WHAT’S NEW IN PHILADELPHIA?

Spring/Summer 2004

Summer Hotel Package Allows Visitors To Squeeze More Into Their Visit

Visitors who want to take a new look at “old Philadelphia” this summer can book the popular Philly—You Just Can’t Do It In A Day™ Hotel Package, available from June 17 through September 12, 2004. The deal enables visitors to stay one night and get the second night free when they check in Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Available at hotels in Philadelphia and Its Countryside, the package includes free hotel parking both nights and an imap guide, featuring information about all of the cool things to see and do in the region. Visitors can book the hotel package directly through their favorite participating hotel or online (beginning in late May) at www.gophila.com/summerpackage.

Get Your History Straight And Your Nightlife Gay

Philadelphia has come out as a gay-friendly travel destination. To entice gay visitors, many hotels are offering the Philadelphia Freedom Hotel Package. Available for check in Thursday through Sunday until August 31, 2004, the package includes overnight accommodations for two adults and free continental breakfast. Participating hotels are: the Alexander Inn, GrandView Suites, Hotel Windsor, Radisson Plaza-Warwick, Sheraton Rittenhouse Square, Sheraton Society Hill, Sheraton University City, Westin Philadelphia and the Wyndham Philadelphia at Franklin Plaza. Rates for the package, which can be reserved by calling the hotel directly, start at $89 per night.

The hotel package is just one component of the city’s marketing campaign to promote Philadelphia as a gay-friendly destination. Launched by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), the three-year campaign, featuring the tagline “Get your history straight and your nightlife gay,” will focus on U.S. and Canadian markets and include advertising, public relations, Internet and research. www.gophila.com/gay 

Philadelphia Launches Nation’s Largest Gay Tourism Marketing Campaign

Philadelphia is pursuing its share of the $54.1 billion gay and lesbian travel market with a three-year tourism marketing campaign to be launched by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) on November 13, 2003. The $300,000 multifaceted campaign, which features the tagline “Get your history straight and your nightlife gay,” will focus on U.S. and Canadian markets and include an advertising, public relations, Internet and research component. GPTMC is also promoting a new gay-friendly hotel package, the Philadelphia Freedom Hotel Package, available year-round at nine Philadelphia hotels, with rates starting at around $99 per night. www.gophila.com/gay.

Independence Mall Redevelopment:
Major Work Completed, But Still More To Come

In just three years within three blocks, Philadelphia’s historic district has welcomed three major attractions: the Independence Visitor Center, the National Constitution Center and the Liberty Bell Center. Here’s the lowdown on what’s been done and what’s still to come:

What’s Been Done:

• Opened in October 2003, the $12.9 million Liberty Bell Center is the exquisite home of the nation's most valued symbol of freedom. Here, visitors can see the Bell and learn about its place in history through interpretive panels. 6th & Chestnut Streets, (215) 597-8974, www.nps.gov/inde/ 
   

• Two blocks north of the Liberty Bell Center, the National Constitution Center celebrates the ongoing vitality of the U.S. Constitution, the driving document of democracy. Through dramatizations and interactive exhibits, the National Constitution Center brings an innovative 21st-century spin to the country's most historic square mile. 525 Arch Street, (215) 409-6600, www.constitutioncenter.org
   

• In the block between the Liberty Bell Center and National Constitution Center, the Independence Visitor Center welcomes visitors with a knowledgeable staff, interpretive displays and films about both Independence National Historical Park and the surrounding countryside. 6th & Market Streets, (800) 537-7676, www.independencevisitorcenter.com

What’s Still to Come:

Currently, INHP is raising funds to build the following attractions:

• Independence Park Academy, an educational facility for school children and educators
   

• Presidents’ House, a $4.5 million concept to be developed near the new Liberty Bell Center. The proposed 12,000-square foot site address five themes: the house and the people who lived and worked there, the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government, the system and methods of slavery, African American Philadelphia and the move to freedom.

Philly on the Water: A Great American Port From River to Shining River

Philadelphia has been a major deep water port since the 18^th century, and in recent years the city has reclaimed its heritage as a city between two rivers. Here are some of the newest ways to enjoy life on and along the rivers.

