How to See Philly (For Free!)
I asked a question in a Facebook group the other day, Traveler. I asked the group how they all traveled on a budget. A few of the answers were good suggestions, and I’m glad it wasn’t just a travel agent trying to get me to sign up as a travel agent myself (no, thank you!)
But one particular response caught my eye, and I saved it here.
Is that what folks really believe? I travel to see the world and visit places I could only read about in my youth, and I do it all the time on a very fixed income. While vacation experience companies carefully craft and set up their attractions and deserve to operate and charge as they wish, I maintain that many towns have a wealth of things to do for free. I’ll prove it starting in Philadelphia!
Philadelphia is over 300 years old and was even the burgeoning country’s capital for ten years. George Washington, John Adams, Ben Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton lived in this city. How do I know all of this? Well, I’m a tour guide. But you can learn things like this all over the city!
Historical Markers
Historical markers are all over the city of Philadelphia. Written on them are a wealth of history and trivia you can learn about, Traveler. You’re giving yourself a tour, walking all over the city to learn not just about its colonial history but facts about famous residents and events in the city.
What’s impressive about Philly is that the city won’t shy away from giving plaques to the less famous and more infamous side of the city’s history.
Museums
I’ve walked through a house lived in by Edgar Allen Poe, Traveler. I’ve stood in the same bar as John Adams, seen the original patent for the polio vaccine, and even visited the Liberty Bell.
I did all of these things for free.
Philadelphia has an abundance of museums that have free entry any day of the week, including weekends. And there’s no shortage of trained volunteers ready to tell you about them.
Murals
Philadelphia is the outdoor mural capital of the world according to the city itself. The Philadelphia Mural Arts program started in the mid-1980s under then-mayor Wilson Goode as a deterrent to graffiti in the city. Many of the murals began as exercises in teaching school kids art. Acclaimed street artist and activist Keith Haring spent three days in 1987 teaching kids from local high schools how to plan and paint a mural, with Keith under the impression that in the poor neighborhood of Point Breeze, his mural would be covered up when a row home would be built next door to it.
Not only is the We The Youth mural still there, Traveler, but a garden now surrounds the foot of the mural where people can sit and remember Keith’s contributions to the world prior to his AIDS-related death in 1990. According to Wikipedia, this mural is the only Keith Haring mural still in its original location.
The murals in Philadelphia are so crucial to the city that in 2019 production began on a new television show for AMC, Dispatches from Elsewhere. Series creator and star Jason Segel fell in love with the town during a trip while scouting locations for the show. The murals and other artwork, such as the Magic Gardens, play an integral part in the story.
The overall message being that beauty is everywhere, Traveler.
Statues
In keeping with the theme of art, there are statues all over the city that we take for granted, Traveler. Above is a Claes Oldenburg sculpture, one of his last, installed in 2011.
There are statues in Philly that are direct references to history as well. City Hall is adorned with statues surrounding it both inside and out, over 250 works by Alexander Milne Calder, and the biggest is the 37-foot tall statue of Billy Penn himself that stands atop the building.
So we’ve covered art and historical statues, but what about pop culture statues?
Do you know how much controversy surrounds that damn statue, Traveler? Sylvester Stallone is the one who commissioned the figure in the first place, and the art museum behind the statue actually hates it. They can’t stand it. They complained about it being a movie prop and “not art.” It took thousands of people and tens of thousands of lost tourist dollars in the city to get the statue back. But now, it’s free for all of us to see and pose with.
And someone there will always take your photo with it. Just remember to buy a T-shirt from them, Traveler. I know we’re seeing the city for free, but they’re only $20.
Parks
This is the end of the tour, Traveler, but we’re not quite finished yet. According to the Parks Department website, Philadelphia has one of the oldest parks and recreation departments in the United States by William Penn himself!
There are parks all over the city, including the five public squares designed by William Penn. Welcome Park’s mural has a timeline that teaches Travelers like you about William Penn and how he developed the city. There are markers located all over these parks and squares. There are benches, vendors, water fountains, and even the occasional restroom! (thankfully)
But my favorite parks are the dog parks, such as the Schuylkill River Park. They have designated zones for pet owners to bring their dogs to interact with other dogs, get some exercise, and, in general, be dogs.
And dogs are always a free source of entertainment, Traveler. For the price, you can’t beat it, that price, of course, being $0.
And that’s it, Traveler! You just saw a 300-year-old city, its history, culture, and citizens completely free! You saw things that many other people on this Earth have never seen but want to so badly, and you did it for $0. We also took enough pictures to fill a photo album and make all your friends back home envious. And the best part about free Philadelphia is that it takes more than one day to see all of these things.
Never let anyone tell you that you can’t experience what life has to offer without any money. You just have to know where to look. And that’s what I’m here for. As your tour guide, I hope I’ve done a five-star job in showing you around.
You’re probably hungry, so save my gratuity for a cheesesteak.
(affiliate advertisement incoming)
If you’re looking to spend more than nothing on a guided tour, might I recommend the Big Bus tour of Philadelphia? This double-decker bus comes complete with a tour guide, pointing out locations that I might have missed and letting you off at points of interest throughout the tour. More information can be found through the Viator link posted here.
Until again,
Safe travels!
