The great city of Philadelphia has much to offer all year-round when it comes to activities, events and destinations such as iconic landmarks of American history. However, the cityscape itself is a major-label attraction, structured as it is with some of the tallest buildings in the country, laced by the handsome flows of the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers and boasting no shortage of showstopper skyline sightlines.
Finding the most scenic spots can often require research and planning, so here are the 11 top views in Philadelphia, from rooftop parks and lounges to observation decks and parkland knolls.
1. Philadelphia City Hall Observation Deck
- Address/Location: 1400 John F. Kennedy Blvd.
- Visiting Info: Numerous nearby parking garages.
When it comes to finding the best scenic spots in Philadelphia, it’s hard to beat the panorama available from the loftiest open-air observation deck in town. That’s the glass-barriered vantage, nearly 550 feet above street level, at the feet of the William Penn statue atop the Philadelphia City Hall tower: the tallest load-bearing masonry structure in the world and mightiest municipal building in the country, mind you.
Gazing down at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and around to other Philly skyscrapers, you’ll be treating yourself to an unforgettable overview of the City of Brotherly Love. Guided tours of the tower, including the observation deck, are on offer for those interested.
2. Cira Green
- Address/Location: 129 S. 30th St.
- Visiting Info: Open seven days a week. Parking garage available.
Perched 12 floors and some 90 feet up in the air atop a parking garage in the Cira Centre South high-rise complex, Cira Green is the Universal City district’s “Park in the Sky”. It serves as an eco-conscious spot offering food and drinks, outdoor games, movies and dog-friendly spaces sprawling more than an acre. The dazzling views spanning eastward to the bristling skyline of Center City and westward over West Philly turn this high-standing greenspace into something magical.
3. The “Rocky Steps” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Address/Location: 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy
- Visiting Info: Nearby street & garage parking.
Join the masses in running up the famous stone stairway in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art—the same climbing jog Sylvester Stallone famously performed in Rocky—and admire the stirring cityscape backdrop at the top. Feel free to commemorate the moment with a photo and pump your fists in the air as you do so, just like Rocky.
4. Belmont Plateau
- Address/Location: 1800 Belmont Mansion Drive, West Fairmount Park
- Visiting Info: Free lot parking
The grassy height of Belmont Plateau in West Fairmount Park stands nearly 250 feet above the Schuylkill River and delivers romantic sightlines to the city skyline. Consider visiting during magic-hour for the softest light and romantic vibes.
5. Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk
- Address/Location: East bank of the Schuylkill River between Locust & South streets
- Visiting Info: Nearby street parking available.
Opened in 2014 as part of the Schuylkill River Trail, the 2,000-foot-long Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk forms a wide concrete pathway out over the slow roll of the Schuylkill. This on-the-water thoroughfare serves up wonderful views of the Center City and West Philly skylines and links to the South Street Bridge, which serves up its own thrilling panoramas.
6. Jean-Georges & SkyHigh Bar (Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia)
- Address/Location: 1 N. 19th St.
- Visiting Info: Walk-in & reservation patronage.
Combine an incredibly scenic Philadelphia view with fine dining or classy drinks courtesy of the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia’s connected top-floor restaurant, Jean-Georges and lounge, SkyHigh Bar.
Located on the top floors of the 60-story Comcast Technology Center—the tallest building in the United States outside of New York City and Chicago—these establishments offer guests an exceptional dining experience with some of the finest views available in the country. From the 1,121-foot elevation, guests can enjoy panoramic vistas through expansive 40-foot windows. This vantage point is, in fact, the highest public observation point in Philadelphia.
7. Laurel Hill East Cemetery Overlook
- Address/Location: Laurel Hill East (main cemetery entrance: 3822 Ridge Ave)
- Visiting Info: Cemetery grounds free & open daily to the public.
Overlooking Kelly Drive just a short ways south of its intersection with W. Hunting Park Drive, a stone-walled overlook within the historic cemetery grounds of Laurel Hill East presents a stirring scene over the Schuylkill River to the Strawberry Mansion Bridge and the green heights of West Fairmount Park along the opposite bank. This is one of the more out-of-the-way contenders for the nicest views in Philadelphia and getting here encourages a reflective stroll among the Gothic tombstones.
8. Race Street Pier
- Address/Location: Race St. & N. Columbus Blvd.
- Visiting Info: Open daily (7 AM-11 PM) year-round. On the Delaware River Trail.
A highlight of Philadelphia’s Delaware River Waterfront, the Race Street Pier is a beautifully designed and landscaped R&R zone set right below the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Amphitheater-style seating staggers down between the Pier’s upper “grand sky promenade” and a lower lawnscape terrace, all of it backdropped by views of the soaring bridge and the Center City skyline—and all within arm’s reach of the mighty Delaware. It’s a breeze, too, to combine some downtime on the Race Street Pier (which comes lit-up at night) with the bustling Cherry Street Pier just south.
9. Benjamin Franklin Bridge
- Address/Location: 243R N. 5th St.
- Visiting Info: Pedestrian-accessible. Metered street parking near walkway entrances.
The Ben Franklin Bridge connects Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey, with its pedestrian walkway providing an outstanding viewpoint. Elevated more than 130 feet above the Delaware River, it offers a magnificent view of the broad, tidal river and the city skylines of both states that flank it.
10. Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center
- Address/Location: West Fairmount Park
- Visiting Info: Admission charged.
Most of the top views in Philadelphia on this list are long-range and sweeping. However, some of the loveliest settings are more intimate and closed-in, as demonstrated by West Fairmount Park’s Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center. Built in 1953 in Japan and shipped to the U.S., Shofuso’s 17th-century-style traditional Japanese house koi pond present a serene gardenscape that’s especially transfixing during cherry-blooming season.
11. Assembly Rooftop Lounge (The Logan, Philadelphia’s Hotel)
- Address/Location: 1 Logan Square
- Visiting: Walk-ins welcome, though reservations are recommended.
Head up to the crown of The Logan and toast over a scene-setting panorama, sweeping from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to the Ben Franklin Parkway from Assembly Rooftop Lounge.
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