Copied to Clipboard
Dilworth Park
Located at the foot of City Hall, Dilworth Park is a modern and welcoming outdoor space, reestablishing William Penn’s original Center Square as a gathering place for all Philadelphians.
The 120,557-square-foot public space has created a dynamic and accessible hub for pedestrians, commuters and visitors.
The 2014 redesign of Dilworth Park made the underutilized concrete plaza into a green, pedestrian-friendly public space with new plantings, lawns, a programmable fountain, a cafe with outdoor seating and two iconic glass entrances to the underground concourse.
Additionally, SEPTA transit lines are accessible with elevators and stairs, sheltered by cool-looking clear glass headhouses, that connect the surface streets with entrances to the Market-Frankford and Broad Street Lines and transit hub below.
Dilworth Park hosts an array of events for all ages throughout the year. — Photo by Visit Philadelphia
A multifaceted space, Dilworth Park includes an enormous Great Lawn, an outdoor café, a computer-programmable fountain, a performance space and activity areas for outdoor markets and an ice-skating rink in season.
A plaza café located along the JFK Boulevard side of the park brings a welcome opportunity to take in the park while enjoying a regional menu created by Brûlée Catering. The café serves snacks, sandwiches and salads. Adjacent to the café, the Air Grille offers American fare like cheesesteaks and buffalo chicken wraps.
On the other end of the park, the Starbucks Kiosk serves up coffee and light bites.
Pulse, an immersive public art installation by renowned artist Janet Echelman, tracks the city’s underground transport in real time. The installation sends a colorful dry mist upwards from Dilworth Park’s fountain space at night each time the trains move below for passersby to observe and interact with.
Also, there are four tree groves located in the park, providing much-appreciated shade in the center of Philadelphia.
In the winter, visitors lace up a pair of skates and take to the ice at the Rothman Institute Ice Rink in the shadow of City Hall. Guests can warm up and fill up on snacks, cocktails, beer and hot drinks in the Rothman Institute Cabin, or take a stroll through the Wintergarden.
In the warmer months, guests can take an outdoor fitness class, enjoy a musical performance at lunchtime or catch a free movie screening on the lawn.
Visitors take to the ice at the Rothman Institute Ice Rink. — Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia
There is no cost of admission to visit Dilworth Park.
The Visit Philly Overnight Package — booked more than 190,000 times since 2001 — comes with free hotel parking (worth up to $100 in Center City Philadelphia), overnight hotel accommodations and choose-your-own-adventure perks.