Philadelphia is home to the largest public, landscaped park in the world, and the center of the city is dotted with well known urban squares. But there are some hidden gems around the city that don't receive nearly enough attention or acclaim. Here are Curbed's picks for Philly's six most underrated parks.
Read More:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48740115/curbed_placeholder.54.0.jpg)
Philly's Six Most Underrated Parks
View as Map
Bartram's Gardens
Bartram's Gardens is a botanical park, nature trail, and farm in Southwest Philadelphia. Though the park is only a short trolley ride away from Center City, it gets very little foot traffic.
Norris Square Park
Far from the well known public squares in Center City lies Norris Square, a charming green space right by the El. Mosaics adorn pillars, there's a basketball court, a pavilion, and the square is bordered on all sides by venerable old houses.
Shofuso Japanese House & Garden
This gorgeous recreation of a 17th century Japanese house has a Koi pond and tons of beautiful landscaping. It's a part of Fairmount Park that ought to see far more visitors than it does.
Race Street Pier
Though much fanfare was made about the creation of the Race Street Pier, it's cut off from the rest of the city by I-95. That shouldn't stop visitors, though, as the park offers great river views and free wifi.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park
Otherwise known as "The Lakes", FDR Park is a South Philly oasis complete with a skatepark, tennis courts, several lakes, a lagoon, and the Swedish American History Museum.
Awbury Arboretum
The Awbury Arboretum in Germantown is perhaps a ways away from Center City, but the historic mansion, secret garden, and wetlands on the grounds make it worth a visit.
© 2023 Vox Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Loading comments...