Popular Philadelphia Arts Destinations

By Helen Georgette

Philly is known as the City of Brotherly Love. It's the birthplace of American democracy, the home of the cheesesteak and some great sports groups like the Phillies, the Eagles and the Flyers. Home of the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, Philadelphia is rich with early American history. Philadelphia is also the home of a world class collection of museums and cultural establishments.Philadelphia Fine Arts and Museums

The Philadelphia arts scene is comprised of history rich museums, fine arts destinations and contemporary arts museums and musical establishments, many art galleries, intellectual destinations and live performance venues. The mecca of the fine arts in Philadelphia is the Parkway Museum District, a 2.4 mile stretch that runs from LOVE Park thru Logan Square to the entrance to Fairmont Park. A ramble along this grand boulevard takes one past the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, The Franklin Institute, Moore College of Art & Design, the Rodin Museum and the Academy of Natural Sciences, ending at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Natural history and the sciences, classical art and sculpture and modern contemporary art are all represented in the diverse selection of notable cultural establishments housed in the Parkways Museum District.Modern Art in Philadelphia

The Philadelphia arts scene cannot be restricted to the Parkways District. The Arthur Ross Gallery and The Institute of Contemporary Art are both major examples of arts in Philadelphia. Other outstanding museums include the Penn Museum, the Philadelphia History Museum and the Wells Fargo Science Park. The city of Philadelphia is also base for a wide variety of ethnic museums including The Polish American Cultural Center Museum, the American Swedish Historical Museum, the African American Museum, the National Museum of Jewish History and the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies.Philadelphia Opera

Philadelphia's collection of museums alone would provide a visitor with several days worth of entertainment, but the cultural attractions can not be limited strictly to museums. Philadelphia is a world class cultural destination and has high a quality of diverse offering of activities. Fans of classical music and opera will enjoy orchestral performances at the Mann Center and The Opera Company of Philadelphia performing at the Kimmel Center. The city boasts a number of other opera corporations and locales too , including City Center Opera, ConcertOPERA Philadelphia, the Curtis Opera Theater and Temple University Opera Theater. The Walnut Street Theater offers live theater productions ofdramas, comedies, Broadway musicals and independent productions for all audiences.Philadelphia Local Art Scene

A bunch of colleges call Philadelphia home including Temple University, St. Joseph's University, LaSalle University and Drexel University, among many others. The presence of so many tutorial establishments contributes mightily to the excitement, the "buzz" one feels all over Phily. Fine arts in Philadelphia, additionally to all the above, include a colorful music and coffeehouse scene, photograph and art gallery scene, performing arts schools and venues. The city is also a regular stop on the lecture tour of outstanding speakers and performance artists.

About the Author:

Helen Georgette has been interested in Philadelphia arts for many years. She has written op-eds and editorial pieces for many online publications, which can often be seen here.