When it comes to exciting monuments and hidden gems, Philadelphia has it all. As one of the biggest towns in America, it collaborates with the most popular attraction.
If they are interested in American history or if they have strong national feelings, travelers frequently choose Philadelphia. Few people are aware that Philadelphia is much more than that, though.
Travelers who have thoroughly explored Philadelphia say that it is grander than advertised. Philly is undoubtedly full of hidden gems, but not all of them are visible. Some of them are peacefully protected from the spotlight, while others are overshadowed by the widely taught ones.
Philadelphia has a ton of hidden gems to explore, whether you’re a visitor with some spare time or a local trying to learn something new. Here is our comprehensive list of Hidden Gems in Philadelphia so you can admire and adorn each one.
Bartram’s Garden
One of the hidden gems in Philadelphia and the best places in the city to appreciate the outdoors is Bartram’s Garden. Wandering the River Trail allows visitors to take in the centuries-old flora, plants, and trees.
John Bartram established Bartram’s Garden in 1728, making it the first botanical park in North America. Due to his expertise and achievements, King George III designated Bartram as the “King’s Botanist” later in life. Bartram’s endeavors are responsible for the cultivation of many of the native plants on the property.
It is still possible to tour the original stone house and garden. For those who are interested, descriptions posted around the property identify the plants and explain which ones were used for medicinal purposes or other purposes in the colonial era. This makes a journey here both refreshing and somewhat educational.
Shofuso Japanese House and Garden
The Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center, located in the center of West Fairmount Park, is a gift from Japan to the American people after World War II.
The center is made up of the primary structure, which is designed to resemble a guest house for a temple from the early 17th century, as well as a separate teahouse and bathhouse.
Visit the interior to learn about Japanese temple life, art, and building in the 1600s, take part in an authentic chanoyu tea ceremony demonstration, and feed the pond’s fish. Don’t miss the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival in the spring.
A hidden gem in Philadelphia would have to be the Japanese house, heavenly garden, and koi pond. The location includes a traditional Japanese house that guests can explore, as well as an exhibit of murals that were motivated by the waterfall on the property.
There is plenty of room outside to investigate the different areas of the garden and the pond.
Mutter Museum
An intriguing repository for the physically odd is the Mutter Museum. Tens of thousands of provocative items on exhibit at the Museum provide an unsettling, beneath-the-surface view of what doctors regularly research.
Numerous abnormal bodily parts are still preserved in fluid inside the exhibit. Visitors come across skeletal formations that don’t quite seem physically feasible, like the one of a 7’6″ man.
In glass-encased oak frames, diseased and enlarged organs are tastefully exhibited for that reason it is also one of the hidden gems in Philadelphia.
Best time to visit is during weekdays and the Museum is opened from Wednesday–Monday, 10 AM to 5 PM. Summer and holiday seasons are crowded and off-peak hours are best to visit.
website: http://muttermuseum.org/
phone: +12155608564
Wagner Free Institute of Science
The Wagner Free Institute of Science in North Philadelphia is one of the hidden gems located in Philadelphia that’s often overlooked by tourists, which was founded before the Civil War, includes a library, lecture hall, natural history museum, and one of the few surviving scientific societies from the Victorian period.
The 100,000-item collection includes rocks, minerals, fossils, preserved insects, taxidermy displays, mounted skeletons of a buffalo, an English draft horse, and the first saber-tooth tiger bone discovered in America. The collection is housed on the second floor of the Renaissance-style, three-story building.
Best time to visit the wagner free institute is during the week days as guided tours are available. If you wish to get deeper insights, guided tours are excellent for examining collections and their histories.
There are over 1,00,000 collections to see including tiny insects and huge dinosaur bones. To support the founders’ goals of free science education, several occasions and educational offers are conducted all year round.
website: http://www.wagnerfreeinstitute.org/
Eastern State Penitentiary
Eastern State Penitentiary, hidden gems in Philadelphia, located in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia, is one of the most renowned prisons in the world, with past inmates including bank robber “Slick Willie” Sutton and legendary gangster Al Capone.
With its soaring, castle-like Gothic architecture and founders who were influenced by Quakers, Eastern State set the bar for criminal justice reform during its heyday. Eastern’s distinctive “wagon-wheel” floor design served as a model for 300 prisons spread across four continents.
Through displays like Al Capone’s 19th-century cell, tales of prisoner escapes, and highly praised art installations, tours today give visitors a glimpse of life inside the prison’s historic cell blocks.
Graffiti Pier
Even though it is on private property (as of July 2019), the Graffiti Pier is readily accessible and open to visitors during daylight hours.
It is currently being converted into a park, which will keep much of its present personality while also incorporating crucial amenities like restrooms, trash cans, and seating areas. In 2024, the stadium is expected to be finished.
It’s best to visit in groups and during the daytime as there have been a number of violent crimes reported at this spot. It is not the most structurally sound location in the metropolis and the building is deteriorating.
Fishtown
Fishtown, which takes its name from the nearby Delaware River neighborhood where many of the area’s earliest settlers worked as shad fishers, has grown to be one of the liveliest districts and as one of the hidden gems in Philadelphia.
Fishtown is one of the most popular tourist locations in the city because of its music venues, cool bars and restaurants, trendy stores, and vibrant street art.
Learn about Mural City Cellars, a “neighborhood winery” in Philadelphia. All wines are hand-crushed and bottled in East Kensington, a neighborhood of Fishtown, by owners Francesca and Nicholas using fruit from regional growers within a 300-mile radius of Philadelphia.
