Upcoming Neighborhood Walking Tours

Since the closing of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in the late 1990’s, the area has been transformed into one of the most successful redevelopment projects in the city. Today it is a thriving, mixed-use riverfront community with more than 15,000 people and 150 companies and soon to be residential apartments. Learn about the Navy Yard’s past and see their plans for the future.

Awbury Arboretum offers 55 acres of green space in dense East Germantown. Originally created as a country estate for the family of Quaker shipping magnate, politician, and philanthropist, Thomas Pym Cope, successive generations of that family engaged important local architects to design their houses, including Thomas Ustick Walter, Addison Hutton, Cope & Stewardson, and Duhring Okie & Ziegler. To adapt the surrounding farmland into picturesque English gardens, they engaged a succession of noted local landscape designers. That surrounding landscape was entrusted to the public in 1915 with the founding of the Arboretum.  The tour will feature both architecture and landscape history, and end at the Farm at Awbury, an active community hub for non-profits that focus on urban agriculture, including the Philly Goat Project, the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild, and Food Moxie.

Many of Philadelphia’s most beautiful townhouses are located along Spruce and Locust Streets in this Center City neighborhood east of Broad Street. Marvel at the Gothic Revival windows, Queen Anne Revival turrets, balconies, bays, garlands and gables designed by many prominent Philadelphia architects.

The Schuylkill River received its name because of the confluence; groves of trees, sycamores, and oaks once obscured the entrance of the Schuylkill. In Dutch, Schuylkill means “hidden stream”. This 130-mile corridor over the years has shaped the lives and landscape of Philadelphia. Learn about the changes and development along the lower Schuylkill River and the industrialization that followed in historical landmarks, and public art spanning the early 18th to the mid-19th century. This tour was developed in partnership with the Association for Public Art (formerly the Fairmount Park Art Association).

Built from the vestiges of the 1876 Centennial landscape by Frederick Poth and his young architect Henry Flower, Parkside rose and fell over the next century due to its changing demographics. Extensive decay by the 1980s was reversed starting in the ’90s by beautiful building restorations that retained the neighborhood’s affordability. Learn about the historic preservation efforts and setbacks of Parkside over the past 20 years and see the efforts of the community’s engagement in the preservation of the neighborhood as a whole, including a look at the community garden.

Explore the historic 69th Street Shopping District in Upper Darby, a major retail center built at the terminus of the Market Street Elevated primarily by real estate developer John McClatchy in the early 20th century. See such notable sites as the Moorish style McClatchy Building, the Romanesque 69th Street Terminal and the Classical Revival Tower Theater along with numerous Art Deco buildings; the most concentrated group of this style in the Philadelphia area. Meet on the 69th Street bridge over Market Street/ West Chester Pike.

Walk around one of William Penn’s original planned public parks. Learn how this square served as a burial ground for over 1,200 Revolutionary War soldiers, then as a potter’s field before receiving its present name in 1825. See The Athenaeum, the first Italian Renaissance building in the US, and learn how the Square became home to the publishing industry in the early 20th century. Today, many of the former office buildings are being transformed into residences as Washington Square serves as an important gateway to the nearby residential Society Hill neighborhood. Meet at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the center of Washington Square (map).

This popular early 20th century style, synonymous with the Jazz Age, has been described as having one foot in the past and one foot in the future. Its sleek appearance foretells the debut of Modernism while its use of Mayan and Aztec motifs echoes the past. Among Philadelphia’s outstanding examples featured on this walk is the flamboyant WCAU Building on the 1600 block of Chestnut Street. Meet at the entrance of Liberty Place on 17th and Chestnut Streets (map).

In the early years of the new Republic, Philadelphia was the nation’s financial capital, home to the first stock exchange (1790), the Bank of the United States, the US Mint, the first securities exchange, the first commodities exchange, and other early banking and insurance institutions. The epicenter of this activity was Chestnut Street in Old City, where important early institutions were housed in architectural treasures, ranging from Greek Revival “temples” to later brick and limestone buildings such as The Bourse Building and the US Customs House. Explore the history of this important part of Philadelphia by visiting notable architectural landmarks, visible evidence of Philadelphia’s early financial prominence.

