111 Places in Philadelphia That You Must Not Miss

When you ve moved beyond the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall and are ready for the forest cave of America s first doomsday cult or the vintage jewelry shop so elusive it has no sign, this ultimate insider s guide to Philadelphia will lead the way. Expect barstools with built-in bathrooms, real graves for fake people, a cockroach kitchen, and the only Sesame Street you can actually visit, plus plenty of powerful firsts that changed the nation and the world.

Adrian Balboa’ s Grave A real grave for a fictional character | 10 Albert Einstein’ s Pipe You’ ve seen it in photos, now see it in person | 12 America’ s Best Bathroom It’ s just outside Philadelphia, and it’ s alive | 14 Assembly The swankiest rooftop in town | 16 Baleroy Mansion Maybe a little too haunted | 18 Barnes Foundation Black culture among the impressionists | 20 Bartram’ s Garden Colonial America’ s first garden | 22 Batalá Philly Philly’ s most inclusive musical act | 24 BioPond A shockingly secluded secret garden | 26 Black Vulture Gallery Art for your skin, art for your walls | 28 BOK Vintage cheese, anyone? | 30 Buist Sophora A beloved tree that defies destruction | 32 Burlesque Academy Get your Gypsy Rose Lee on | 34 Carmen’ s Where Obama went for a cheesesteak | 36 Cave of Kelpius Where America’ s first mystic cult awaited Doomsday | 38 Charles Dickens’ Desk Not his only, but his last | 40 Cherry Street Pier An abandoned space turned community inspiration | 42 Cherry Street Tavern Is that a urinal trough along the bar? | 44 Cira Green A complete park in the sky | 46 Circadium School of Contemporary Circus The first state-accredited program for circus arts | 48 The Clay Studio Learn, create, and “ clay it forward” | 50 The Colored Girls Museum A curated collection in a private home | 52 Congress Hall Move over, Independence Hall | 54 Curtis Institute Free education and free concerts | 56 DeLong Building A stunning model of urban fire history | 58 Dirty Franks Eye-popping dive with serious heart | 60 Discovery Center From forgotten reservoir to city treasure | 62 Dream Garden A masterpiece nearly lost | 64 Earliest US Serial Killer The devil in the white city met his end in Philadelphia | 66 East Market A full community in a single block | 68 Edgar Allan Poe’ s House Three stories and one creepy basement | 70 Eiffel Tower of Philly It’ s a milk bottle, but close enough | 72 Emmy the Mannequin A local celeb hawking inside jokes | 74 Eternal Performance Some seats come with an extra show | 76 Fairmount Groot An enduring fixture in an evolving garden | 78 Fairmount Water Works A hands-on learning center in a historic location | 80 FDR Skate Park Where community and government agree | 82 First Antislavery Protest An early petition against hypocrisy and injustice | 84 First Person Arts Where Philadelphians take center stage | 86 Fitler Square Farmers Market A delicious secret in a picturesque square | 88 Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club Philly’ s urban Black cowboys | 90 Four Seasons Total Landscaping A political disaster and a business boon | 92 George Washington’ s Apron For ceremony, not for kitchen messes | 94 Germantown White House America’ s oldest surviving presidential residence | 96 Giant Otters Philadelphia’ s cutest “ first” | 98 Giant Wood Slide Big fun for the little ones | 100 Graffiti Pier Philly’ s most photographed illegal art | 102 The Gross Clinic So gross it couldn’ t be displayed | 104 Halloween Find the store, find a treasure | 106 Hamilton Garden A rooftop within a rooftop | 108 Insectarium The only cockroach kitchen you’ d pay to see | 110 Irish Memorial A waterfront homage to those who came and went | 112 Jazz Attack Lindy Hop or Philly Bop, it’ s your call | 114 Jim Loewer Glass Blow your own masterpiece | 116 John E. Freyer Marker A small testament to a monumental shift | 118 King’ s Highway Bridge Built for Penn, used by Washington | 120 LGBT Community Center A local resource of national proportion | 122 Lydia Darrah School Moderne building honoring a Revolutionary spy | 124 Magic Gardens There’ s a secret among the murals | 126 Maillardet’ s Automaton The future, according to the past | 128 Manayunk Canal Towpath Recreation among the remnants of industry | 130 Mask and Wig Clubhouse A long tradition of musical-comedy wit and whimsy | 132 Mount Moriah Cemetery Is Betsy Ross still in this unowned cemetery? | 134 Mummers Museum Your chance to be a Mummer, if only for a moment | 136 Neon Museum Representing the “ Workshop of the World” | 138 Octavius V. Catto Memorial Enormous impact from a short life | 140 Ohio State House The last state house from the first World’ s Fair | 142 Old St. Joseph’ s Church A hidden church, then and now | 144 Oneida Debate Two revolutions in one | 146 Original Pumpkin Spice Philly was into pumpkin spice before it was basic | 148 Painted Bride Incubating a city’ s underserved communities | 150 Patti LaBelle Way A permanent home for a Philly legend | 152 Philadelphia Independents Philly-centric, Philly-made, Philly-proud | 154 Philadelphia Stars Memorial Park A small tribute to a major contribution | 156 Prison Synagogue The first in the nation | 158 Pulse Fountain The train timetable you didn’ t know existed | 160 Quince Street The most charming, among alleys | 162 Rail Park It’ s even greener than you think | 164 Random Tea Room Shopping, sipping, and co-working in serenity | 166 Rittenhouse Chess Make your move, make a friend | 168 River Hammocks Beach vibes at the riverfront | 170 The Rosenbach A literary wonderland | 172 The Rotunda A literal arts sanctuary | 174 Sedgley Woods Disc Golf An older course for a newer sport | 176 Sesame Place The country’ s original Sesame Street theme park | 178 Shrek Box Leave an ogre, take an ogre | 180 Sidewalk Pretzel A beloved symbol of the city | 182 Singh Center An architectural jewel | 184 Sister Cities Park Where Philly is the center of everything | 186 Skew Arch Bridge Better below than above | 188 Southeast Asian Market An enormous market you’ ve somehow missed | 190 St. Albans Place From Devil’ s Pocket to romantic courtyard | 192 St. John Neumann’ s Body A holy body permanently on display | 194 Star Doors Philly’ s most coveted glass | 196 Surgical Amphitheater You’ ve seen them on TV, now see one in person | 198 Taller Puertorriqueñ o The cultural heart of El Barrio | 200 Tea for Few at Stenton The hot drink wasn’ t for everyone in early Philly | 202 Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial Smallest national park site, big dose of history | 204 Thirsty Dice Eat, drink, play, and propose? | 206 Thunderbird Salvage Bargaining for local treasures | 208 Tomb of Empress Ana Marí a Final resting place of Mexico’ s first empress | 210 Urban Fishing Country fun in the city | 212 W Hotel WET Deck Bar Have a drink with a couple of legends | 214 Wagner Free Institute Free science lessons in a Victorian museum | 216 West Laurel Hill Where America’ s best came to rest | 218 Whispering Benches Share your secrets in public | 220 Wildlife Refuge Go birds! | 222 William & Letitia Still House Harriet Tubman stood here – and slept here, too | 224 Wonderspaces A nearly indefinable space | 226 Wood Street Steps Step into the past and toward Utopia | 228 World Café Live An independent stage for everyone | 230