Broad Street is Philadelphia's grand central spine, celebrated for its landmark architecture, vibrant arts scene, and miles of neighborhood character stretching across Pennsylvania.
Broad Street runs nearly the full length of Philadelphia, tracing a path from the northern neighborhoods down through Center City and into South Philadelphia. At its geographic and symbolic center stands City Hall, a French Renaissance-inspired structure completed in the late nineteenth century and still one of the tallest masonry buildings in the United States.
The stretch known as the Avenue of the Arts draws visitors to a concentrated run of performance venues, including the Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music, one of the oldest grand opera houses in the country still in continuous use. Public sculptures and landscaped medians give this section a walkable, civic elegance.
South Broad Street shifts in character, becoming a neighborhood artery lined with restaurants, corner bars, and the kind of unpretentious energy that longtime Philadelphians call home. After a championship, this is where the city gathers to celebrate.
Broad Street rewards curiosity at every block, offering a cross-section of Philadelphia history, architecture, and daily life that few single streets anywhere can match.
Ride the Broad Street Line subway for a quick, affordable way to travel the full length of the avenue without losing time to traffic.
Visit during the Mummers Parade on New Year's Day to see one of Philadelphia's most colorful and long-standing civic traditions unfold along the route.
Stop at Reading Terminal Market, just steps from Broad Street, to sample local specialties like scrapple, soft pretzels, and Amish baked goods.
Bring comfortable shoes since the stretch between City Hall and South Broad Street rewards those who explore on foot block by block.
Check the Kimmel Center calendar before your trip to catch a performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra or a touring Broadway production.
Cruise Broad Creek with a naturalist captain and look for dolphins
Cruise Broad Creek with a naturalist captain on a private dolphin eco tour
Cruise Broad Creek on a private dolphin eco tour with a naturalist captain
Cruise Broad Creek on a private dolphin eco tour with a naturalist captain
Ride a guided jet ski tour through Hilton Head saltmarsh creeks
Cruise Broad Creek with a museum docent and look for dolphins and marsh wildlife
Cruise Broad Creek and watch for Atlantic bottlenose dolphins
Cruise Hilton Head at sunset and look for dolphins
Paddle Broad Creek and watch Shelter Cove Harbourfest fireworks from your kayak
Cruise Broad Creek at sunset, then watch Shelter Cove fireworks from the water