Alongside its vast array of historic sites, vibrant neighbourhoods and prestigious museums, the U.S. city of Philadelphia will welcome several new tourism developments in 2018, making this year the perfect time for both first-time visitors and repeat travellers alike to plan a trip to America’s first World Heritage City.
Exciting openings and developments in the East Coast city of Philadelphia this year include the multi-functional public community space of Cherry Street Pier on the Delaware River waterfront and the hotly anticipated Fashion District Philadelphia, which will offer 838,000 square feet of retail, dining and entertainment space. For foodies, this year will see the renovation of The Bourse, a historic steel-framed building, into a trendy 24,000-square-foot food court. The Penn Museum, one of the world’s greatest research museums, will also undergo major renovations to most of its gallery space in 2018 and this will include the opening of a suite of new Middle East Galleries on 21 April.
Openings and developments in 2018 include:
Cherry Street Pier To Open In Late Spring
Philadelphia’s 93-year-old Municipal Pier 9 on the Delaware River waterfront will be transformed into Cherry Street Pier, a vibrant, multi-functional public community space. Set to open in late spring 2018, Cherry Street Pier will feature four zones of activity; The Hub, a food and beverage venue at the entrance to the pier; The Garage, a collaborative working space featuring shared offices and studios built out of re-purposed shipping containers; The Platform, an open programmable space for pop-up retail markets, art installations and public events; and The Garden, an open-air park and café with views of the Delaware River.
Fashion District Philadelphia
Taking up residence in the former Gallery at Market East, Fashion District Philadelphia is due to open in 2018. Conveniently connected to Philadelphia’s famous Reading Terminal Market, the Pennsylvania Convention Center and the largest regional rail hub in the city, Fashion District Philadelphia will offer 838,000 square feet of retail, dining space and entertainment. Spanning three blocks, the immersive and metropolitan shopping centre will include national retailers as well as a dine-in movie theatre with reclining seats. Adding to the Market Street redevelopment is East Market, a distinctive, mixed-use space with retailers and restaurants.
First Renovations At Penn Museum to Open on 21 April 2018
The internationally renowned Penn Museum at the University of Pennsylvania is undergoing major renovations over the next year to dramatically transform its Main Entrance Hall, with plans to renew more than 75% of gallery space and to add amenities for visitors’ comfort, including renovation to the historic Harrison Auditorium and surrounding galleries. Founded in 1887, the Penn Museum is arguably one of the world’s greatest archaeology and anthropology research museums, and the largest university museum in the United States. The renovation plans also include the reinstallation of most of the 130-year-old Museum’s signature galleries, and the first to be completed will be a suite of new Middle East Galleries which is due to open on 21 April. Admission to the Penn Museum costs from £11 ($15) for adults and from £7 ($10) for children.
Philadelphia Bourse to Open in Summer 2018
The historic Bourse, which served as an exchange building from 1891 to 1960, will turn into The Bourse Marketplace, a trendy 24,000-square-foot food court with ethnic fare prepared by local chefs. Scheduled to open in summer 2018, the renovation of this historic steel-framed building will aim to provide a true showcase of Philadelphia, by accommodating new, local artisanal vendors alongside neighbourhood businesses with established roots.
