You’ve whizzed through the prerequisite tourist spots. Now show them what Philly is really about.
The brothers behind The Franklin Fountain ice cream parlor spent more than a year restoring the oldest candy store in the country to its original glory. White-gloved staff wait on you as you browse gumdrops, Turkish delights straight from Istanbul, and childhood classics.
Shane Confectionery, 110 Market Street (215-922-1048 or shanecandies.com).
If your pal turns her nose up at the ubiquitous citywide special (a shot of whiskey with a PBR back), impress her with pre-Prohibition cocktails or get her loopy on a bowl of punch.
The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co., 112 South 18th Street (267-467-3277 or thefranklinbar.com).
With more than 1,000 acres of green — plus a conservatory, seasonal exhibits, and an indoor children’s garden — it’s worth the drive. We bet Grandma gushes to quilting square friends about the fountain and fireworks show.
Longwood Gardens, 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square (610-388-1000 or longwoodgardens.org).
Follow a trip to Longwood Gardens with a bite at this cafe. A reservation at the chef’s table dinner can be hard to come by, but everyone can enjoy sandwiches and baked goods at the market.
Talula’s Table, 102 West State Street, Kennett Square (610-444-8255 or talulastable.com).
Public art brightens nearly every corner of the city. Get the story behind the scene via bike, trolley, and walking tours.
Mural Arts Program (215-685-0750 or muralarts.org).
Aunt Sally might be content to turn in early, but your cousin expects a night on the town. Remind him you’re the coolest in the clan when you take him to hear indie acts like Best Coast and Sebadoh.
Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden Street (215-232-2100 or utphilly.com).
Pile in the car for a nature extravaganza. Mosey through flowers and quack at swans, then scamper through the Out on a Limb exhibit. Bonus: It’s open every day of the year.
Morris Arboretum, 100 East Northwestern Avenue (215-247-5777 or business-services.upenn.edu).
Gather around the communal table and wolf down pies made with organic toppings from nearby locations like North Slope Farm. The fontina-shiitake variety is downright addictive. Film screenings at the restaurant solve the dinner-or-a-movie dilemma.
Nomad Pizza, 611 South Seventh Street (215-238-0900 or nomadpizzaco.com).
Take friends who can’t bear to miss their Sunday jogs for a run along the riverside path (dogs are welcome). During warm weather, flop on a blanket at outdoor movies or paddle a kayak down the Schuylkill.
Find locations at schuylkillbanks.org.
Dad wants a sub; Mom wants a slice of Pennsylvania Dutch shoofly pie. Food stalls in the mazelike structure satisfy their disparate tastes.
Reading Terminal Market, 51 North 12th Street, at Arch Street (215-922-2317 or readingterminalmarket.org).
Crowd a table with small plates and pizza at Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran’s ode to Mediterranean cuisine (if the wait is long, bide your time at Verde, the adjacent boutique). After dinner, split a jar of salty-sweet budino (or take it to go if you’re on carb overload).
Barbuzzo, 110 South 13th Street (215-546-9300 or barbuzzo.com).
Wander the prison where Al Capone did time. You can stop by all year round, but visitors flock during annual events like the storming of the Bastille reenactment (Tastykakes rain from the sky) and haunted house.
Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Avenue (215-236-3300 or easternstate.org).
Who doesn’t love Monet and running the Rocky steps? After you hit the Philadelphia Museum of Art, see installations and exhibits by cutting-edge talent.
Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, 118 South 36th Street (215-898-7108 or icaphila.org).
Filled with toys, artifacts, and textiles, the newly renovated space highlights the stories of the city. Let Grandpa linger as long as he likes over Phillies memorabilia.
Philadelphia History Museum, 15 South Seventh Street (215-685-4830 or philadelphiahistory.org).
Mom still talks about the seats you snagged for Wicked. This time around, expose her to edgier material.
The Wilma Theater, 265 South Broad Street (215-546-7824 or wilmatheater.org).
If your sis excelled at dissecting frogs, she’ll be able to stomach the collection of skulls, Victorian medical instruments, and organs preserved in jars.
Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, 19 South 22nd Street (215-563-3737 or collegeofphysicians.org)
You both brought down the house in that summer stock production of Annie. Reminisce about your acting chops while watching original and Broadway performances at the oldest theater in the country.
Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut Street (215-574-3550 or walnutstreettheatre.org).
The new campus has earned quite the buzz. Reserve tickets early to peruse Postimpressionist and modern paintings, African sculptures, and Native American textiles. Come late summer, wander the Merion site’s twelve-acre arboretum.
The Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway (215-278-7000); 300 North Latch’s Lane, Merion (610-667-0290 or thebarnesfoundation.org).
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