Lined by all types of museums and institutes, Benjamin Franklin Parkway is a wide and majestic boulevard running through the heart of Philadelphia. The avenue was designed and constructed in 1918 and runs for about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers). Leafy parks provide a clean space for kids to play, while monuments allow you to relax and reflect on the city’s rich history. Visit Benjamin Franklin Parkway to see some of Philadelphia’s best attractions as you meander between the trees that line this momentous street.
Arrive in spacious Logan Square and meet friends near the fountain. Sit on its ledge and watch the jets make pretty patterns in this circular water feature. Patches of grass extend from the fountain, providing pleasant picnic spots. Gaze along the wide, open boulevard and spot the grandiose structure of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the distance.
Study the figures of Hamlet and a jester in the Shakespeare Memorial from the 1920s and start walking north along the tree-lined sides of the avenue.
Pick up a book at the Parkway Central Library and inspect the sculptures in the Rodin Museum, outside which sits a cast of the artist’s famous work, The Thinker. Impressionist and early modernist works are exhibited in the adjacent Barnes Foundation.
The northern end of Benjamin Franklin Parkway offers a range of recreational activities, from the Paine’s Park skating area and baseball diamonds to a large fountain and the famous Rocky Steps that the fictional boxer trains on. The steps lead to the resplendent Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Find Benjamin Franklin Parkway in the center of Philadelphia. Ride a bus to one of the stops on the streets surrounding the main avenue or travel by train to the Suburban Station. Nearby metro stops include Race Vine and 30th Street.
While you’re in this part of the city, visit neighboring sights such as One Liberty Observation Deck, Coxe Park and the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.
