15 Spots to Watch the New Year's Eve Fireworks on the Parkway

The heart of the action, of course, is on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The gates to access the Parkway open at 6 p.m. for concertgoers eager to snag a great spot, with performances beginning at 8 p.m.

With the concert stage located in front of Eakins Oval, there are plenty of spaces to claim along the Parkway (which will be closed to vehicles).

Pro tip: Keep an eye on trees and obstructions to ensure your best view of the sky above the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

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. Expect crowds at this spot, but not as many as on the Parkway.

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.

A popular spot for families seeking relief in sweltering Philly summers, Sister Cities Park — midpoint of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway across Logan Circle — offers a fantastic view of the fireworks from the Parkway while also being a little bit removed from the crowds.

The site gets its name from the 11 spouting fountains (in much warmer months) that represent Philadelphia’s 11 sister cities. Robert Indiana’s tremendous sculpture AMOR sculpture, which calls the park home, makes for a perfect spot for NYE selfies or festive photos.

Two iconic urban Philly parks near Philadelphia City Hall offer line-of-sight views directly up the Benjamin Franklin Parkway toward the fireworks.

Better known as LOVE Park, John F. Kennedy Plaza serves as the grand entrance to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The pyrotechnics display should be viewable past Robert Indiana’s world-famous LOVE Statue, with plenty of bench and berm seating available.

Closer to City Hall, Dilworth Park should also offer views down the Parkway. Note that Winter at Dilworth Park programming (on City Hall’s west apron) is still in full swing.

Where better to view New Year’s Eve 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 offers plenty of space to spread out with some chairs or sit in your car to watch the show. Although away from the bustle on the Parkway, this spot often draws crowds for fireworks.

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. 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 many 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 the 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.

Martin Luther King Jr. Drive offers another excellent location to catch the fireworks show, especially between the Spring Garden Street Bridge and the 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.

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 the 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, the 2,000-foot-long Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk over-the-water pathway also makes a good spot to catch the show.

The boardwalk provides fabulous views of the fireworks (about a mile away) 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 that 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 the Philadelphia Zoo.

Across the Schuylkill River from Center City, the 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 remains 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.

Wednesday, December 31, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.

Dine above the clouds at Jean-Georges, one of Philadelphia’s top restaurants (literally), located inside the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia high atop the city’s tallest skyscraper.

The swanky restaurant pulls out all the stops to ring in the new year, beginning with a prix fixe tasting menu complete with wine pairings. The theme for this year’s celebration — Midnight in Havana — features Latin-inspired cuisine and live Cuban jazz.

The festivities continue with an after-dinner cocktail party with an open bar, more live music and dancing. The night ends with a champagne toast and stunning views of both the waterfront and Parkway fireworks shows.

Get the star treatment at this celebrity-style shindig at the Pyramid Club, 500 feet above the streets of Center City. The annual, lavish gala — held inside the penthouse of the BNY Mellon building — features a five-hour open bar, buffet stations and DJ sets.

Through the skyscraper’s 20-foot-tall floor-to-ceiling windows, take in sweeping views of local landmarks like City Hall and the Philadelphia Museum of Art and — maybe most importantly — views of both the Visit PA New Year’s Fireworks on the Waterfront and the Parkway fireworks show.

Tickets are required. Want to feel like a celeb? Upgrade to VIP status to skip the lines and enjoy reserved seating.

Toast the New Year like a VIP at the swanky terrace high atop The Logan, Philadelphia’s Hotel, offering stellar views (nine stories up!) of the fireworks over the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Reserve lounge space at Assembly’s New Year’s Eve party for you and nine friends as you enjoy a three-hour premium bar, champagne toast and a Glitter & Graze Board. Reservations are required. Email [email protected] to find out more.

If you’d like an extra-special space to see the fireworks, consider booking one of The Logan’s expansive rooms with a Parkway view.