The Ben Franklin Parkway: Museums and the Rocky Steps

Sometime at the end of the 19th century, the city fathers in Philly decided to cut a swath of road starting from city hall and extending to a reservoir that was on the edge of Fairmount Park. They eventually lined it with museums and designed it on a scale befitting the Place de la Concorde-- and now we call it the Benjamin Franklin Parkway! The Philadelphia Museum of Art is now at the far end (built on top of the empty reservoir) and is an icon of the city. Even its stairs are famous, and I bet that there may be an adventurous soul among you that would like to run up them and do the famous Rocky pose at the top-- with both hands held up in victorious celebration! Eye of the tiger!

Let's see... along the Parkway we've got the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Franklin Institute Science Museum (and their King Tut exhibition), The Rodin Museum, The Academy of Natural Sciences,and Logan Sqaure (also known as Logan Circle).

Not far from the Parkway you can find Eastern State Penitentiary (which I love) and the Please Touch Museum (which is really only fun if you're a little kid, or if you're with one).

The Parkway also has a bit of sculpture that's fun to see. Between 21st and 22nd on the southern side of the Parkway you'll see several stabiles by Alexander Calder. Then there's the famous Washington Monument in front of the Art Museum (not like the big obelisk in DC-- the one in Philly is sort of a menagerie of Gen. Washington, bison, moose, people, etc). On a pretty day, it's an excellent walk.

I love the art museum, anyway, so I'd say if you're going there from the convention center area, or vice versa, why not walk? The Phlash, I believe, also drives along the parkway, so that could be a nice way to catch a glimpse of it, too.

The Phlash

A great thing for tourists in Philadelphia is the Philly PHLASH. These trolleys/buses (see the photo on the linked webpage) are super handy if you're trying to get from one attraction to another, and at $1 per ride or $4 for the whole day, they are very affordable. Unlike the buses and subways, which go mostly in straight lines, the Phlash winds around the city on a loop and stops at lots of hubs of activity. The only constraint is time-- service starts at 10am and ends at 6pm, which pretty much covers you if you're just going to museums and stuff, but if you go down to Old City for dinner, the Phlash won't be there to take you back-- you'll have to catch the subway, a bus, or a cab. So just remember to plan ahead!

If you're going to ride, make sure you get a route map (they usually have copies on the bus itself) so that you can find the stop nearest you when you're ready to hop back on. You can also print it out ahead of time using this route map pdf.

Your Hotel: The Sheraton

For everyone staying at The Sheraton in University City, I think you lucked out! Not only are you about one block away from both a subway (34th and Market) AND a trolley (36th and Sansom) into Center City (if you're feeling adventurous), but there's always a line of cabs waiting patiently outside the front door for anyone who needs one. And the big bonus-- your hotel is caddycorner to a WAWA (36th and Chestnut)!

Wawa (a Native American name for the Canada Goose--you'll see the goose in their logo) is a local dairy/convenience store chain that you'll want to know about. They have drinks, coffee, and snacks if you're in a pinch, but most importantly, their ATM's are FREE. I know most people don't worry about cash anymore-- and it's most likely your own bank will still charge you a fee-- but if you want to avoid the $2 that most ATM's charge up front, find a WAWA and get your money there. They're all over the city. Also, they're open 24 hours-- which was great for me as an undergrad.

Speaking of undergrads, since you'll be in University City in the summer, you won't have to deal with students! Well, some summer students will be there... but I must say, my favorite times at Penn were during the summer, when a kind of sleepy peacefulness settled over campus. I hope you take a little time--maybe an afternoon if you have it-- to explore the area around your hotel a bit, because it has some wonderful attractions that are guaranteed to be less crowded and crazy than the tourist swamps of Center City.

Here's a list of things within a short SHORT walking distance of where you are-- don't be too overwhelmed-- I'll do posts on each of them:

WAWA -- REMEMBER: FREE ATM'S! 36th and Chestnut. 24 hours! They sell ice cream! Coffee! Tastykakes (if you're into sweets!)

Sansom Row shops and the White Dog Cafe-- 1/2 block south of the hotel-- walk south on 36th St and turn left on Sansom OR walk south on 34th and turn right on Sansom. I love the White Dog Cafe Bar Menu--try eating outside, too!

The ICA: Institute of Contemporary Art -- 36th and Sansom-- west side of the street

University of Pennsylvania Bookstore and various shops: 36th and Walnut (2 blocks south of the hotel)

Starbucks (if you feel like going to a chain): 34th and Walnut (2 blocks south of the hotel)

Penn Campus-- "The Green": Walk down 34th or 36th-- cross Walnut. You will be on the main campus area of Penn. You'll start to see the big green lawn areas dotted with trees and crossed with paths. If you stroll around a little there's lots of cool architecture and public sculpture to see. The neo-Gothic Fine Arts Library is a must see for any architecture enthusiast-- more on that later.

The Univ. of Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology-- perhaps one of the most under appreciated museums in the city. It's architecture and collections are awesome, and you don't have to spend all day to see it. And it only costs $8 to get in-- cheap compared to the bigger Museums-- with a reduced admission on Sundays.

Check out my other posts on these (coming soon), or take a look at their websites!