At the end of January, my best friend and I went on a quick weekend trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! It was both of our first time visiting the historic city and we had a great time touring the sites, museums and shops. Philly is only a short two hour bus ride from New York City and we were able to get our bus tickets and book an Airbnb for less than $150! We only stayed for one night so we didn’t have to take any days off work and we actually saw a ton of cool stuff in that short amount of time! If you’re planning on visiting Philly, there is a whole lot of art and history to see — even if you’re limited on time! Here are seven things to do in Philadelphia during a weekend adventure!
Eat and shop at Reading Terminal Market
When we got off of the bus, we were right by Reading Terminal Market. The huge indoor market has tons of food, drinks, desserts and shopping booths. We stopped to eat some pirogies and kielbasa and sauerkraut.
Visit The Fabric Workshop and Museum
This was the first museum we visited. The Fabric Workshop and Museum had three floors of really unique exhibitions called “Poorly Watched Girls” by Suzanne Bocanegra. They had everything from papers about nuns and nunneries to really dramatic scarecrow-looking gowns to old Hollywood fitting tape reenactments. Sound confusing? Well, it kind of was lol.
Visit the African American Museum
I was really excited to see the African American Museum. It had a really intricate and interactive timeline of Philly’s black history over the past 100 years. There were large projections of trailblazers from 18th Century Philadelphia who actually told you their story. And there was also a really powerful exhibit called “Cotton: The Soft, Dangerous Beauty of the Past.”
See the Liberty Bell
You can’t go to Philly and not see the Liberty Bell! It’s located in an open park area and when we went it was closed off to go inside. However, it is surrounded by thick glass walls, so you can still see it from outside. It was honestly smaller than I thought it would be!
Eat a Philly Cheesesteak at Jim’s
There are a lot of good places to grab a Philly cheesesteak, but after getting a few recommendations, we decided to hit up Jim’s on South Street. Of course, it was delicious!
Visit Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens
One of the places I was most excited to see was Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens. It’s basically a huge garden of the most incredible mosaics I’ve ever seen. The beautiful art was created by Isaiah Zagar. The exhibit spans over three city lots and it is so cool to walk through. Definitely a must if you’re in search of a good Instagram photo.
Shop and Eat on South Street
South Street is a fun area to explore. One store in particular that we shopped at was Ethik and I got a really dope rose printed jacket. We also ate at a couple good spots and got some bubble tea. This area is a must for tourists.
Watch my Philly vlog:
Have you ever been to Philly?
If so, what are some of your fave things to do in Philadelphia?
