Must buy tickets ahead of time to visit

In this captivating space, art transcends traditional confines, inviting you to not merely observe but actively engage with the masterpieces that surround you. Each exhibit is a portal to a world where innovation and expression converge, giving life to dreams and sparking a symphony of endless possibilities. The immersive experience showcases over 100 artists, modelers, animators, creative technologists, fabricators, and more.

5 minute drive from Four Points by Sheraton Philadelphia Northeast

Beth Sholom, a Conservative Jewish congregation, was founded in 1918 in the Logan section of Philadelphia and named "house of peace" (the meaning of the Hebrew name) in honor of the end of World War I.

In 1953, Rabbi Mortimer J. Cohen persuaded Frank Lloyd Wright to accept the commission for the only synagogue he ever designed in his long career. Wright accepted the commission in December 1953, and the architect and the rabbi established a fruitful working partnership that led to one of a small group of religious buildings Wright completed.

Within a few years of its completion, Beth Sholom Synagogue was singled out by the American Institute of Architects and the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the seventeen Wright buildings most worthy of preservation. Beth Sholom was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 2007.

17 minute drive from Four Points by Sheraton Philadelphia Northeast

Glen Foerd stewards an eclectic riverfront estate for the enjoyment and educational benefit of the community. Drawing from the estate’s architecture, art, material culture, and history—as well as its gardens and waterways—Glen Foerd provides inclusive experiences that spark curiosity and support Philadelphia’s natural and cultural ecosystems.

Glen Foerd was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

THE GROUNDS

Set amid eighteen acres of rare trees and flowering shrubs, the grounds include a formal rose garden, vineyard, and riverfront oaks that date back over 300 years. The Glen Foerd grounds comprise a public park, open from dawn to dusk and free to visit.

THE MAIN HOUSE

Built in 1850 and expanded and refurbished throughout its time as a private residence, Glen Foerd is currently home to an array of historic domestic artifacts, American and European art, and contemporary art installations.

10 minute drive from Four Points by Sheraton Philadelphia Northeast

-Pennypack Park

-Benjamin Rush State Park

-Tacony Creek Park

-Lorimer Park

Best known as the art director of the fashion magazine Harper’s Bazaar (from 1934 to 1959), Alexey Brodovitch shaped the magazine’s modern aesthetic and inspired the works of countless photographers around the world. This new art exhibition at the Barnes Foundation highlights Brodovitch’s major (and often overlooked) contributions.

The Barnes Foundation is an art collection and educational institution promoting the appreciation of art and horticulture.

Originally known as Wizard World, Fan Expo is the meeting of all things genre, from sci-fi and horror to anime and cosplay. Exhibitors include comics creators, independent artists and game developers. Plus: celebrity Q&As, fan club presentations, hands-on workshops and screening rooms.

Named one of CNN’s Top Ten ‘Global Must-See Exhibitions,’ THE ART OF THE BRICK exhibit by artist Nathan Sawaya takes LEGO® bricks from child’s toy to sophisticated art form and beyond. The world’s largest display of LEGO art ever features original pieces of inspiring artworks as well as re-imagined versions of some of the world’s most famous art masterpieces made exclusively from LEGO bricks.

An innovator in designing hands-on exhibits before “interactive” became a buzzword, The Franklin Institute offers an experience as unique as its namesake, Benjamin Franklin. Its eminently touchable attractions explore science in disciplines ranging from sports to space. Today, it holds the distinction of being Pennsylvania’s most visited museum.

Reading Terminal Market — one of the nation’s oldest and largest public markets — is a must-visit on any trip to Philadelphia.

Beloved by locals and visitors alike, this bustling indoor food hall and marketplace features dozens of family-owned vendors offering an astonishing variety of food, with some vendors operating in much the same way as they did when the market opened in 1892.

The globally inspired food — available for breakfast, lunch, dinner (eat in or take out) — is the main draw, while loads of other vendors offer meats, produce, cheeses, chocolates and other ingredients perfect for make-at-home meals.

https://www.visitphilly.com/articles/philadelphia/best-things-to-eat-at-reading-terminal-market/

Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens (PMG) is an immersive mixed media art environment that is completely covered with mosaics. The space is made up of two indoor galleries and a bi-level outdoor sculpture garden.

Isaiah Zagar, a local artist who began tiling South Street in the 1960s and never stopped, constructed the space out of cement, bicycle spokes, bottles, ceramic shards and other artistic knick-knacks. Zagar has created more than 100 mosaics in Philadelphia, the majority of them along the South Street corridor.

America’s first public zoo and a foremost conservation organization, the Philadelphia Zoo is home to nearly 1,700 animals, many rare and endangered. Zoo360, a first-in-the-world animal travel and exploration train system, enables primates and big cats to move above and across the main visitor pathway. The 42-acre campus features a variety of exhibits, including Big Cat Falls and Water Is Life, home to the zoo’s popular red panda display.

One of America’s finest museums of medical history, the Mütter Museum displays its beautifully preserved collections of anatomical specimens, models, and medical instruments in a nineteenth-century "cabinet museum" setting.

The goal of the Museum is to help visitors understand the mysteries and beauty of the human body and appreciate the history of diagnosis and treatment of disease. One of the most popular exhibits: actual slides of Albert Einstein’s brain.

From the outside, the sprawling structure resembles a medieval fortress. From the air, perhaps a military bunker. But Eastern State Penitentiary is a Philadelphia original, the height of criminal justice reform when completed in 1829 as the world’s first penitentiary (on the “penance” system). The prison — which once housed infamous criminals from Willie Sutton to Al Capone — shuttered for good in 1971, but today the massive facility is open year-round for tours (the self-guided audio tour is narrated by actor Steve Buscemi) that touch on modern social issues surrounding incarceration.

This article has rounded up dozens of attractions and museums that make Greater Philadelphia an amazing place to explore, whether you are visiting for the first time or have spent your whole life here.


Pro tip: The most convenient way to reach many of these attractions is aboard the Philly PHLASH Downtown Loop, which runs seasonally and offers affordable per-ride tickets in addition to one-day and two-day passes.