Top Destinations To Visit In Philadelphia In A Day
Our family backpacking series continues. We have visited New York, Atlantic City and our last stop was Philadelphia. This was actually the kids very first time visiting and I wanted to ensure that we hit up a few key spots until our next visit. When we arrived the kids immediately wanted to visit “China Town”. They had read about some of the places to grab some great food and of course we had to make a pit stop. Once we found a central location to park we headed down to China Town. The area was filled with a plethora of restaurants, bakeries and places to shop. The kids made a few stops along the way to grab a few of their favorite eats to hold them over until we had lunch.
When we were in New York I totally forgot to take the kids to visit the LOVE sign but we made up for it while in Philly. Lucky for us we were literally right around the corner from its new location. The Robert Indiana’s LOVE sculpture was moved across the street to Dilworth Park on February 23, 2016 while its original home, Philadelphia’s iconic John F. Kennedy Plaza AKA the LOVE park get an overhaul in 2016-2017. It will return sometime in the Spring of 2017. Needless to say this was a must see for us along with Dilworth Park.
We had a chance to visit their City Hall. I was amazed to learn that their City Hall is the largest municipal building in the United States, containing over 14.5 acres of floor space. It’s definitely an architectural treasure inside and out. It’s a great historical landmark to visit and is very well known for the go-to place for engagement photos. The kids had a ball with the water show that takes place on site. I am sure that during the Summer month the kids really get a kick out of their visits.
While we were visiting Dilworth Park I looked across the street and noticed a super big clothes pin. Honestly I was taken back by its size but I soon learned that Sculptor Claes Oldenburg was the genius behind the giant clothes pin across from Philadelphia City Hall in Center City. It’s definitely and eye soar. I found out that it was commissioned by the city in 1974 and erected in 1976, the 45-ft. tall rusting steel work resembles a traditional spring-clip to hang wet laundry on a line. It does not look at all like it belongs but it’s what a sight to see.
We began to get a little hungry so we headed to Reading Terminal Market to grab a quick bite to eat. The Reading Terminal Market is a famous indoor farmer’s market offering diverse fare, housewares & area specialties since 1892. I have been to tons of markets all over the world but this one definitely holds the title as the absolute best one that I have had the pleasure of visiting. You could get the freshest meats and vegetables straight from the farm to your dinner table. I was told that many of the 5 Star restaurants visit early in the morning to purchase the best meats and vegetables for their finest dishes. We grabbed a few assortments and settled in at a table and enjoyed the Philly eats.
The last stop on our visit was to the Philadelphia Museum of Art also known as the famous place from the 70-80’s All American favorite movie, Rocky starring Sylvester Stallone. The kids and I had a blast at the museum and visiting the “Rocky” Statue. While there we also found another sculpture, the “AMOR”. In fact Philly shows their love for Pope Francis by working with the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Association for Public Art (aPA) to install Robert Indiana’s tremendous sculpture AMOR atop the museum’s steps on the east entrance. It has become a major tourist attraction and people from all over the world gather on the steps rain or shine to capture a memorable picture with the sculpture and so did we.
Stay tuned as our Backpacking Series takes us to St. Simon & Jekyll Island!