On the Delaware River

• CruisePhilly established Philadelphia as a major home port and port of call for international cruise ships in 2003. The revitalized Cruise Terminal at Pier 1 welcomed cruise ships from the Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises and Carnival Cruise Lines, whose guests also took advantage of Philadelphia’s many land-based attractions before or after their voyages. The 2004 cruise season includes 22 sailings and nine port calls, many of which will take place during the busy summer cruising season. (856) 968-2052, www.cruisephilly.com
   

• Beginning on Memorial Day weekend, and continuing each weekend and on holidays, new passenger-only water taxis will cruise the Delaware River between Festival Pier, Cavanaugh’s Riverdeck, Philadelphia Marine Center, the Great Plaza and the marina. All-day and single-trip passes will be available for the Water Shuttle at Penn’s Landing from departure points along the river. (215) 922-2FUN, www.pennslandingcorp.com

On the Schuylkill River

• One of the city’s most photographed scenes is the Philadelphia Museum of Art, sitting just above the Schuylkill River. It’s here, appropriately, that Manet and the Sea, a groundbreaking look at the seascapes of Édouard Manet and his Impressionist contemporaries, will be on view through May 31, 2004. The exhibition, which is the first of its kind to examine the works’ social significance and artistic impact, features more than 100 paintings, watercolors and drawings from 60 public and private collections around the world that demonstrate the innovative approaches of Manet, Renoir, Morisot, Monet and others. 26th Street & Benjamin Franklin Parkway, (215) 763-8100, www.philamuseum.org
   

• For months, cyclists and runners have been enjoying rides and runs through the Schuylkill River Park, a riverside trail which extends from the Fairmount WaterWorks to Locust Streets. The Park is the urban section of the 22-mile Schuylkill River Trail, connecting Center City to Valley Forge National Historical Park. Landscaping, scheduled to begin later this year, will lend a more bucolic feel to the waterside greenway in the city. www.srdc.net
   

• At the Philadelphia Water Department’s new Fairmount WaterWorks Interpretive Center, visitors can take a simulated helicopter trip from local tidal bays to river headwaters, view a model showing how rain that falls on watersheds leads to pollution, discover interactive sculpture and work in a water lab. The eco-educational center is housed within a Neoclassical riverside structure that supplied all of Philadelphia with water from 1815 to 1909. 640 WaterWorks Drive, (215) 685-0723, www.fairmountwaterworks.org

New Stadiums And A New Team Enliven The City’s Sports Scene

Sports fans from around the country will be watching Philadelphia closely this spring and summer as the city welcomes a new team to town and opens yet another new stadium. Here’s the latest in sports news:

• The Philadelphia Phillies open in their new 43,500-seat Citizens Bank Park against the Cincinnati Reds on April 12, 2004. The stadium will have lush natural grass and a view of the Philadelphia skyline. Ashburn Alley, the in-stadium entertainment complex named nostalgically after Phillies’ great Richie Ashburn, will have a Memory Lane of Phillies lore, along with batting and throwing games. There will be 20,000 parking spaces, upgraded concessions and McFadden's, a restaurant that will operate even when there is no game. 10th Street & Pattison Avenue, (215) 463-5000, http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com
   

• Praise for the Lincoln Financial Field has been wide spread since the Philadelphia Eagles first played there in August 2003. The 68,532-seat stadium has extra-wide concourses and four times as many concession areas as the old Veterans’ Stadium. Its sight-lines are perfect, even from the uppermost seats and there are 22,000 parking spaces nearby. Professional soccer and large concerts are expected this summer. 10th Street & Pattison Avenue, (267) 570-4000, www.philadelphiaeagles.com
   

• The Philadelphia Soul, partially owned by rock stars Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, is the latest team to, literally, rock the city. It is part of the Arena Football League, a winter-spring indoor diversion for football fanatics. Bon Jovi has promised not only good football, which he’s leaving mostly in the hands of club President, former Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski, but lots of entertainment as well. (888) PHIL-AFL, www.philadelphiasoul.com
   

• Campbell’s Field, named independent minor league Ballpark of the Year by Baseball America magazine, is home to the Camden Riversharks of the Atlantic League, but it is also a symbol of the revival of the Camden waterfront. Opened in 2001, its 6,425 seats all look out over the Delaware River toward the magnificent Benjamin Franklin Bridge into Philadelphia. The minor league season begins in May and home games start at a family-friendly time of 6:35 p.m. (856) 963-2600, www.riversharks.com

Last year, visitors to Philadelphia had a big decision to make: which city tour to take while in town. Ride the Ducks turned heads and sold tickets for wacky, quacky rides from Independence Hall into the Delaware River. London’s famed Big Bus Tours also came to town, offering double-decker, all-day service around town. And, Phlash, the city’s hard-to-miss purple mini-buses, had a brand new route to go with their brand new price tag. In 2004, the touring scene will broaden even more. Here’s how:

• Beginning on April 1, PHLASH will put a new fleet of vehicles on the streets. Instead of touring town on purple mini-buses, visitors will be whisked around on new trolleys, taking them from Benjamin Franklin Parkway attractions such as the Rodin Museum and the Franklin Institute Science Museum to the Independence Visitor Center and Old City. These speedy vehicles have air conditioned luxury, convenient stops and very affordable tickets. Service takes place daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with pickups every 10 minutes from appointed stops. www.gophila.com
   

