Benjamin Franklin Parkway Gears Up to Celebrate Centennial

One of Philadelphia’s best-known and most scenic thoroughfares is about to celebrate its 100th birthday. The Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which has been referred to as the Champs-Élysées of Philadelphia (it was modeled after the famous French landmark), will hit its centennial next year in October. But the attitude of the Philly tourism board is… why wait another fourteen months to start celebrating? Let the good times roll! Accordingly, the city is feting the Parkway with with art installations, exhibitions, and parties beginning this September.

The gorgeous Benjamin Franklin Parkway is a one-mile stretch of some of the best of Philadelphia’s cultural offerings. ©B. Krist/Visit Philadelphia

Lonely Planet recently wrote up a piece on the imminent celebrations. “Our beloved Parkway is better-than-ever at 100,” president and CEO of Visit Philadelphia, Meryl Levitz, told the website and tour guide-publisher. “It’s a tree-lined who’s-who of art, culture and science and home to some of the city’s biggest events.” The Parkway winds around City Hall and runs one mile to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Major events frequently shut down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to traffic and turn it into a huge gathering place: think the Pope’s visit and the NFL Draft.

One of the first events on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway is the kickoff to the “Parkway 100: We Are Connected Festival” on September 8th. On that date, a large number of the City of Brotherly Love’s best museums will be offering either free or pay-as-you-wish admission between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. Museums involved in the event include the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, The Barnes Foundation, the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, the Eastern State Penitentiary, the Fairmount Water Works, The Franklin Institute, Moore College of Art and Design, the Parkway Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and The Rodin Museum.

Also on September 8th during the “We Are Connected Festival:” 100 activities, like performances, tours, and giant connect-the-dots puzzles to name a few.

It’s sure to be an exciting 14 months!