20+ Spots to Watch Fireworks on Philly's Delaware River Waterfront on June 28, 2025

The Delaware River waterfront’s season-long Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest features a rollerskating rink, Ferris wheel, mini-golf, games and carnival food along Penn’s Landing. And on Saturday, June 28, 2025, the warm-weather attraction hosts the patriotic U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” Concert performance.

Following the show, Summerfest is the launch site for the post-concert fireworks, so there’s no closer-up view of the pyrotechnics. Come early for fest fun and military ceremonial music, then stick around for the display skyward right above you. Admission is free; everything else is pay-as-you-go.

With its perfect position under the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, lush Race Street Pier is an amazing spot to watch the fireworks rise over the river. Catch the show from either the 12-foot-high upper terrace Grand Sky Promenade’s south-facing concrete bleachers or the lower terrace green space and seating area stretching to the jetty’s tip 600 feet out into the Delaware River.

Eager pyrotechnics enthusiasts should arrive early as space tends to fill up fast. Remember that alcohol is prohibited at the pier, but outside food and beverages are allowed.

Stretching 535 feet into the Delaware River, Cherry Street Pier (located next door to Race Street Pier) is a former industrial dock turned indoor/outdoor urban market that features artists-in-residence exhibiting original works, crafts merchants, and tasty food and drink options.

At the river edge of the marketplace is a 20,000-square-foot open-air urban garden under the pier’s historic steel trusses, offering stunning views and a perfect vantage point to gaze southward at the fireworks show.

Opened as an urban park in 2015, Pier 68 is a verdant green public fishing pier, picnic spot and nature oasis jutting 430 feet into the Delaware River in Pennsport, marking the southern terminus of the Delaware River Trail. It’s a perfect spot from which to view the pyrotechnic display, as the pier’s native trees block the sight of nearby shopping malls and traffic.

Grab a spot on the grass at the Picnic Grove or on one of the pathside and river-end hammock-style stone benches and gaze north to catch the fireworks display.

Located at Pier 53, eco-friendly Washington Avenue Pier and adjacent Washington Avenue Green offer gorgeous panoramas of the Philadelphia skyline and across the river from along the 550-foot jetty. Take the short tree-lined path out to the pierhead for a stunning vista up the river toward the fireworks display.

Get there early enough to snag a spot on the south side elevated boardwalk or up the 16-foot spiral staircase at the pier’s end that’s part of a 55-foot-tall public art sculpture called Land Buoy.

Warm-weather attraction Spruce Street Harbor Park (SSHP) on the Delaware River features a bevy of summery activities, a boardwalk with concessions, a beer garden, giant board games and plenty of spaces to chill.

Come for a free Summer Sounds Concert Series show from an Allman Brothers and Grateful Dead mash-up tribute band at 7 p.m., then find a spot along the waterfront to catch the fireworks. If you can get there early enough, grab a comfy viewing seat in one of the basin’s north-facing waterside Adirondack chairs or flat-bottomed net lounges above the river.

The seven-acre Penn Treaty Park, established in Fishtown in 1894, features a statue of William Penn, open green space, and hiking and dog-walking trails.

It also offers a fantastic vantage point from which to gaze southward toward the fireworks. BYO blanket and snacks.

The South Street Pedestrian Walkway — the foot-traffic-only bridge over Interstate 95 connecting South Street at Front Street with the Penn’s Landing area — is a great spot for near-direct line-of-sight fireworks viewing.

Take a seat on one of the curved concrete benches or peer through the wrought iron gates for a chill spot to view, or set up in the rotunda overlook at the east end for the best viewing angle. The walkway remains open during construction of The Park at Penn’s Landing (aka the I-95 CAP Park).

Philly’s New Year’s Eve fireworks are launched from a barge under a closed Ben Franklin Bridge. But not on June 28, 2025, making the Ben Franklin Bridge Pedestrian Walkway a one-of-a-kind spot for viewing Summerfest fireworks. Stroll halfway across the 1.5-mile elevated walkway for great views of the pyrotechnics from 135 feet above the Delaware River.

Paths run along both sides of the bridge, but alternate days of access. (Check the Delaware River Port Authority site for current status.) The west entrance is along Philly’s North 5th Street, with the east entrance on Camden’s North 5th Street.

Back at its Camden waterfront home after months of dry dock restoration, the historic Battleship New Jersey celebrates its homecoming with an Independence Day Fireworks watch event from 7:30 to 10 p.m.

View the fireworks display across the river from the forward deck of the nation’s largest and most decorated military warship for just $10. Before the show, enjoy live music, face painting for kids, and pay-as-you-go food and bar service. VIP tickets are available with free drinks, apps and viewing from the elevated Admiral’s and Captain’s decks.

