Those of us who live in the city of Philadelphia are so lucky to be so incredibly close to historic places like Independence Hall where our nation got it’s start. There are lot’s of great seasons and holidays to visit Philly but all others pale in comparison to the celebration of our Independence Day. Here is your guide to the 4th of July weekend of events taking place here in Philly.
Monday June 27
Go 4th & Learn about Science Behind Pixar
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Franklin Square – 200 6th St
Pixar films have taken us all “To Infinity, and Beyond.” Now, go behind-the-scenes of these beloved films as The Franklin Institute brings Pixar to life with live demonstrations and interactive activities from The Science Behind Pixar exhibit. Whether you’re a kid or a kid at heart, this is the event for you! Book Readings, FREE Book Giveaways, and Interactive Activities for kids! All activities will take place at Franklin Square prior to the FREE screening of the Pixar favorite, Finding Nemo!
Kick-Off for Philly @ The Movies Series with Finding Nemo
8:30 p.m.
Franklin Square, 222 N. 20th Street, Philadelphia
To kick-off the 2016 Philly @ The Movies series, attendees can roll into Franklin Square for a FREE screening of Finding Nemo!
Free Museum Day – Ben Franklin Museum
9am-7pm
Ben Franklin Museum – 317 Chestnut St
Enjoy FREE admission at the Ben Franklin Museum on Monday, June 27 as part of Wawa Welcome America! Free Museum Days! Explore Franklin’s life and character in the Benjamin Franklin Museum. The museum features artifacts, computer animations, and interactive displays. The exhibits are geared toward visitors of all ages, with displays that are educational, challenging, and fun.
Our Flag Unfurled Mural Dedication
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Our Flag Unfurled Mural – 500 N. Columbus Blvd
Kick off the festival by joining the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and Philadelphia STYLE Magazine at the dedication of Meg Saligman’s newly restored mural, Our Flag Unfurled, at 500 North Columbus Boulevard, at the corner of Noble Street. Highlights of the event include Americana-themed refreshments and musical entertainment.
Tuesday June 28
Philly @ the Movies: The Good Dinosaur at XFINITY Live!
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
XFINITY Live! – 1100 Pattison Avenue
Bring the kids for this Disney & Pixar favorite and a great night out with the family. Tons of great activities, prizes and crafts will be available. Specialty themed kids menu will also be available.
Philly @The Movies: The Legend of Tarzan Advance Screening
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts – 300 S. Broad St.
Be the first to see THE LEGEND OF TARZAN at the exclusive WAWA WELCOME AMERICA! screening. THE LEGEND OF TARZAN opens nationwide on July 1st.
Wednesday June 29
Go 4th & Read: Citywide Reading at ALL Free Libraries
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Free Libraries of Philadelphia
Join us at one of the Free Library of Philadelphia 54 branches for a citywide reading and fun activities!
First 100 kids at each library will receive a FREE book thanks to Duffy Books in Homes USA! To find your local library click here.
Go 4th & Workout Like Rocky
6:25 am – 7:30 am
Steps of Philadelphia Museum of Art – 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Train like Rocky on the famous steps with November Project™, a free global fitness movement. ALL ages and fitness levels welcome!
Free Museum Day – Rodin Museum
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Rodin Museum – 21st St & Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Come and experience the Rodin Museum. There are a variety of activities and ways to engage with the artworks, as you make new discoveries in the galleries each time you visit. Learn about Auguste Rodin and his large body of work, find out how this extraordinary Museum found a home in Philadelphia, explore the advances in conservation that have contributed to scholarship on the artist, and see the collection displayed in new ways.
Philly @ the Movies: Rocky on the steps at Philadelphia Museum of Art
7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Steps of Philadelphia Museum of Art – 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Yo! Don’t miss this Philadelphia classic from the very steps that made Rocky a lifelong legend.
7:00 p.m. – The party begins with activities on the steps.
9:00 p.m. – Rocky movie screening begins.
Event Tip: We recommend bringing a chair or blanket.
Thursday June 30
Free Museum Day – National Constitution Center
9:30 am-5:00 pm
The National Constitution Center – 525 Arch St
The National Constitution Center inspires active citizenship as the only place where people across America and around the world can come together to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. Enjoy FREE admission to the NCC courtesy of Wawa.
Wawa Hoagie Day
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Independence Visitor’s Center – 1 N Independence Mall West
Join Wawa for a 5-ton hoagie salute in honor of our military, fire and police on the Independence Visitor’s Center Lawn.
Philly @ The Movies: Creed
7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Tuslin Recreation Center – 5901 W. Columbia Ave
Watch the latest Rocky movie, how Philly is that?
Philly @ the Movies: National Treasure
9:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Penn’s Landing
Watch as Ben Gates races through Philadelphia in search of the legendary treasure that is secretly mapped out on the back of the Declaration of Independence. Movie will begin at dusk.
