Things To Do
Hour to spare?
With an hour, grab a Sour Cherry & Sea Salt Cookie at Metropolitan Bakery and stroll through nearby Rittenhouse Square Park, the leafy center of the city's most exclusive neighborhood. In this park named for astronomer David Rittenhouse — and planned by William Penn himself — there are several noteworthy sculptures, including the allegorical Lion Crushing a Serpent and the more whimsical Duck Girl. For a classic photo op, head a few blocks north to Love Park, where Robert Indiana's iconic LOVE statue is of course thematically relevant during any wedding weekend.
Half Day to Spare?
Philadelphia's Magic Gardens is an explosion of creativity, an indoor/outdoor museum of mosaics created by artist Isaiah Zagar from handmade tiles, glass bottles, bicycle wheels, mirrors and more. After taking it all in, explore South Street's eclectic mix of galleries, cafes and indie shops. One of the oldest and largest public markets in the country, Reading Terminal Market is meant to be visited with an empty stomach and a sense of curiosity. It offers a smorgasbord of delicious foods to try, including soft pretzels, barbecue chicken, Philly cheesesteaks and whoopie pies.
Full Day to Spare?
Spend a day museum hopping through some of Philadelphia's diverse offerings, from the Barnes Foundation, stocked with impressionist, post-impressionist and modern art, to the medically minded Mütter Museum, filled with fascinating anatomical specimens, to Eastern State Penitentiary, a prison turned National Historic Landmark that once housed famed gangster Al Capone. For a quaint day trip outside the city, head an hour north to Bucks County's New Hope, an artsy town on the Delaware River. Don't miss the 19th-century storefronts along Main Street, the many colorful art galleries, or the famed Bucks County Playhouse, whose stage has been graced by the likes of Dick Van Dyke, Liza Minnelli, Robert Redford and Grace Kelly in its 80-plus years.