommend this tour for lovers and friends alike!! read more

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What a wonderful way to see the beautiful, cultural city that is Philadelphia!! I took the South Philly Mural tour along with some out of town visitors. Living in South Philly myself, this tour was a great way to learn about the murals that surround my life every week. The trolley driver was outstanding and our guide was equally fabulous with a wealth of knowledge. I have a friend coming into town in a few weeks and I hope I can catch a different tour with her. The only reason I gave the tour 4 stars is because the directions about obtaining our seats on the trolley was a bit confusing. After purchasing tickets online, the directions said to meet at the trolley. We met right at the trolley, and boarded and sat around for 5-10 minutes, when at the last minute the guide told us we had to go into the visitors center and obtain our tickets, even though they were prepaid and they had a list at the trolley. This made us feel rushed, because even though we were early for the tour, we had to run to the visitors center last minute which made us feel like we were holding up the group. Oh...and I got my first Philadelphia parking ticket on this tour..it was bound to happen eventually. Just be sure that you park with more than enough time to fully enjoy the tour and not worry about getting back to your parking spot. Even though the tour was only 2 hours, 3 hours on the parking meter was not enough time. So park in a garage or on a street where you do not have to feed a meter. ENJOY!! read more

We took the tour using an antique-type trolley and regretted it. Although our tour guide was very knowledgable, the trolley wasn't the proper vehicle to do it in, and the traffic was congested. These artworks are massive, and the bus windows are small and frustrating. Better to use an open air bus. Unfortunately for us, most of the murals were on the other side of the bus and we couldn't see a thing. If this is the type of vehicle they are using, you will be missing most of the murals. We might do it again with the walking tour. read more

Mural Arts Philadelphia - Hard seatbacks and can't see anything high thru small windows. - Art Galleries Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Great tour, great murals, great program. The Mural Arts Program of Philadelphia takes the mission of public art to the next level and really has made the worlds largest outdoor art gallery. Giving a voice to communities and peoples that didn't have one before, and beautifying Philly all at the same time. The tour really gave me a chance to see the history behind the program and it's mission, as well as many individual murals in depth. These things really are massive at times, and at an artistic level beyond any murals I've seen in other parts of the world. If your in philly visiting, or even a resident like me, skip the hokey colonial stuff in old city (it doesn't give the city justice) and get on a mural tour to really get a look at the living, breathing neighborhoods that make Philadelphia the great city it is. read more

Our family has a lot of fun helping out painting murals during the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program's community paint days at The Gallery. The staff are very helpful and both kids and adults seem to have a lot of fun. What they have are big pieces of fabric that hang on dividers that you paint with corresponding colors, like paint-by-number. In the past we helped out paint a restorative justice mural that explores the impact of imprisonment on families and another mural that was about fishing. This last Saturday we helped paint a polar bear that will be part of the mural that will adorn the new parking garage at the zoo. Also, for the first time, I would up painting....myself! I wound up adding some nice gray hues to the black sleeve of my sweater. I discovered this a few hours later but the paint came off easily with water. So don't worry, the whole process is idiot proof! read more

Mural Arts Philadelphia - To be part of the mural at the Philadelphia Zoo parking garage - Art Galleries Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I just took the West neighborhood tour and it was spectacular! Our guide was full of knowledge and spread a contagious calmness through the trolley while she offered up unique bits of manageable information on the murals. The highlight was when the whole trolley got off to see a gorgeous mural that featured the residents of the neighborhood - including the local barber, artists, children, grandparents and alternative rockers. I can't wait to take the other four tours the Mural Arts program offers. I'm glad I made my reservation in advance because the tour was sold out...I guess they are becoming VERY popular and it's a hard ticket to come by, so my advice is to go early or call them up and buy your ticket before the tour! read more

Great tour, would recommend it to anyone (you don't have to be an out-of-towner to enjoy this)! I've lived in the Philadelphia area all of my life and would have never learned of the stories behind the murals if it weren't for this tour. Jim O'Conner (I think) was an excellent tour guide--great personality and very knowledgeable. Keep up the good work Philadelphia Mural Arts Program! Cheers, Alex read more

I did the Ale & Arts walking tour and would highly recommend it. Our tour guide, Jim, was very knowledgeable and personable. This is not necessarily a touristy activity, since I live in Philly myself and really enjoyed learning more about my city (did you know there are over 3,000 murals here?). Oh, and the beer was great! read more

