Where to Watch the July 4th Fireworks in Philadelphia 2025

The heart of the action, of course, is on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The gates to access the Parkway (located at 20th Street by Logan Circle) open at 4 p.m. for those eager to snag a great spot, with the concert beginning at 7 p.m. and the fireworks display set to take place at approximately 9:30 p.m. The stage is located in front of Eakins Oval, but there are plenty of spaces to claim along the Parkway (which is closed to vehicles starting at 19th Street).

Keep an eye on trees and obstructions to ensure your best view of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Permitted items include food and non-alcoholic beverages, small coolers, chairs and blankets.

Just west of Eakins Oval is Paine’s Park, a gorgeous urban park and skate plaza along the Schuylkill River Trail known for its 30,000 square feet of rails, ledges, transitions and quarterpipes.

On July Fourth, the park becomes a sick spot to watch the fireworks overhead. For a true Philly shredder experience, arrive early and snag a seat on one of the repurposed original City Hall and LOVE Park skater benches. Or grab a spot on the adjacent grassy area or at the Schuylkill Banks Pergola.

Families often frequent Sister Cities Park, a refreshing paradise at the midpoint of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway with 11 spouting fountains (representing Philadelphia’s 11 sister cities) as its centerpiece. But its location across Logan Circle offers a fantastic view of the fireworks from the Parkway while also being a little bit removed from the crowds.

Arrive earlier in the day and relax while waiting for the show to begin by exploring the park’s pebble-bottom wading boat pond, landscaped hill, the nature-in-the-city Children’s Discovery Garden, the new Pollinator Garden and Sister Cities Café.

The two iconic urban Philly parks around Philadelphia City Hall offer outstanding line-of-sight views directly up the Benjamin Franklin Parkway toward the fireworks.

On City Hall’s west apron, Dilworth Park is a pedestrian-friendly concrete pocket park with fountains, green spaces, cafes and seating areas perfect for fireworks viewing right down the Parkway.

Across the northwest corner is John F. Kennedy Plaza — better known as LOVE Park — the grand entrance to the Parkway. The pyrotechnics display is viewable past Robert Indiana’s world-famous LOVE Statue, with plenty of bench and berm seating.

Where better to view July Fourth fireworks — and the gorgeous Philly skyline — than from what the old Fairmount Park Commission called, “Philadelphia’s most scenic overlook”? Part of West Fairmount Park in West Philly, Belmont Plateau rises 243 feet over the Schuylkill River two miles northwest of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The 125-acre park’s amenities include picnic tables, cross-country running trails, athletic fields and a clearing of green lawn which offers plenty of space to spread out on a blanket and enjoy the show from above the bustle.

The knoll in East Fairmount Park known as Lemon Hill is home to an eponymous historic mansion (one of the “Park Charms”) that dates back to 1799, featuring Federal-style architecture and beautifully landscaped grounds 124 feet over the Schuylkill River.

The area is a prime vantage point for watching the fireworks, with plenty of space to set up lawn chairs and blankets. Good spots to gather include the grassy berm a couple hundred feet to the east, along the walking path to Kelly Drive or back around Lemon Hill Park and Picnic Area.

There are countless spots offering excellent views of the fireworks display down the segment of the Schuylkill River Trail along Kelly Drive, primarily the section running from the Philadelphia Museum of Art north to Girard Avenue Bridge (see below).

For prime locations, check out the grassy areas along the river edge west of Boathouse Row, the terraces north and south of the Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial, and in the fields on either side of Sedgley Drive at the intersection with Kelly Drive by the Abraham Lincoln statue.

Another excellent location to catch the show is along the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive sidewalk between Spring Garden Street Bridge and Girard Avenue Bridge opposite the Schuylkill River from Kelly Drive.

MLK Drive offers fantastic views of the fireworks display — and the 6,400 LED lights illuminating Boathouse Row. There are great spots to set up all along the riverside bike path and its grassy berms, particularly the visitor overlook above the Fairmount Fish Ladder at the Fairmount Dam. (Please note: Segments of the road and pathway may be detoured for construction.)

The 1.5-mile segment of the Schuylkill River Trail known as Schuylkill Banks — hugging the river’s eastern shore from Fairmount Water Works to near Grays Ferry Crescent — offers a bevy of grassy areas, benches and pergolas that provide a comfortable view of the fireworks.

Two fantastic spots from which to watch the pyrotechnics include the embankment at Schuylkill Banks Lawn (accessible from the Chestnut and Walnut Street bridges as well as from Locust Street) and the berm at the Cherry Street overlook (just south of the Race Street entrance) surrounding Walker Hancock’s Air sculpture.

Just south of the Schuylkill Banks Lawn is the 2,000-foot-long Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk over-the-water pathway carrying the elevated Schuylkill River Trail from Locust Street to the South Street Bridge.

Fabulous views of the fireworks show (just over a mile away) are available from anywhere along the 15-foot-wide riverside promenade but particularly from one of five scenic overlooks along the boards, each offering a variety of benches. For a different view, try the top of the 460-foot-long ramp or the two-story staircase which leads from the Boardwalk up to South Street.

One of the most unexpected views of both Center City and the fireworks show lies 50 feet above the center of the Schuylkill River. The midpoint of the south-facing pedestrian footpath across the Girard Avenue Bridge features a spectacular uninterrupted view framed by the skyline straight downriver toward the fireworks site.

Pedestrian access on the east side of the bridge starts at the intersection of Girard Avenue and Sedgley Drive off the Schuylkill River Trail and from the west side at 34th Street by the main entrance of Philadelphia Zoo.

Across the Schuylkill River from Center City, 1.3-acre Drexel Park in University City is an urban green space built over a former industrial site. Opened in 2008, the tree-lined park is a favorite hangout for Drexel University students and Powelton Village residents and visitors.

It also may be the best spot in West Philadelphia to catch the fireworks show. Grab a bench by one of the many cherry trees or set up on the lawn to view the display, as well as incredible skyline views.

For those without acrophobia (and possibly with enochlophobia), some of the best spots to experience the fireworks are high above the city from one of Center City’s elevated or rooftop restaurants, bars and hotel floors, including a couple with special sky-high viewing events.

• Assembly Rooftop Lounge: The swanky terrace atop The Logan, Philadelphia’s Hotel, is offering a Fourth of July Fireworks Viewing Party from 7 to 11 p.m. (reservations required). Along with one of the best vantage points for the fireworks from nine stories up, the event also offers hors d’oeuvres, chef-curated food stations, a dessert buffet and a four-hour open bar.

• Loews Philadelphia Hotel: Spend a high-society evening of fireworks and fun at the four-diamond hotel with the special Red, White & Views package. Watch the pyrotechnics show from an exclusive party (food and one drink ticket included) held 33 stories up on the meeting room floor and its open-air terrace, then retire to a premium high-floor guestroom. Also included: free parking and late checkout.

• More Rooftops and High Rises: You don’t need a special event to watch the display from above the crowds, as Philly offers a number of elevated and rooftop spaces where you can dine, drink or stay under the fireworks glow. Check out bars like J.G. SkyHigh Lounge atop Comcast Technology Center and the rooftop patio at Victory Brewing Philadelphia, or reserve an upper-floor room at a Center City hotel. Contact individual locations for reservations and viewability.