Explore outstanding examples of late 19th century and early 20th century architecture influenced by the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. From monumental structures along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to equally grand but more intimate residences in Rittenhouse Square, see why Philadelphia is often described as the “Paris of the US.”

Bella Vista (“beautiful view”) is a vibrant, historic residential neighborhood and home to the famous Ninth Street Market, AKA the Italian Market, one of the nation’s oldest continuously operating open-air markets. The tour will highlight the lively neighborhood’s architecture, diverse ethnic mix, and social changes.

East Falls grew out of a fishing and industrial town called Falls of Schuylkill, and the river has been essential to much of the neighborhood’s history. This tour will begin in easy sight of the Schuylkill, view some Ridge Avenue retail/residential structures, then head up other historic streets to pin the story of East Falls to selected buildings, many on the national and/or Philadelphia registers. Highlights of the tour will include: an 1868 fraternal hall; the 1895 Falls Bridge; Indian Queen Lane and the 1819 Old Academy; the site of the world’s first medical school for women; the Tudor East Falls Historic District; rows of Spanish Revival houses; the home where Grace Kelly grew up.

This grand boulevard, named after Philadelphia’s most famous citizen, is Philadelphia’s early 20th century contribution to the City Beautiful Movement and connects the downtown to Fairmount Park, fulfilling William Penn’s vision of a “greene countrie towne.” View the grand neoclassical structures that house this city’s cultural, educational and commercial institutions and view the new home of the renowned Barnes Foundation on Philadelphia’s version of the Champs Elysees.

Philadelphia’s Chinatown is well known for their busy streets, restaurants, and unique markets but how did it get there? Join us on a journey to uncover Chinatown’s history, view the impacts of Philadelphia’s development, and struggles the community faced as they carved their place into Philadelphia.

Discover the Philadelphia known as “The Athens of America” in the early 19th century. Hear about some of this country’s greatest neo-classical architects and learn why they turned to ancient Greece for inspiration in designing buildings for the new American democracy. Significant highlights include the Second Bank of the US and the Merchant’s Exchange, both designed by architect William Strickland.

Experience the transformation of Philadelphia from America’s 19th century engine of industry to a 21st century capital of business and culture. This 2-hour tour explores Philadelphia’s diverse range of architectural styles and building technologies from the 1860s to the present, detailing the social, economic, and political forces that shaped the modern cityscape.

Explore the work of one of Philadelphia’s most colorful architects by taking this comprehensive, first-of-its-kind tour. Buildings that have been demolished or that are beyond walking distance will be discussed by illustrated presentation inside the Furness-designed First Unitarian Church. After the presentation, join your guide for a walking tour of nearby Furnessian gems.

Discover beautiful Victorian residences, churches, and public buildings in this historic neighborhood that developed along an old Native American trail. See the commercial revitalization efforts of today’s Frankford Avenue. Learn about Frankford’s early history that predates Philadelphia and how it figured prominently in this city’s colonial past. Experience its tremendous growth during the city’s industrial era, housing factory owners on one side of the Avenue and factory workers on the other side.

Trace the history of this South Philadelphia neighborhood from its origin as a colonial farm to the early 20th century planned development of “Ideal City Homes.” See outstanding examples of Bungalow, Colonial Revival and Spanish Revival residential styles.

Walk the very streets that millions walked during Philadelphia’s heyday as a mercantile mecca. The tour will cover the rise and fall of Philadelphia’s great department and specialty stores from Wanamaker’s humble beginnings in 1861 to the closing of Strawbridge and Clothier in 2006, and all of the glory days in between.

Relive the Philadelphia experience of Eastern European Jews who settled, at the turn of the 20th century, in the vicinity of 5th and Bainbridge. Pass by numerous synagogues, see Philly’s first playground, and view numerous Zagar murals. Hear a wild story about a former bathhouse and learn about the Washington Market in the middle of a neighborhood with a shocking past. Stroll through Fabric Row, and see the birthplace of Three Stooges Larry Fine.