Went with a very large group on the trolley. Our tour guide came across un-prepared, even though she had notes. However, once she found her thoughts, her explanations were quite thorough. They offer a variety of tours, with various themes. Good stuff to do with native Philadelphians or out-of-town visitors. read more

Philadelphia is a city of murals - enjoy them on a fun mural arts tour. They have ones with themes such as food, love, beer - well it doesn't get much better.. Another great reason to LOVE the city of brotherly love! read more

This was the one thing I really wanted to do in Philly, and I'm so glad we booked it from the airport to the Independence Visitor Center to make catch the tour on time! Margaret was our tour guide on the Mural Mile Walk and she was fantastic. Very knowledgeable about the area and the art and friendly, yet kept us moving along. We went over the 1.5 hour time allotted, but we still saw every mural on the tour. I love how up close and personal the walking tour is...way better, in my opinion, than sitting on a trolley. A great way to experience the different neighborhoods of Philly, too. I would put the mural tour on your must-do list if you are ever in the area. read more

The Love Letter tour was a great part of my recent visit to Philadelphia. While the starting location (inside The Gallery) was hard to find, my guide was personable and engaging, and really knew a lot about not only the signs on the tour, but the history of the Mural Arts program. The signs on the Love Letter tour are gorgeous--but having the additional information about them from the guide really made for a great experience. I ended up being the only person on what is usually a popular & busy tour, and at first I thought it would be really weird, but it ended up being pleasant, engaging, and conversational. I was a little surprised that the tour still ran. I guess I would have thought that with one registrant, the program would have called me or something? But I'm really glad I took the tour--I learned a lot. I did go back up on the subway line afterwards to get some photographs of a few signs we missed the first time. If you take this tour in a large group, I would go in with the knowledge that you won't see everything. But the tour gave me a solid introduction, so when I went back for my photographs, I knew exactly what shots I wanted to capture. read more

I did the Philly Walking Mural Tour. I was amazed to learn Philly has over 3000 murals. I also learned about the type of murals and a little bit about the Artist. My tour guide was very informative and the walk was through the neighborhoods so that was an added bonus. I recommend this perspective in your visit to Philly or as a local. The art work was AMAZING and it was worth the price. I recommend taking water with you as it is a BRISK walk and you will need it. read more

I just took a tour of the Mural Mile with Tjai and it was awesome! We met at the Independence Visitors' Center and walked all over downtown looking at murals. Despite the incredible heat, Tijai made the tour fun and informative. She's both a tour guide and an artist, and very knowledgeable about mural techniques. I would definitely take another tour with this group! read more

Spend any amount of time in Philadephia and you'll notice the city is positively teeming with murals (I'm told there's over 3700 of them!). It's difficult to know or understand the stories behind them though unless you get right up close and listen. The mural arts program offers tours for those interested in hearing those stories. We opted for the walking tour, as we were worried we wouldn't be able to see enough on the trolley tour. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, however it was very difficult to hear her at times on the busy streets, so I wish she would try to speak up more. The stories were absolutely fascinating, and you can't help but appreciate how mural arts program doesn't just provide opportunities to artists, but also the underserved such as those that are incarcerated, homeless or developmentally disabled. I would highly recommend this tour to those interested in art, whether you love art for beauty, or art for meaning, you'll appreciate that each of the murals offer both! read more

A Philly highlight. Took the Love Train on Valentines Day + it was awesome.

Very unfriendly receptionist. Rough, abrupt and uninterested in anything I had to say.

My fiance and I took the mural arts Love tour in July. We take SEPTA everyday to and from work, but never noticed that the paintings on buildings we passed were actually beautiful pieces of art. Each one had a story and riding the El for fun was a great experience. Also worth noting was the make-up of our tour group- only 2 of the 15 people were from out of town so it was wonderful to know that Philadelphians are supporting the Arts in this way. The only downside for me was the heat- I recommend a Spring or Fall day for the tour. read more

Attended the Love Letters Train tour on a Sunday afternoon. I was really looking forward to this tour as the murals around Philly excite me. It was amazing to hear about the Mural Arts Program and their history. Our tour guide was very well informed of all that is needed to be known about mural arts and was knowledgeable about the tour. It was exciting to be taken outside of my "comfortable" zone in Philly and see other parts of the city and how murals have impacted the city as a whole. The murals were great to see and you are warned before the tour you might not be able to catch them all but you will still hear the history of them for future train rides. Only reason I am not giving it a 5 is because I would have loved to hear more about the history of the "Love Letters" series although I feel this was something I could have easily asked for further clarification read more

I went on the love letters tour ... very knowledgeable staff, would reccomend for valentines day if its offered.

