Arts and Leisure

From world-class museums, theaters, and art galleries to practically every type of recreation, arts and leisure opportunities abound in Philadelphia [1]. And while there is plenty to do throughout the year, the city kicks into turbo gear during spring and summer, with a multitude of festivals and musical and cultural events.

The city’s wealth of museums honor practically every slice of its rich history and culture, from world-class art, science, and history to museums focusing on many different ethnic groups. Art galleries display a variety of traditional and cutting-edge art forms, and ongoing events and open houses make them accessible to everyone.

The Avenue of the Arts, the section of Broad Street that extends south from City Hall [2], is home to most of the city’s first-run theater and classical concert venues, from the grand old Academy of Music [3] to the stunningly modern Kimmel Center [4]. Additional concert venues are spread throughout the city, ranging from the huge Wachovia Center [5], hosting top national acts, to casual, open-air stadiums like the Mann Center for the Performing Arts [6].

Outdoor lovers will be thrilled to discover that Philadelphia [1] is home to the largest urban municipal park system in the world. Fairmount Park’s more than 9,200 acres offer endless recreational opportunities, including hundreds of miles of hiking, biking, and jogging trails, and water sports along the two rivers that straddle Center City.

The city’s many green spaces are home to gardens, arboretums, dog parks, playgrounds, and sports’ fields, and sometimes serve as outdoor venues for events, markets, and festivals—especially in the summer.

Any sports fan should try to catch at least one professional game while in town. Despite the inability of any of those teams to bring home a championship in more than two decades, there is simply no city more impassioned and committed to all four of its major professional teams than Philadelphia.

Even former mayor Ed Rendell, now governor of Pennsylvania, is a huge sports fan. He hosts the Eagles [7] post-game show every Sunday. Rooting for—and talking trash about—our teams brings the city together, perhaps more than anything else.

Philadelphia’s Best Arts & Leisure [8]

• Best Interactive Museum: Franklin Institute Science Museum [9]
• Best Kids’ Museum: Please Touch Museum [10]
• Best Concert Halls: The Academy of Music [3] and the Kimmel Center [4]
• Best Art House Cinema: Ritz Theatres [11]
• Best Festival: Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe [12]
• Best Gardens: Morris Arboretum [13]
• Best Trail: Schuylkill River Trail [14]
• Best Place to Get Away from it All: Wissahickon Park [15]
• Best Bowling Alley: North Bowl [16]
• Nation’s Oldest Boxing Ring: The Legendary Blue Horizon [17]