Free Things to Do in Philadelphia: Summer 2024 Guide

Philadelphia lists more than 200 public art installations and 10,000 acres of maintained parkland available at no charge to anyone with a SEPTA pass or a pair of walking shoes.

Local budgets have tightened after recent state aid adjustments, pushing many households to seek low-cost weekend plans that still deliver the neighborhoods and landmarks that define the city. The timing aligns with longer daylight hours and fewer school commitments for families who live in South Philadelphia, Fishtown and University City.

Independence National Historical Park offers timed entry to the Liberty Bell Center and adjacent buildings without fees, while the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation department runs free summer programs at the Schuylkill River Trail entrance near 25th Street. The Mural Arts Philadelphia organization maintains self-guided routes through more than 60 blocks of painted walls in the Kensington section alone.

History and Parks on Foot

Residents start at Washington Square at 6th and Walnut Streets, where the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier sits among 200-year-old trees, then continue two blocks to the free reading room at the Free Library of Philadelphia on Vine Street. The Schuylkill Banks boardwalk adds a flat 3-mile loop that connects to Bartram’s Garden, a 50-acre riverside site that stays open daily until dusk with no entry cost.

City data from 2025 shows 4.2 million visits to Fairmount Park trails last year, with the highest numbers recorded on weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Trail counters installed by the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation recorded an average of 1,800 daily users on the path between Spring Garden Street and the Ben Franklin Bridge.

Street Art Routes That Cost Nothing

Walkers following the Mural Arts map from 2nd Street to Front Street pass works completed in 2023 and 2024, including the 60-foot “Unity” piece at Norris and Hope Streets. The same route ends at the Reading Viaduct park entrance at 11th and Callowhill, where elevated gardens and benches remain open without charge from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Residents who want to begin this weekend can download the free Mural Arts app for offline maps and check the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation website for any temporary trail closures before heading out.