This is such a unique aspect of Phila. If you are visiting Phila, dont miss learning about the murals all over the city. A Mural Arts tour is a great way to do this read more

I did the self guided walking tour in the fall with a friend. The map that's online was clear and gave us a good route. It covers only a small area of Center City and there are definitely some gorgeous murals outside that area, but the walking tour route starts you off with a lovely afternoon's stroll. The phone recordings are a bit lengthy (maybe 5 or more minutes each) and it would be nice if there was a shorter recording summarizing the key parts of the mural or its creation or themes or a brief writing on it instead. But I definitely recommend the walking tour for those interested in learning about a bunch of the murals rather than walking by them obliviously as I had previously. read more

I worked with Mural Arts to organize an Ales & Arts trolley tour for the local chapter of my alumni organization, and I have to say that this was one of the best things I have done in Philadelphia. We started at World Cafe Live, where we had unlimited Dock Street beer and Philly pretzels for a half hour, and then we boarded our own private trolley. Ryan, our tour guide, was young, fun, passionate, and very knowledgeable about the history of Philly graffiti and murals, the background of the Mural Arts Program, and each of the murals we saw. We drove through parts of West Philly I had never seen before, and got to look at some absolutely beautiful murals. Near the end, we stopped by Dock Street Brewery for a behind-the-scenes tour of their brewing process, led by the brewery owner herself, and tastes of a couple of their beers straight from the tanks. Then we headed back to World Cafe Live, where we were able to have another free beer. This was an unforgettable experience, and I look forward to taking a walking tour with the Mural Arts Program in the future! I highly recommend booking a private tour to anyone looking to introduce their group to another side of Philly. This is an incredible organization, and we're lucky to have them here! read more

my boyfriend has taken me on several of these tours and i've grown fond of the murals in the City. as a social worker and teacher there is so much more to these tours than meets the eye, it's incredible what goes on behind the scenes at this program and the good works they are doing. i will definitely go on other tours and will be making a donation to mural arts projects. read more

i moved to Philly 18 months and took the trolley tour last weekend. I was amazed how little i had seen of this city...the tour was funny, educational and the murals are beautiful but more than all of that, the tour gave me a greater appreciation of Philadelphia, both as an historic entity and as a cultural hotspot. Jim, the tour guide was truly excellent and Sonny at the tour desk was incredibly helpful and friendly. Good people, good day. Highly Recommended. read more

We took the Love Letter tour on Mother's Day...it was fabulous! About 50 murals, viewed from onboard (& some on train platforms) the elevated train (a.k.a. subway) with a trained guide who was an actual mural artist with the program. The murals tell a coherent story of a guy wanting to get back with his girlfriend, the murals are his text-message like letters to her - a cute, movie-worthy story, and nothing you could really figure out without the guide to guide you. For $17, including the train fare, we thought it was a bargain. We had also never used the subway in Philly before (we live in the suburbs) - and found that it was nice, even clean, as subways go, more so than New York City's. So it was a tour of the subway system in the bargain! ...Now we will also know/dare to use the subway in the future also! :-)) We'll take other Mural Arts tours in the future - such a great program to beautify a city and make it more interesting, aside from providing many community benefits. read more

I've been on several mural tours and I often recommend them to friends planning to visit Philadelphia. This tour had the added treat of lunch at the Fork. Having dined there in the past, I considered this to be a "must see" event. I was surprised to find a double decker bus instead of the usual trolley. That was not a wise choice for a hot, sunny day. Nevertheless, the tour was excellent. The tour guides were knowledgeable and the bus driver went over and beyond the call of duty to give us views of the murals. My review of the Fork is not as positive. The food was mediocre at best. read more

The trolley tour is superb! The guide, Jerry, is outstanding in the way he interconnects the specific murals themselves with historical anecdotes about the city and its citizenry. The tour blends an enjoyable art experience with a meaningful opportunity to appreciate Philadelphia's past, present, and future. read more