Enjoy the neighborhood’s nightlife, which includes concerts, comedic performances, and more, after spending the day browsing local shops and admiring street art. Fishtown is a haven for foodies, with a growing number of highly regarded eateries and neighborhood favorites dotting the terrain.
Although there are a few choices for those who want to stay in the center of this vibrant neighborhood, downtown hotels are only a short train or car journey away.
Zagar Mosaics
One of the city’s most popular sights is The Magic Gardens, a whimsical, artistic setting surrounded by mosaics and salvaged items. However, Isaiah Zagar, the artist who created it, is a prolific maker of art in addition to his best-known pieces.
Finding the unexpected Zagar mosaics is one of the favorite parts of driving around the city, particularly in South Philadelphia.
You never know where one of his distinctive works will appear—on a wall next to a school, adorning a storefront, or on a random street intersection. They’re readily recognized and never fail to bring a smile to our face because they’re unexpected.
Pennsylvania Hospital
Built in 1755, long before the nation even existed, Pennsylvania Hospital was the country’s first hospital. Its Pine Building, which is still in use today, is on Pine Street between 8th and 9th Street.
A stunning garden with azaleas, wisteria, and tall, vibrant trees can be found at the rear of the building and goes back to the hospital’s early days.
A statue of William Penn, which was given to the hospital by Penn’s grandson, is located in the middle. Many people don’t realize that it is accessible to the public and that admission is free.
James G. Kaskey Memorial Park
The James G. Kaskey Memorial Park, also considered as the hidden jems in Philadelphia. It is an ecological haven on the University of Pennsylvania grounds.
This almost-secret location would be very simple to miss if you didn’t know to search for it. The roaring metropolis is barely a block away, but the cascading waterfall and chirping birds almost make you forget about it.
The Biology Department’s research labs and buildings surround the peaceful area, which has been there in different forms since 1897. Thus, the beautiful pond in the middle of the park is called the BioPond.
Numerous people visit the area to appreciate the turtles, koi, and variety of wildflowers, as well as life sciences and art students who use it as part of their studies.
The Rosenbach Museum
A book lover’s paradise, The Rosenbach is located at the Free Library of Philadelphia. This Rittenhouse Square townhouse from the 19th century houses an amazing collection of rare books and papers.
The museum is brimming with gems, from a handwritten manuscript of James Joyce’s Ulysses to Lewis Carroll’s own copy of Alice in Wonderland. There are additional unique things to view in addition to the books.
The Rosenbach siblings may have occupied some of the rooms that are currently set up in this manner. They display antiquated statues, works of art, and artifacts gathered from all over the globe. Everything from a Charles II’s jewelry chest to an unusual timepiece created by Marie Antoinette’s clockmaker will be on display.
Shane Confectionery
America’s oldest sweets store is located at Letitia and Market, where it has been a confectionery for more than 150 years. In addition to providing contemporary goods, Shane Confectionery pays homage to that history by selling vintage chocolate and candies.
The Pennsylvania Dutch Clear Toy Candy Christmas gift, buttercreams made from a 100-year-old recipe, and confections made with honey from beehives kept on the shop roof are just a few of Shane’s well-known creations.
If you visit, be sure to check out the assortment of drinking chocolates offered in the café in the rear.
The Clay Studio
The Clay Studio, the hidden gems in Philadelphia, is the largest ceramic arts organization in the country, offers ceramics workshops and art classes as well as impressive clay and ceramic gallery exhibitions displaying the work of both international artisans and local masters.
The organization, which was started in Kensington nearly 50 years ago as a workspace for recent art school graduates, moved into its gleaming and enormous space there in 2022 to further its goal of “bringing clay as an accessible, tactile medium to a broad range of people.
Peace Valley Lavender Farm
Just west of Doylestown, at Peace Valley Lavender Farm, which is close to Peace Valley Park, the lavender plant’s distinctive purple beauty and aroma are on full show.
On the sunny hillside of the facility, more than 3,000 lavender plants, including two species and numerous varieties, thrive. The farm is accessible all year long, though the peak months for blooming are June and July.
Pick your own lavender for $7 a bouquet, relax and take in views of Lake Galena, or peruse the boutique filled with specialty lavender goods. The sticks with the lavender lollipops’ seeds are plantable.
Fountain Street stairs
The most beautiful of all stairs, however, are the Fountain Street stairs. Known as the hidden gems in Philadelphia, the Fountain Street steps is at Cresson Street.
These incredibly creative steps link Umbria Street to the Manayunk path below two PR bridges. The 70 stained glass mosaic stairs were once strewn with trash and debris.
However, the area was enhanced and given life by the artist Paul Santoleri. Along with the painted stairs, the area is now adorned with attractively artistic plants. Fountain Street Steps is a book you must read if you enjoy art or are intrigued by oddities.
Bok Bar
Even if you’ve been to a number of bars in Philadelphia, if you haven’t been to Bok Bar, you’re losing out. The old Bok Vocational High School is now home to a seasonal rooftop bar.
It provides Philadelphia’s most beautiful skyline views, particularly at night when the city is illuminated. Events classified as “art,” “taste,” “move,” “spark,” and other categories are frequently held on their rooftop hangout.
The Bok Bar is available from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. from Wednesday through Saturday and is situated at 800 Mifflin Street. It is the perfect location for a romantic night out if you are in the city with your significant other.
Conclusion
One of the biggest cities in the USA is Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, you have to look around every turn to find places you didn’t know were there.
The best hidden gems in Philadelphia to visit and explore are listed above if you are a visitor with some free time and want to investigate off the beaten path and become a ligit Philadelphia insider.