Waterfront · 3 blocks from Society Hill Hotel
Penn's Landing
Penn's Landing is Philadelphia's Delaware River waterfront, running roughly from Market Street to South Street along Columbus Boulevard. In summer it hosts Spruce Street Harbor Park (hammocks, food stalls, floating garden); in winter, the Blue Cross RiverRink outdoor skating rink. The Independence Seaport Museum and the WWII-era USS Becuna and USS Olympia are docked here year-round. Three to six blocks east of Society Hill Hotel.
Walking distance
6 min on foot
3 blocks from 301 Chestnut
Address
101 S Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Hours
Waterfront always open. Seaport Museum typically 10:00 AM–5:00 PM Thursday–Monday. Check phillyseaport.org and delawareriverwaterfront.com.
Admission
Waterfront free. Seaport Museum (with ships) paid — adult around $19 at last check.
Hours and admission change seasonally. For the authoritative schedule and any day-of closures, check the official site.
What to expect
What a visit actually looks like.
In summer (roughly May–September), Spruce Street Harbor Park is the main draw — hammocks strung between trees, floating food barges, a waterfront boardwalk, and free live music. In winter, the RiverRink is the main attraction. Year-round: the Independence Seaport Museum at 211 South Columbus, which covers Delaware River history and lets you tour the Becuna (a 1944 Guppy-class submarine) and Olympia (an 1892 cruiser that served as Admiral Dewey's flagship in the Spanish-American War).
A short history.
The waterfront marks the approximate site where William Penn first came ashore in 1682. For most of its history, Penn's Landing was working dockland — commercial shipping, passenger ferries, and immigrant arrivals. Containerization moved commercial shipping down-river mid-20th century, and the waterfront was redeveloped starting in the 1970s as public space. A planned pedestrian-friendly cap over I-95 is under construction and scheduled to reconnect Old City directly to the water.
Tips for visiting
- 01Spruce Street Harbor Park is seasonal — May through September. Free entry, food costs money.
- 02Independence Seaport Museum: paid admission, figure 2 hours if you tour both ships.
- 03Walk there via the Market Street pedestrian bridge or Chestnut Street under I-95.
- 04In-season Thursday–Sunday evenings are liveliest.
While you’re in the neighborhood
Three more within a few blocks.
Staying in Old City?
Society Hill Hotel is 3 blocks from Penn's Landing.
Twelve rooms in an 1832 building at 301 Chestnut, in the heart of Old City. Walk everywhere you came to Philadelphia to see — Penn's Landing is a 6-minute walk from our front door. Mobile keycode check-in. No front desk. Piccolina, a contemporary Italian restaurant, on the ground floor.
- · Walk to Independence Hall in 4 min
- · Restaurant downstairs
- · Mobile check-in, no desk
- · 1832 building, fully restored
Reserve a room
Mobile keycode check-in. No front desk.