In a big city like Philadelphia it can sometimes be hard to find affordable things to do. So here we have rounded up 11 completely FREE things to do in Philadelphia so even on a budget you can still enjoy this amazing city!
1. Go See Philadelphia City Hall
Cost: Free!
City Hall is the huge building that you will likely drive around while navigating the city. All traffic goes around the tall standing City Hall Building. At the top of the tower is a statue of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania. This extensive marble structure is the largest US municipal building but it has much more to offer visitors than just that. Surrounding you will find Dilworth Park which features an interactive fountain, a green space, a cafe and two access points to the Subway.
- You can actually go to the top of City Hall for views of the entire city! It is called the City Hall Tower Tour and happens every 15 minutes for $4-$8 depending on the type of ticket.
2. Spend Time On the Schuylkill River Trail
Cost: Free!
Classified as one of the best urban trails in the country, the Schuylkill River Trail extends for about 10 miles within Philadelphia, and miles more outside of the city. You can start at the South Street Bridge and theoretically you could walk all the way up to Manayunk. While you obviously don’t have to do all of that, it gives you a good view of the Art Museum as you pass and an up close peek at the Boat Houses before getting to more open green space. Whichever stretch of it you choose to spend time on, you will see people walking, biking and simply enjoying being outside!
Travel Truth: If you don’t feel like walking or are looking for a bit more of a work out, you can rent Indigo Bikes throughout the city and bike the Schuylkill River Trail! Using a credit card, you select a time frame, a bike and then you’re off!
3. Walk the Ben Franklin Bridge
Cost: Free!
The Ben Franklin Bridge connects Philadelphia to Camden, New Jersey. There is a wide pedestrian pathway on both sides for walkers, runners and cyclists to enjoy. You can get really spectacular views of the city from the bridge so definitely bring your camera along!
- From Philadelphia you can get on at 5th and Race Street and from the New Jersey side you can get on at 4th and Pearl Street. You will see signs for the pedestrian walkway.
- There a few lookout spots that give you a better photo of the city. We found walking from Philly towards New Jersey the second lookout spot (closer to New Jersey) was the best! The first was good but if continue walking for a bit you will be able to get even more in your picture.
- If you’re scared of heights it really isn’t too bad. The only point that we got a tiny bit nervous was in the middle of the bridge the gaps between the cement walkway let you see all the way down to the water. But it barely moved at all and the walkway is wide enough to feel secure!
4. Sit in Rittenhouse Square
Cost: Free!
Rittenhouse Square is a beautiful park in the Rittenhouse neighborhood of Philadelphia. In the winter the park is transformed to a winter wonderland with lights and decorations. In the spring through the fall every Saturday and Tuesday you will find the Rittenhouse Farmers Market featuring fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers and handmade goods. Or on just an average day grab a snack, find a bench and enjoy the outdoors within the big, bustling city!
- Washington Square Park is another nice park thats nearby at 6th and Walnut Street!
5. Walk Down Elfreth’s Alley
Cost: Free!
Elfreth’s Alley is considered the oldest residential street in the country. Over 300 years later the 32 houses that stand on Elfreth’s Alley have been maintained and now are a National Historic Landmark. It is a very thin, relatively short street that is easy to walk down but hard to imagine dating all the way back to the 1700’s!
- While we wouldn’t say to go out of your way to walk down Elfreth’s Alley it is very easy to do along with other things on this list. It is about 1 block away from the Ben Franklin Bridge (#3 on this list), about 5 blocks from the Blue Cross Summerfest and 6 blocks from Spruce Street Harbor Park (both part of #10 on this list).
6. See the Liberty Bell
Cost: Free!
The Liberty Bell 
If you don’t feel like waiting in line, you can get a view of the Liberty Bell from the back of the Liberty Bell Center (like this man is doing).
Often historical sights have pricey admission tickets, however, visiting the Liberty Bell Center is completely free! You don’t need tickets simply go to the entrance at 6th and Market Street. However, often times you will find a line to get inside. Our suggestion would be to go early in the morning or go whenever you want knowing you might have to wait a little!