Haddonfield, NJ is known for its historical Colonial charm once settled by English and Irish Quakers in the late 1600’s. Named by Elizabeth Haddon at just 21 years of age, Haddonfield became a pleasant village providing goods and services to the surrounding farms. In this tour, learn about the incredible women who shaped the town and worked hard to preserve its legacy.

Explore the city’s Judaic heritage and learn about its importance in the growth and architectural development of Philadelphia. Hear about Nathan Levy’s connection to the Liberty Bell and the Jewish connection to Christ Church.

Stroll a charming labyrinth of streets west of Washington Square, a village-like setting right in the heart of Center City, developed in the mid 19th century. Experience an intimate “hierarchy of streets” where the larger style-conscious houses are on the main streets, the smaller scale houses built for the aspiring middle class are on the middle-sized streets, and what was worker housing is on the smallest alleys. See Philadelphia as a “livable” city at its best.

Experience yet another intimate neighborhood within Center City, just southwest of Rittenhouse Square west of Broad Street. Learn about the early Irish settlers and other immigrants who first settled here and about their industrial ties to the nearby Schuylkill River.

The quiet country village was transformed in the 19th century by the construction of the paved Lancaster “turnpike” and various railroads, which facilitated nearby real estate speculation, including Frank Furness’ Bryn Mawr Hotel (now Baldwin School), several imposing churches, and the area’s characteristic large and comfortable houses. This tour will also explore the sylvan campus of Bryn Mawr College, including buildings by Addison Hutton, Cope & Stewardson, Mellor Meigs & Howe, and Louis Kahn.

Often referred to as the “Manchester of America,” learn about this former mill town’s industrial development along the Schuylkill River canal that was opened in 1825, connecting Philadelphia to the interior coal regions of Pennsylvania. See examples of early immigrant housing then stroll along Main Street’s late 19th century commercial buildings and enjoy the fruits of its recent renaissance.

Media was planned in the 1850s as the seat of Delaware County. Discover architecture dating from the Federal era, see lavish Victorian homes and enjoy the beautifully restored Beaux Arts/Art Deco Media Theater before experiencing the renaissance of its commercial district.

Explore the early 20th Century suburban developments of Penfield, Brookline, and Beechwood that were made possible by the expanded railroad and trolley lines. The tour includes the former site of the short-lived Beechwood Amusement Park that was created by the P&W in 1907 as well as the former home of the Slinky inventor. Take a trip on the train like homebuyers did 100+ years ago to see these leafy suburbs.

William Penn stipulated that 10,000 acres north of the original city become “liberty lands.” Once home to many of the city’s breweries, this funky, culturally diverse neighborhood today is the home of many artists and writers. See the old and the new and make note of the many little neighborhood eateries along the way.

Explore colonial Philadelphia and walk some of its original streets. See famous Elfreth’s Alley, the oldest continuously occupied street in the US, and experience the walking/mercantile city, as well as a later generation of Victorian structures. Learn how this area remained the center of Philadelphia’s commercial, retail and governmental activities until the city finally moved “westward” to Center Square in the mid/late 19th century.

The small neighborhood of Powelton Village in West Philadelphia has great stories to tell.  Settled by Welsh Quakers after 1682, the village was named for the 18th-century estate of Samuel Powel, the mayor of Philadelphia during the Revolution. This tour features an eclectic variety of mid- to late 19th-century houses, mansions and a few churches of this early “street car suburb.”  Among the designers are some of Philadelphia’s foremost late 19th-Century architects, including Wilson Eyre, Willis Hale and the Wilson Brothers. The neighborhood also includes a few innovative 21st-century buildings for Drexel University.

Just north of Center City, Callowhill Street and nearby blocks tell the story of Philadelphia’s emergence as an industrial “Workshop of the World” and the many strategies for revival after manufacturing declined. We will find traces of railroads, see how factories have been adapted for new purposes, and encounter unexpected outcomes of urban renewal. Our walk will include notable industrial and commercial architecture as well as parks, public art, and new construction projects that are enlivening the post-industrial landscape.