Friday July 1
Free Museum Day – African American Museum
10:00 am- 5:00 pm
African American Museum – 701 Arch St
The African American Museum in Philadelphia is the first institution built by a major United States city to house and interpret the life and work of African Americans. Our doors are open for your enjoyment and enlightenment. Visit us and experience the richness and vibrancy of African American heritage and culture come alive in four magnificent exhibition galleries filled with exciting history and fascinating art.
Go 4th & Learn about Fitness
10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse – 3500 Reservoir Dr
Go 4th & Learn about Fitness at Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse.
Philadelphia Orchestra Presents a Free Neighborhood Concert
8:00pm
Penns Landing
The Philadelphia Orchestra returns to the RiverStage at the Great Plaza for a ninth season to present another FREE Neighborhood Concert, presented by Wells Fargo, in partnership with the Delaware River Waterfront Corp. The concert will be followed by a fireworks display. For more information on the Free Neighborhood Concert Series click here.
Fireworks at Penn’s Landing
9:30 pm
Penn’s Landing
Saturday July 2
Independence Day Family Fun at Franklin Square
Noon-3pm
Franklin Square,
Celebrate America’s birthday with fun featuring the Lightning Bolt Express Train.
Free Museum Day – National Constitution Center
9:30 am-5:00 pm
The National Constitution Center – 525 Arch St
The National Constitution Center inspires active citizenship as the only place where people across America and around the world can come together to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. Enjoy FREE admission to the NCC courtesy of Wawa.
FREE Philadelphia Orchestra and NYO2 Side-by-Side Concert
6:00 pm
Kimmel Center Verizon Hall – 300 S Broad St
The concert is FREE, but tickets are required. Please note that free tickets do not guarantee seating. Seating is general admission and first come, first served. Tickets are also available by phone at 215.893.1999 and at the Kimmel Center box office on the southwest corner of Broad and Spruce Streets. NYO2 is an orchestral training program for talented young instrumentalists ages 14–17 created by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. Based on the success of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA), NYO2 launches in the summer of 2016 with a particular focus on attracting talented students from groups underserved by and underrepresented in the classical orchestral field. Participants will perform in a side-by-side concert with members of The Philadelphia Orchestra.
Pershing’s Own Concert at Penn’s Landing
8:00 pm
Penn’s Landing
Catch the United States Army Band perform for America’s Birthday Celebration at Penn’s Landing.
Wawa Welcome America! Fireworks
9:30 pm
Penn’s Landing
Sunday July 3
Free Museum Day – Philadelphia Museum of Art
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Philadelphia Museum of Art – 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy
Free Museum Day – Barnes Museum
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Barnes Museum – 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy
Independence Day Family Fun at the Franklin Institute
Noon-3pm
Franklin Square,
Celebrate America’s birthday with fun featuring the Lightning Bolt Express Train.
Historic Philadelphia Block Party
1:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Independence Hall – 520 Chestnut St
A block party adjacent to Independence Hall filled with music, food and fun activities.
POPS! on Independence at Independence Hall
8:00 pm
Independence Hall – 520 Chestnut St
Enjoy a FREE Philly POPS concert.
Monday July 4
Free Museum Day – National Museum of Jewish American History
10:00 am- 5:00 pm
National Museum of Jewish American History – 101 S Independence Mall East
Independence Day Family Fun at Franklin Square
Noon-3pm
Franklin Square,
Celebrate America’s birthday with fun featuring the Lightning Bolt Express Train.
Celebration of Freedom Ceremony
10:00 am
Independence Hall – 520 Chestnut St
Tribute to our nation and Everyday Heroes at Independence Hall with patriotic musical performances, inspiring speeches and a celebrity reading of the Declaration of Independence Celebrity guest: Philadelphia’s own, Leslie Odom Jr., best known for portraying Aaron Burr in the Broadway Musical, Hamilton.
Independence Day Parade
11:00 am
Independence Visitor’s Center,1 N Independence Mall West
As the Constitution of the United States of America states – “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” – those words will come to life in the 2016 Philadelphia Independence Day Parade, as the parade unfolds into an amazing procession of patriotism, diversity, inclusion and American pride. While Revolutionary leaders and civilians gathered in front…
Party on the Parkway
12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Largest, free, outdoor concert event in America on Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway 12-5 p.m. Party on the Parkway – music, food, fun & games 5-10 p.m. Wawa Welcome America! July 4th Concert – a tribute to the Sound of Philadelphia and Gamble & Huff 10 p.m.
Wawa Welcome America! July 4th Fireworks
10:00 pm
Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Here are some great places to view the grand finale fireworks from:
Benjamin Franklin Parkway (the entire street is shut down in honor of the celebration)
Paine’s ParkMartin Luther King Drive
Schuylkill River Park
Lemon Hill in Fairmount Park
Kelly Drive
Belmont Plateau
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