Philadelphia City Hall & Love Park
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Philadelphia City Hall - by Alejandro Barba on Unsplash
Description
Philadelphia City Hall houses the chambers of the Philadelphia City Council, the offices of the Mayor and the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania. Completed in the late 19th century with a spire reaching 167m, the building was at the time (topped out in 1894) the tallest habitable structure in the world. It is made of granite & brick and designed in Second Empire style (aka Napoleon III style). LOVE Park (officially John F. Kennedy Plaza) is so named after the "LOVE" sculpture designed by Robert Indiana (initially placed there in 1976 as part of the US Bicentennial celebration). The square also features a large water fountain. Trivia: with almost 700 rooms, Philadelphia City Hall the largest municipal building in the United States
Access & Transport
The square is effectively the dead center of downtown Philadelphia. It is also a major public transport hub with several stations: City Hall (BSL), '15th St' (MFL), '13th St' tram station (10, 11, 13, 34, 36), 'Juniper St & Commerce St' bus stop (27, 31, 32) and several bus stops. The "Suburban Station' is located next to Love Park.
Instructions & Recommendations
There are guided tours lasting about 2h and departing from the City Hall Visitor Center Mon-Fri at 10h00 and 12h00. At the time of this review update, the cost was US$30-36/pers. Link: https://www.phlvisitorcenter.com/CityHallInteriorExterior
Environmental & Social
No environmental data for the area but there is a lot of asphalt, concrete and traffic. An important part of the city's architectural heritage.
Conclusion
The Philadelphia City Hall is worth a detour but not an absolute must see; in our opinion it lacks 'depth'. As for Love Park, have a look if you are around City Hall but not worth a larger detour.
Key positive
Striking building architecture
Centrally located with excellent public transport options
Key negative
Building lacks an engaging interior design
LOVE park has nothing genuinely interesting
Suitability
No restrictions
About this Rating
TYPE
Desktop
RESEARCHED IN
August 2024
PROVIDER
Koreval
av. transport time:0h 15m
est. visit time:0h 45m
Sunrise / early morningOk
MorningOk
Lunch timeOk
AfternoonOk
Sunset / eveningOk
Night – bef. midnightOk
Night – aft. midnightNo