- The Liberty Bell is famous for being a symbol for liberty and freedom. Right next to the Liberty Bell Center is Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, the Independence Visitor Center and the National Constitution Center. If you’re interested in the historical side of Philadelphia, you will find plenty of it in that area!
7. Rail Park
Cost: Free!
The Rail Park is a new park vision taking out of commission railways and turning it into a 3 mile park within Philadelphia. The first part of the park was recently finished and hosts a quarter mile of converted park featuring lush greenery, industrial swing benches and seating options while overlooking 12th and 13th Streets.
- The current section of the completed Rail Park, known as Phase One, can be accessed at two points. There is a staircase on Callowhill between 11th and 12th Street and a ramp on N Broad and Noble Street.
- Although it is still very new, when we visited we only saw one other person so definitely take advantage!
8. Explore Reading Terminal Market
Cost: Free to walk around
Reading Terminal Market is an enormous public market thats been open since 1893. Reading Terminal Market hosts over 75 merchants selling fresh produce, meats and fish to get everything you need. You will also find sandwich shops, bakeries, and many other types of cuisine to eat immediately in one of the many sitting areas! It is very easy, however, to simply walk around and buy nothing if you choose. It is so big plenty of people walk through just to experience it!
- With so many stalls it can be overwhelming to walk through Reading Terminal Market. If you go in the middle of the day it will definitely be more crowded so prepare as it’s very popular!
- Our favorite spots would be DiNic’s for their famous pork sandwich, Hershel’s East Side Deli for their amazing pastrami sandwich and Beiler’s Bakery for (honestly anything) their doughnuts and baked goods!
9. Spend Time in Fairmount Park
Cost: Free!
If you’re craving a bit of peace and quiet Farmount Park is your spot! Featuring over 2,000 acres of green space, this park is impressively large! It extends on either side of the Schuylkill River going north. Highlights within the park include the Fairmount Water Works, Shofuso Japanese House and Garden and Strawberry Mansion.
- An easy spot to begin from Center City is the Philadelphia Museum of Art (#9 on this list) and from there it is a very doable walk or bike ride to get a little slice of nature so close to the city!
10. Walk Up the Rocky Steps
Cost: Free!
Famous for being featured in the Rocky movies, the Rocky Steps are the steps that lead up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Once you have walked up, you will likely be impressed by the people running up and down them for exercise!
- There is a Rocky statue to the right if you are facing the steps though there is often a line to take a picture with it.
- The Philadelphia Museum of Art is a highly regarded art museum, however, it does come with an admission price. If you are looking to visit, the museum is pay what you wish on the first Sunday of every month as well as Wednesday evenings.
11. Enjoy the View Points along the Delaware River
Cost: Free to walk around
There is so much to offer for both adults and kids along the Delaware River! Starting from north going south there is the Race Street Pier, Cherry Street Pier, Penn’s Landing and Spruce Street Harbor Park.
Race Street Pier, located on Race Street at the water, provides green space along the river as well as nice views of the nearby Ben Franklin Bridge. This Pier hosts free yoga classes from April through November every day of the week.
Next door is the new Cherry Street Pier. Inside you will find seating, local venders and at the end a very nice outdoor area. The Cherry Street Pier really has such a nice feel to it and was pretty empty on a Saturday that we would recommend it compared to the more crowded Morgan’s Pier!
In the summer at Penn’s Landing you will find the Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest featuring a roller skating rink, Ferris wheel, mini golf and plenty of places to sit and enjoy food and drink. In the winter months it transforms to Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest with an ice skating rink, fire pits and a cozy log to get out of the cold!
Continuing about a block south from May through September you will find Spruce Street Harbor Park. This, in our opinion, is one of the coolest parks in the city! There are different seating options everywhere, games as well as plenty of options for food and drink. It is definitely worth checking out even just to sit and enjoy the nice weather!
Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments!
