Two Days in Philadelphia: What to Do With 48 Hours in Philly

Last month, we went on a little road trip and spent two days in Philadelphia, exploring the city and enjoying its rich history. Here’s how we spent our 48 hours in Philly.

Sometimes, an opportunity shows up that allows you to visit a city that you wouldn’t normally have a chance to see. This summer, we had a great excuse to visit Philadelphia when the Liverpool football club went on tour in the US. Liverpool is Jack’s favorite team, and he plays for a Liverpool-affiliated club, so we really had to make the trip to see them play. Philadelphia isn’t exactly close to Southwestern Ontario, but it’s a lot closer than England. We decided to stay an extra few nights and see the city a little bit since the kids, and I had never been, and Chris had only been there briefly one time before. It ended up being a perfect little summer road trip for our family, with something to suit everyone’s interests, from art to soccer to architecture. So here’s what we did with our two days in Philadelphia!

Traveling to Philadelphia

If you’re up for a long drive, the trip from Southwestern Ontario to Philadelphia is absolutely beautiful. We traveled through lush, green upstate New York and down through stunning Pennsylvania with its majestic mountains and rolling hills. We loved getting to see all the cute farmhouses and charming small towns along the way.

We made a stop at about the halfway mark in Corning, NY, which looked like such a lovely place. We grabbed a quick lunch and then headed over to the Rockwell Museum, which is a small, Smithsonian-affiliated museum located in a historic brick building located right downtown. We were impressed with their beautiful collection of art and friendly, welcoming atmosphere. We really enjoyed our time there, and I’d love to go back and spend a little more time in Corning one day.

Where We Stayed in Philadelphia

We booked a hotel at the Doubletree Center City, and the location was perfect for walking to all the various places we wanted to see, as well as for hopping on the Septa subway to get out to the stadium. I would definitely recommend staying in this hotel or another one in the immediate area for its proximity to city hall, Love Park, theatres, and restaurants. It’s about a fifteen-minute walk to the Liberty Bell area and about a thirty-minute walk down Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the Art Museum. The weather was extremely hot while we were there, and we never mind a nice walk, but if long walks aren’t your thing and the Art Museum is your priority, I would recommend staying somewhere a little closer to the museum or arranging for transportation.

Our room was surprisingly spacious and comfortable for a hotel in such a dense urban area. It had more than enough space for the four of us to spread out and relax, with a full-size sofa, desk, separate coffee and mini fridge area, and a large washroom with lots of counter space.

Where We Ate

We did a lot of fast food and snacks for our breakfasts and lunches since we were mostly on the go while we were out seeing the sights. We typically have a bit of a tough time finding a restaurant that suits everyone in our family, so often, we end up picking up whatever everyone likes from different take-out places or just living off fruit, nuts, granola bars, and things like that until we find something that works for everyone. We did have a couple of notable successes, though, that we were all very happy with. When we did sit down to eat at restaurants, we were so pleased to find that the service in Philadelphia was so warm and friendly everywhere we went, and that made things even better.

We walked over to Gatehouse from the stadium before the soccer game and had a great time. It was incredibly hot, so we sat inside, but they also had a really cute outdoor patio area complete with patio lights and picnic tables for a really festive summertime vibe. If the weather was a bit cooler, we definitely would have enjoyed sitting out there. Out of all the options that I saw for eating near the stadium, this one looked like the best by far for families in terms of menu and overall vibe. It was an upbeat, stylish, festive spot without being overly rowdy.

The next night, we were lucky enough to find Good Dog Bar downtown near our hotel. This place had more of a classic neighborhood pub feel, and it seemed to be just packed with locals meeting with friends for after-dinner drinks and dinner. The food was delicious and they had great options for the kids, several plant-based options for Chris and I, including a vegan cheesesteak, and happy tunes playing the whole time. The walls were, of course, covered in framed photos of various dogs, which was so fun. It was just what we were looking for after a long day of touring around, and we all had a great time.

