Why Visit
Developed by the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, the free seasonal park at Penn’s Landing serves as a warm-weather must-do in Philadelphia thanks to its floating restaurant, beer garden, hammocks, boardwalk, colorful LED lights and entertainment schedule.
Dozens of colorful hammocks offer shady spots to kick back and relax.
The park is known for its dozens of colorful hammocks, now a sure sign of the lazy days of summer in Philly. The shady spots are free to all, first-come, first-serve, but if you’re looking to relax with a crowd, groups of up to 10 can book a private, riverside hammock lounge with guaranteed seating online.
Day or night, Spruce Street Harbor Park offers excellent options for outdoor recreation. While kicking back in a hammock or lounging by the water are reasons enough to visit, the park also has plenty of seating and lawn games, as well as boat rentals — think kayaks and swan boats — available through the Independence Seaport Museum just next door.
Once the sun sets, the park lights up with hundreds of multi-colored LEDs (update for 2022) strung through trees, creating a brilliant evening spectacle. Each year, enhancements make the park-going experience even better than its previous iteration, with new ways to enjoy the warm weather against the backdrop of the Delaware River Waterfront.
Lauded as one of the best urban beaches in America, Spruce Street Harbor Park has served as a Philadelphia waterfront oasis since the summer of 2014.
— Photo by M. Fischetti for Visit Philadelphia