Table games, slot machines and a massive sportsbook are among the offerings at Rivers Casino Philadelphia on the Fishtown riverfront. But without even dropping a single quarter, everybody wins when viewing the fireworks from the patio outside Jack’s Bar + Grill restaurant or along the Delaware River Trail at the back of the venue.

The trail paths are open to everyone, but visitors heading inside must be 21 or over.

Disembarking from Penn’s Landing, City Cruises’ 198-foot-long three-level yacht Spirit of Philadelphia — running locally for three decades — offers voyages on the Delaware River with incredible views of the city, along with cruise dining and entertainment.

Hop aboard the luxury vessel for a special event on fireworks night with the three-hour all-ages Philadelphia Fireworks Dinner Cruise featuring a chef-curated buffet, cash bar, fun games, dancing and a live DJ during the party on the open-air decks and comfortable indoor spaces. The special cruise boards from the City Cruises dock at 6:30 p.m.

Attached to the Independence Seaport Museum (see above), Liberty Point is Philadelphia’s largest restaurant, with space to seat 1,400 people across three levels. Opened in 2022, the bar and eatery offers 25,000 square feet of outdoor seating on multiple elevated decks with perfect views of the fireworks while vibing, dining and sipping.

Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations for tables during the fireworks display are strongly encouraged. Reserved seating is available at either outdoor high tops or low tops, with last seating at 9:30 p.m. The bar and tables in the bar area are first-come, first-served.

The world’s oldest and largest square-rigged ship still afloat, Moshulu is both a 120-year-old four-masted steel barque museum docked along the waterfront and a spectacular floating restaurant (and the only one anywhere aboard an original windjammer).

For the fireworks display, diners have a front-row seat while enjoying award-winning contemporary American cuisine or fresh air cocktails on the tall ship’s upper decks. Dining is open until 10 p.m., but deck seating is limited and reservations are required.

What would a pre-Independence Day fireworks spectacular be without a pre-Independence Day open-air party on the riverfront? A number of bars and restaurants offer alfresco beer-garden-style seating right on the water for a great vantage point of the show along with bites, drinks, dancing and lots of music. (Contact individual locations for reservations.)

• Cavanaugh’s River Deck: Located on the river next door to the former Festival Pier (between Noble Street and Callowhill Street), Cavanaugh’s River Deck is a lively bar and restaurant for sunny summertime dining, a romantic atmosphere, music, dancing and cocktails under the stars, plus ideal fireworks watching during Shore Thing Saturday (starting 8 p.m.) with DJ Eddie Ross and guest DJ J Rip.

• Morgan’s Pier: In the shadow of the Ben Franklin Bridge, long-time backyard beer garden favorite Morgan’s Pier serves up gourmet bar snacks, flatbreads and sandwiches by day, and hot nights of drinks and dancing at its two full bars and beer deck. The local party spot kicks off the evening fireworks party with DJ Kurteousy spinning from 5 to 9 p.m. and rolls on when the display is over from 10 p.m. to midnight with DJ Quigs.

• Winston On The Water: One of the newest nightlife destinations along the Delaware is Winston on the Water, perched above the river at the far end of the pier holding arcade fave Dave & Buster’s. From the folks that brought you The Winston sports bar in Northern Liberties, the “secret” dockside overlook offering specialty cocktails and fun eats is also a great location for those perfect fireworks selfies. Look for the glowing yellow neon smiley face.

True to its name, the Hilton Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing rises high above the Penn’s Landing basin with incredible views over the river. If you’re staying the night, inquire about select guest rooms that face the fireworks, particularly from high floors.

Or catch the fireworks from the hotel’s riverside walk by the dock or while enjoying locally inspired eats on Keating’s Rope & Anchor Bar + Kitchen’s harborside patio or through their large dining room windows (reservations suggested). Bonus: Bring a lock to add to the Philadelphia Hope Fence which runs along the exterior.

The Holiday Inn Express Penn’s Landing, directly across Columbus Boulevard from Cherry Street Pier, offers spectacular views of the Delaware River waterfront from select guest rooms throughout the hotel’s 10 floors.

Grab one of these spacious well-furnished accommodations, watch a colorful night of fireworks and wake up refreshed for breakfast at the complimentary Express Start Breakfast buffet and a run (or stroll) along the Delaware River Trail because you stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Occupying a two-century-old building across the Market Street Bridge, Penn’s View Hotel has operated as one of Old City’s most luxurious boutique hotels since opening in 1989. The European-style spot offers 51 guest rooms including some with private balconies, whirlpool tubs, fireplaces and front-row views of the fireworks.

Grab pre-pyrotechnics dinner and drinks at in-house Panorama Restaurant and its legendary Wine-by-the-Glass Program (largest in the country stocking over 800 wines) and custom cruvinet dispensing 120 wine options, the Guinness World’s Record-holder for largest wine preservation machine before heading out or up for the show.