Although Philadelphia is known as the City of Brotherly Love, it is still a great place for couples to visit for romance. There are so many restaurants, tours, and museums, you could spend a week in Philly and not run out of things to do. If you add in the surrounding counties, you could spend months keeping busy.
My husband and I live in one of those surrounding counties, but we rarely get into the city. I was looking at Groupon the other day for fun things to do locally and ended up wandering off the site to search for romantic spots in Philadelphia. Here are the Top 5 romantic places to visit while in Philadelphia.
Boathouse Row
Boathouse Row is located on the east bank of the Schuylkill River and is north of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (where Rocky ran up the steps). The collection of boathouses is where rowing clubs keep their equipment and regattas are held every year.
If you visit during the day, you can enjoy the beautiful houses and stroll hand in hand with your sweetie along the river taking in the wonderful views. If you visit at night, the boathouses are lit up (as shown above) and make for a breathtaking view from the west bank. This is definitely a great place to sneak a kiss or two and take a romantic walk.
Love Letters Tour
Steve Powers’ A Love Letter for You is a collection of rooftop murals created as part of the Mural Arts Program of Philadelphia. It consists of 50 murals that express a love letter from a guy to a girl and speak “to all residents who have loved and for those who long for a way to express that love to the world around them.”
The best view of this collection is by taking the Market-Frankford elevated transit line. The Mural Arts Program conducts a Love Letters Tour that points them out as you ride along.
Race Street Pier
The Race Street Pier is part of the Delaware River Waterfront and sits in the shadow of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. During the day, it is a great place for a romantic picnic and lounging while watching the boats go by. They also hold events such as free yoga and weddings. At night, the Race Street Pier is a good place to see the lights of the bridge and the city of Philadelphia. As you can see in the photo above, it is quite romantic.
Whispering Benches
The Smith Civil War Memorial in Fairmount Park was erected to honor Pennsylvania heroes of the Civil War. At the base of each tower of the memorial is a curved wall with a bench. If you sit at one end and listen to a person whispering at the other end, you can hear them as if they are sitting right next to you! This is why they are called the Whispering Benches. This is a great place to whisper sweet nothings to your sweetheart and the park is a beautiful place to wander and enjoy the scenery.
LOVE Park
The John F. Kennedy Plaza, or LOVE Park as it is better known, is located near City Hall. The park is the home of the iconic LOVE sculpture by Robert Indiana. The sculpture sits in front of a pretty fountain and is a great place to get a photo of you and your sweetie. Make sure to arrive at the park hungry and take advantage of the awesome food trucks!
Note, as of the end of February 2016, the sculpture has been temporarily moved across the street to Dilworth Park so that updates can be made to LOVE Park and the welcome center that is in the same location. Updates should finish in Spring 2017.
Have you ever visited Philadelphia? Do you have any romantic spots to add to the list?
Elizabeth O. says
These are romantic, indeed! I love the love letters tour, I think it’s very sweet and creative as well. The other sights are just as amazing! I bet it will be an evening or a day full of love!