The Top New Reasons to Visit Philadelphia in 2021

A brand-new, 1.5 million-square-foot hotel and casino opens in South Philadelphia in early 2021. Conveniently located within walking distance of Philly’s professional sports hubs — Lincoln Financial Field, Wells Fargo Center and Citizens Bank Park — Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia houses more than 200 upscale hotel rooms, plus slots, electronic and live table games, a sportsbook, and dining and entertainment venues.

The Franklin Institute – Philadelphia’s beloved science museum begins the year with a world-premiere exhibit: Crayola IDEAworks: The Creativity Exhibition, a state-of-the-art experience that helps guests hone problem-solving skills and fosters creativity. Visitors will put their creative skills to action by testing solutions to problems based on current scientific research, including designing a ball that works for astronauts in low gravity, building a sustainable neighborhood, and restoring sea life to coral reefs. February 13, 2021 – July 18, 2021.

This year, the Please Touch Museum debuts an all-new, 5,000-square-foot permanent gallery that seeks to inspire creativity by telling the story of the innovation at the Centennial of 1876, which took place in Fairmount Park right outside of the museum. The gallery’s centerpiece is a scale model of the Centennial exposition created by dozens of artisans in 1889 that depicts exactly how it looked on July 4, 1876.

This $60 million, 40,000-square-foot immersive experience debuts on Independence Mall to explore the nation’s founding tenets shared in the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence and the Bible. The space will include interactive galleries, a 3-D theater and an education center. Among the highlighted Americans: civil rights and Baptist leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Catholic anti-war activist Dorothy Day and Quaker William Penn, founder of colonial Philadelphia. The Center will also direct visitors to explore the Faith and Liberty Trail, including some of the nation’s early religious institutions such as Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, home to the denomination’s founding congregation, and Mikveh Israel, home to Philadelphia’s oldest Jewish congregation.

Redesign: May 7, 2021
Jasper Johns: Mind/Mirror: September 29, 2021 – February 13, 2022

In 2021, the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s much-anticipated Frank Gehry-designed master plan comes to fruition. Dramatic changes taking place inside the iconic building include the opening up of spaces not seen by the public for decades. Among the highlights: a soaring forum, with its inaugural installation of Terecita Fernandez’s Fire (United States of the Americas) (2017); 20,000 square feet of new gallery space to be filled with art that rethinks the story of Philadelphia and the nation; a renovated Lenfest Hall; views that show off the city skyline from inside the building; and an outdoor portico overlooking the Schuylkill River. Later in the year, the museum will partner with the Whitney Museum of American Art on simultaneous exhibitions of the work of Jasper Johns: Mind/Mirror, considered the country’s most significant living artist. Originally scheduled to show in 2020, the unprecedented collaboration will chronologically show paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, books and costumes that mirror the other’s display, creating an immersive exhibition that itself, is a study in Johns’ fascination with reflections.

Element’s largest global property opens in the very center of Center City with Element Philadelphia, next door to its dual-branded property, the W Hotel Philadelphia. Plus, the Element flag will go up in Montgomery County, too, with the opening of the Element Valley Forge around the same time. Element guests can enjoy a kitchen in every guest room or suite, a signature Westin Heavenly® bed, and both complimentary breakfast each morning and glass of wine or beer each evening.

The nation’s longest-running horticultural event is making history in 2021 by moving its show outdoors for the first time in its 192-year history. The 2021 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show, themed “Habitat: Nature’s Masterpiece,” will use South Philadelphia’s expansive and lush FDR Park as the setting for its breathtaking displays by the world’s premier floral and landscape designers. As always, the annual gardening celebration will feature top-of-the-line horticulture and landscape design, demonstrations, entertainment, themed nights and a marketplace.

Summer 2021

Just in time for summer comes the grand opening of the Guild House Hotel, a boutique property in a National Historic Landmark building that belonged to — and will honor — a 19th-century working women’s advocacy and support group known as the New Century Guild. The rooms and suites — 12 in total — in the Washington Square West hotel are named after women who were abolitionists, suffragettes, activists, educators, poets and artists. In its new iteration, the invisible service hotel will maintain founder Eliza Turner’s name above the front door while transforming the interior to accommodate modern travelers’ desires for multi-night stays in rooms and suites.