Take a leisurely stroll through this bucolic “Garden City” neighborhood, a suburban setting within the city limits. Learn how the Pennsylvania Railroad extension to this area, spearheaded by Henry Howard Houston in the 1880s, created this style-conscious development and later, with his son-in-law, George Woodward, continued it into the 1920s. Explore this haven of late Victorian, Arts & Crafts, English Cotswolds and Modern residences and see how it emerged as a desirable and complete neighborhood.

Situated to the northeast of Center City, Fishtown figured prominently in Philadelphia’s great industrial age of the late 19th/early 20th century when it was developed to house many of the workers who were employed by the major industries that built factories in this part of the city. Discover how Fishtown’s residences are going through restoration as it becomes a sought after location in which to live.

Explore this worker’s neighborhood and be amazed by its history because it predates William Penn. Queen Village was first inhabited by the Lenni Lenapi who called the area “Wiccaco” and later become home to a large influx of Swedish settlers. Visit one of the few remaining 17th century structures in Philadelphia today, Gloria Dei Church.

Philadelphia’s most fashionable address was developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Enjoy today’s ambiance and compare the grand homes designed for the wealthy elite to the understated, elegant residences on Delancey Street.

Contrast the many generations of high-rise apartment building architecture on the Square – representing every decade of the 20th century – with the smaller scale of the grand houses on nearby streets while walking past some of Philadelphia’s most fashionable brownstones.

Due to its Quaker origins, Philadelphia has long been hospitable to worshipers of many faiths. See history come to life when visiting reclusive St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, classical Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church, Romanesque Revival Mother Bethel Church, Georgian St. Peter’s Church, and Gothic Revival St. Mary’s Church.

Penn Center, one of the country’s most acclaimed examples of 20th century, post World War II urban renewal, is a lasting legacy of Edmund Bacon and the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. Learn how this world-famous city planner based this commercial development complex on William Penn’s vision that Market Street would be a commercial thoroughfare and see two generations of commercial architecture: Modern & Post-Modern.

Society Hill received its name from the “Free Society of Traders” who were granted a strip of land in this area by William Penn in 1683. Take a leisurely walk through this country’s largest, intact collection of original colonial and post-colonial residential architecture. Learn about this neighborhood’s mid 20th century renewal efforts and its contribution to establishing Philadelphia as a “livable” city.

Stroll through this early city suburb, developed in the late 19th century, that was home to merchants, workers and even prisoners. Enjoy a diversity of exuberant late Victorian homes and view the world-renowned Eastern State Penitentiary, built in the 1820s and studied by penal experts from Asia and Europe at that time.

Walk tree-lined streets graced with homes that are crowned with Italianate towers and Queen Anne Revival gables. Hear how public transportation encouraged development of this West Philadelphia neighborhood as a streetcar suburb.

Discover the Philadelphia Plan, which gave us two Art Deco masterpieces, the monumental 30th Street Station and Suburban Station, the first all-underground rail terminal. The tour starts at 30th Street Station and proceeds via trolley to 19th St. From the Comcast tower lobby, descend into an underground concourse network to the site of The Fashion District before ending at Reading Terminal. Along the way, lament the loss of Broad St. Station and learn about the 1905-mid-50s trolley and subway lines, the Broad Street subway (1928), the Commuter Rail Tunnel (1984), and the former Reading Terminal.

You’ve crossed it by car or viewed it from afar; now experience this magnificent bridge from a whole new perspective! Walk from Philadelphia to Camden with our guide to learn about the history and construction of what was once the longest suspension bridge in the world. Look down on the mighty Delaware River between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Get acquainted with the past, present and future of waterfront development on both sides of the river.

This city neighborhood, dating to colonial times, underwent industrial development with the arrival of the Philadelphia, Germantown & Norristown Railroad in 1832 and this development continued rapidly with the arrival of the Pennsylvania Railroad in the 1880s. Learn more about this transportation impact and see some of Philadelphia’s finest examples of Victorian eclecticism.