• Ride the Ducks, retired amphibious Army vehicles turned into fun sightseeing vessels, offer some of the most popular tickets in town. Beginning March 20, 2004, the Ducks will add two more to their current fleet of six, and continue to quack, disco and ride from land — through Old City and South Street — and water — Delaware River at Penn’s Landing. Tours depart from 6th & Chestnut Streets, (215) 227-DUCK, www.phillyducks.com
   

• The Neighborhood Tourism Network, hosting popular ride-and-walk adventures through some of the city’s most vibrant ethnic neighborhoods, ups the ante with new thematic tours in 2004. Among the new tour offerings for this year are “Urban Gardens” and “New Kensington.” Tours take place on weekends from May through June and September through October. (215) 599-2295, www.gophila.com
   

• Made famous in London town, Big Bus Tours continues its service on the streets of Philadelphia with multiple stops at city sights and hotels, plus new covered bus service and specially priced package ticket deals with attractions such as the National Constitution Center. The two-floor coaches depart from 6th & Market Streets. (866) 3BIG-BUS, www.bigbustours.com

Art lovers, garden enthusiasts, film connoisseurs and sports fans will find a year packed beginning to end with festivals, sporting events, art shows, parades and cultural events in Philadelphia. Here are some major happenings for spring and summer:

• The African American Museum of Philadelphia explores the connections of several civil rights movements in America to observe the 50th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education. Through January 2, 2005. 701 Arch Street, (215) 574-0380, www.aampmuseum.org
   

• Beginning in March 2004, the Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau is sponsoring Women Advancing, a commemoration of the 85th anniversary of the passage of the 19th-Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to vote. There will be a bike race, performances, events and exhibits throughout the five-county area over a 19-month period. (800) 441-3549, www.valleyforge.org
   

• The World’s Largest Garden Party, a collaborative of public gardens, arboretums and historic houses in the Philadelphia region, hosts more than 40 special gardening events at Longwood Gardens, Chanticleer, Morris Arboretum and other popular horticultural gems. April-June 2004, (215) 247-5777, www.greaterphiladelphiagardens.org
   

• Jugglers, folk singers, puppeteers and dancers gather yearly to delight young audiences at the International Children’s Festival at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. April 25-May 1, (215) 898-3900, www.pennpresents.org
   

• The Equality Forum celebrates the cultural and political legacy of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people with workshops, performances and parties. April 26-May 2, (215) 732-3378, www.equalityforum.com
   

• Experience the art of nothing and nothingness made manifest in a citywide initiative led by the Institute of Contemporary Art. The Big Nothing explores absence as a driving force of modernism, and involves many of Philadelphia’s cultural institutions. May 1-August 1, (215) 898-5911, www.icaphila.org
   

• An annual tradition for 103 years, the Student Exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts displays the works of third- and fourth-year students in an array of different media. May 8-June 6, (215) 972-7600, www.pafa.org
   

• Now in its 29th year, the Odunde Afrikan American Street Festival celebrates the Yoruba New Year, beginning with a spiritual procession to the Schuylkill River and ending with a lively street fair. June 13, (215) 732-8510, www.odunde.org
   

• Every year, the Rosenbach Museum & Library joins with James Joyce fans throughout the world to celebrate Bloomsday, the day on which the novel’s hero, Leopold Bloom, made his “odyssey” through Dublin. June 16, (215) 732-1600, www.rosenbach.org
   

• At the 34th annual Let Freedom Ring event at the Liberty Bell Center, the direct descendents of the signers of the Declaration of Independence tap the Liberty Bell—the icon of the nation’s freedom—to symbolically “ring” it, setting off a nationwide bell ringing ceremony. July 4, (215) 597-8974, www.nps.gov/inde

Philadelphia Is The Location For An International Celebration In Honor Of Benjamin Franklin

An international celebration of Benjamin Franklin’s life is taking place in Philadelphia in 2006. Hosted by six Philadelphia institutions in honor of Franklin’s 300^th Birthday, the commemoration includes special events and exhibits including The Creation of Benjamin Franklin, American Citizen of the World.

Philadelphia CultureFiles Make Trip Planning Easy

Philadelphia CultureFiles, an insider’s online guide to the region’s arts and culture, found on gophila.com, is making trip planning easier than ever for visitors to the city. The user-friendly site plots a veritable “what’s what” of the cultural world, with instant access to 300 fact-filled Web pages for 400 visitor-ready experiences in 13 categories, including dance, theater, museums, music, sacred places, historic attractions, parks and gardens and film. www.gophila.com

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), Philadelphia's official regional tourism marketing agency, is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to building the region's economy and positive image through tourism and destination marketing. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, call the new Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676, or visit www.gophila.com. For information about arts and cultural attractions in the region, click on the CultureFiles link.

Note to Editors: For story angles and photographic images of Philadelphia and its surrounding countryside, visit gophila.com/pressroom.

February 2004

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