Summer 2021

Less than one block from iconic City Hall, this skyscraper hotel will bring modern luxury with a stylish dose of Philly vibrancy and artistry. Among the W Philadelphia Hotel’s amenities, including 295 rooms, 22 meeting rooms, the FIT gym, the Living Room cocktail lounge and bar terrace, is a year-round heated pool — outdoor pool, that is.

Summer 2021

The site of the 1777-78 winter encampment of the Continental Army under General George Washington, Valley Forge National Historical Park welcomes more than 2 million visitors annually to explore its more than 3,600 acres of historic structures, objects and sprawling grounds. A gateway to Montgomery County, the welcome center serves around 250,000 visitors a year but hadn’t seen a significant upgrade since opening in 1976. In 2021, a four-year and $14 million upgrade project is expected to be complete. As of June 17,  the official Visitor Center for Valley Forge and Montgomery County, The Encampment Store retail area, the visitor information desk, and the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board travel desk have reopened as part of a phased plan. A new $2.2 million five-part museum exhibit and film; and an expanded trail system in the center of the park with interpretive signage, a new shelter and overlook are on deck for early 2022.

Fall 2021

The Clay Studio debuts a new exhibition as it opens its long-awaited new home in South Kensington this fall. Old City’s gallery/workshop/boutique unveils a sleek new space on North American Street, joining other makers who’ve set up shop along the arts and industrial corridor. Making Place Matter, a new exhibit with works from kukui Velarde, Ibrahim Said and Molly Hatch, coincides with the grand opening of the 34,000-square-foot space. Visitors can also check out the Community Studio, where they can make clay art inspired by their experiences in the exhibition.

Fall 2021

Once completed in 2021, the central portion of the Delaware River Trail will run between Washington Avenue and Spring Garden Street on the east side of Columbus Boulevard. The multi-use trail will provide a protected lane for walkers, joggers and cyclists, as well as a link between waterfront destinations like Race Street Pier, Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest and Winterfest, Spruce Street Harbor Park Sustained by Univest and Washington Avenue Pier. Key design features include a curb-separated, bi-directional asphalt bicycle path and separate pedestrian sidewalk, as well as new landscaping, pedestrian lighting and street furnishings.

Late 2021

Philadelphia’s bike-share system Indego recently announced a five-year expansion plan that will increase its fleet of bikes, expand its neighborhood reach and introduce electric bikes to the mix. The first part of the expansion comes in 2021, when Indego will add about 30 new stations, largely in West Philadelphia and South Philadelphia, and welcome 300 electric bikes to its offerings.

Spring and Fall 2021

As we look towards a post-pandemic world in 2021, Philadelphia looks towards the day when we can once again fill stadiums to cheer on our major league teams. This winter, we’ll continue to root for the Eagles, Sixers and Flyers from home. In the spring, though, get ready for Phillies baseball to kick off with the home opener in April at Citizens Bank Park, as well as the return of Major League Soccer and the Philadelphia Union.

All Year

The Philly restaurant scene truly just keeps getting better and better — despite the toughest year for restaurants on record in 2020. Noteworthy named additions on the way this year include: Honeysuckle community space from chef and artist Omar Tate (Esquire magazine’s Chef of the Year); The Landing Kitchen and the Lark in Bala Cynwyd from chefs Nicholas Elmi (Laurel) and Fia Berisha (Aether); Lost Bread Cafe in Rittenhouse from master baker Alex Bois; Middle Child Clubhouse in Fishtown from restaurateur Matt Cahn; Sor Ynez in Kensington from Sojurn Philly; Grace and Proper in the Italian Market from the team behind Hawthorne’s and The Cambridge; Bagels & Co. at the Piazza in Northern Liberties from Glu Hospitality; and Lola’s Garden at Suburban Square in Ardmore from FCM Hospitality. Plus, watch for the return of Bridget Foy’s on South Street and new locations of spots like Rex 1516 (South Street), Di Bruno Bros. (Wayne) and Stove and Tap (West Chester) with much more in the works from Philadelphia’s intrepid restaurateurs later this year.