What We Did

The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall

If you’re visiting Philadelphia for the first time, it’s pretty much a necessity that you go see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Washington Square, and all those other historical things. This area of the city is only a few blocks in diameter, so it’s pretty easy to see everything at a leisurely pace in a small amount of time. We arrived to the entrance to the Liberty Bell at about mid-morning, and the lines looked quite long, but they moved quickly, and we were into the complex with all the information about the bell as well as the bell itself in about 10 minutes. We walked by about an hour later, though, and saw that the line was thousands of people long, so it looks like arriving early is a very good idea, especially on a hot day, as there is no shade available where the line forms.

We entered into the park with the group of buildings that included Independence Hall after going through security and were able to get into the view of The Declaration of Independence without a line. I was interested to see Independence Hall, but we unfortunately didn’t do our research for that activity since it wasn’t really a main focus of our trip. Apparently, there is no line to join to get into Independence Hall, but tickets can be reserved online for $1 each, which makes sense since it keeps the flow of traffic through the hall to a reasonable amount and keeps people from forming long lines all around the park. Tickets seem to be reserved quickly when a new batch is released because there were none available for the same day. If seeing Independence Hall is a priority for you, make sure you reserve your tickets online in advance.

The Soccer Match at Lincoln Financial Field

The main purpose of our trip was to see the Liverpool vs. Arsenal game as the two teams were on tour in the US, and it was an opportunity for Jack to see his favorite team without having to travel across the world to see them. The game itself was fantastic, with Liverpool winning 2-1 over Arsenal and a sold-out stadium full of very enthusiastic fans for each side. We’ve found that often, with big sporting events like this, there will be some kind of entertainment set up outside of the stadium ahead of the game, with different mini-challenges, performances, and photo ops, but that wasn’t as much the case with this event. There was one mini stage set up outside the stadium where they were conducting interviews with Liverpool team staff and encouraging the most dedicated fans to sing along with each player’s individual song. (Liverpool fans are serious. They have a team song as well as a song that someone has made up for each of the top players, as I learned this day. It was quite a spectacle.)

The highlight of the match was definitely at the end when one of the star players, Mo Salah, came out onto the pitch to greet a handful of fans who had stuck around after the game and sign autographs. Jack wiggled his way down to the very front and was so close to getting an autograph! How fun for him to have the experience of seeing one of his favorite players right up close.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art

The art museum in Philadelphia was just stunning. If you enjoy art, especially art history, it should definitely be a priority for your trip. Be sure to set aside a whole day because the collection there is massive and it seems like the little rooms filled with unbelievable beauty just keep going and going. With Kennedy in art school, we knew we would enjoy the museum, but it was much more impressive than I expected it to be. It was done in an interesting way, combining architecture, art, and historical artifacts that made the pieces really come to life, so even Jack had a great time.

There was a main exhibit running on Mary Cassatt, who Kennedy actually studied last year, while we were there, so that was really great for her to be able to see all those pieces in person. I loved one piece so much that I had to buy a print of it in the gift shop on the way out. 🙂

I was so impressed by all the awe-inspiring gold frames and endless important old works on display including pieces by Monet, Van Gogh, Cezane, Matisse, Degas, Picasso and so many recognizable names that I didn’t necessarily expect to see. Even the museum cafe was great. We spent a little over two hours exploring the museum, but we definitely could have stayed longer if we could have gotten our legs to hold out after all of our walking.

The Architecture of Philadelphia

My favorite thing about what we saw of Philadelphia, by far, was the public art, the parks, and the architecture. In short, the city itself. There seemed to be beautiful historic buildings everywhere you turned, along with statues and public sculptures in front of many buildings and in well-designed parks dotting the downtown area.

City hall was a highlight with its open-to-the-public courtyard and the amazing Dilworth Park sitting right in its front yard with cafes and a huge fountain/splash pad taking up a large section. We even came across an opera performance happening one evening as we were walking through the park, which created a lovely atmosphere as people gathered around with lawn chairs to watch.

Love Park was also a must-see with its famous L-O-V-E art installation. It was great to see that this was another well-used park with another fountain/children’s splash pad, public seating, and many beautiful plantings all around.

I’m so glad we got the chance to visit Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this summer and see what it’s all about. Have you ever visited the city of brotherly love? What did you see when you were there?