Philadelphia Bleisure Guide

Build some sight seeing, relaxation and exploration into your AFP 2022 experience. The City of Brotherly Love has so much to offer, which is probably why it’s one of only seven destinations (and one of only three in the U.S.) to make Condé Nast Travelers’ 2021 Gold List.

Below we’ve compiled some fun activities for you to check out before, during or after the conference, broken out by interest. Plus, here’s a list of fall activities that will be going on during the conference.

Foodies

With a multitude of award-winning chefs and restaurants, a wide spectrum of cultural diversity (including Italian, Israeli, Mexican, and Malaysian), and new restaurants popping up every day, the Philadelphia food scene is more than enough to delight any foodie’s palette.

• James Beard award-winning and nominated restaurants.
• 25 Things to Know About Philadelphia’s Food Scene.
• 40+ Black-owned Restaurants in Philadelphia.
• Reading Terminal Market – one of the oldest and largest in the country, it’s been continuously operating since 1893.
• The best food trucks and carts in Philadelphia.

Art & Culture Lovers

Compiling a list of all the art and culture there is to see and experience in Philadelphia would be a full-time job. The city is bursting with public art — it made Travel + Leisure’s 2022 list of cities around the world with Must-see Public Art — museums, dance, theater and music. Here are some of the best guides to get you started.

• The Art Lovers’ Philadelphia itinerary.
• Philadelphia’s Museum Mile.
• Mural Arts Philadelphia – the nation’s largest public art program, and October is Mural Arts Month, during which there will be community events, panel discussions, artist spotlights and mural dedications.
• A guide to the performing arts in Philadelphia – purchase tickets to the ballet, symphony and theater.
• Powerful artwork by women and museums and galleries showcasing Black artists.
• Philadelphia Film Festival – buy your tickets now for this world-renowned annual event hosted at various locations, premiering everything from Oscar contenders to breakthrough local films.
• Can’t-miss museum and gallery exhibits in Philadelphia.

History Buffs

The city that birthed our nation and America’s first capital, Philadelphia is a fantastical world for history buffs — and our country’s first World Heritage City. The “most historic square mile in America,” Independence National Historical Park is comprised of historic houses, government buildings, museums, churches and cemeteries, all open and available for our history loving visitors.

• A Philadelphia itinerary for history buffs.
• A Guide to the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia.
• Honoring Black history in Philadelphia.
• Women’s History Trail in Philadelphia.
• U-2 Spy Planes & Aerial Archaeology exhibit at Penn Museum features declassified photos captured in the 1950s and 1960s by the world’s most famous spy planes.
• The Future Will Follow the Past: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History explores the transformative changes America has experienced since 2020, as well as the issues the country has been grappling with for decades, including antisemitism, racial violence, immigration, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights and more.

Sports Fanatics

Is there any sports fan quite like a Philly sports fan? These fans have been living through the ups and downs of their teams for over 100 years. Home of five major-league sports teams — basketball, football, hockey, baseball and soccer — plus a top-tier regatta, the world’s oldest relay meet, marathons and more, there is no shortage of activities for sports fanatics in Philly.  

• Tickets to sporting events in Philadelphia.
• The Museum of Sports.
• Top Philadelphia sports bars.
• Visit one of Philadelphia’s many sports venues.
• Attend the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta, Oct. 29-30 – the largest rowing race in Philadelphia and one of the largest in the U.S.

Shopaholics

Retail therapy is easily supported in Philadelphia from high-end fashion to vintage and independent boutiques, there is something to meet everyone’s taste, budget and look. And FYI, clothing and shoes are tax-free in Philly — how’s that for some brotherly love?

• The best places to shop in Philadelphia.
• Shop Black- and Brown-owned businesses and Asian-owned shops and boutiques.
• Where to score vintage and antique furnishings.
• The best vintage clothing stores in Philadelphia.
• Macy’s Center City and the Shops at Liberty Place.

Night Owls

For those of you who want to get out and enjoy the night, Philadelphia offers rooftop bars, outdoor beer gardens, fancy cocktails, dive bars, live music and dancing, so no, you don’t have to go home — you night owls can stay out all night.

• Nightlife in Philadelphia – your guide from Visit Philadelphia.
  
• The Greater Philadelphia Craft Beer Trail.
• Spruce Street Harbor Park – “one of the most romantic places to visit in Philadelphia at night.”
• 25 Fun Things to Do in Philadelphia at Night.
• Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary – buy your tickets now for this incredible event that includes two haunted houses, four immersive walk-through environments, two live performances, four themed bars and lounges, and a new Steve Buscemi-narrated audio tour.

Did we miss something? Learn more about all there is to do in Philly on Visit Philadelphia. And for an itinerary that goes full tourist or, on the other extreme, takes you off the beaten path to the unexpected …