Philly's Best Photo Spots

Located at The Philadelphia Museum of Art, at the bottom of the steps (displayed previously at the top of the steps) is the Sylvester Stallone "Rocky Statue." In 1980, the statue of Rocky was commissioned by Sylvester Stallone to A. Thomas Schomberg to create the Statue of ROCKY™ for the movie "ROCKY III." The iconic statue was, in 2006, installed permanently at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Top or bot...

From 1871 until 1971, the Eastern State Penitentiary, also known as ESP, was the first prison in the United States to redefine incarceration and emphasize reform rather than administer punishment. The prison's innovative wagon wheel design quickly became a model for prisons worldwide but it did come at a cost, as it also had become the most expensive structure ever erected. Now a U.S. National Historic L...

It was originally known as Cedar Street and is now one of the busiest areas in Philadelphia. A delicious melting pot of ethnicities and cultures, it is a conglomeration of independently owned shops and eateries. Of course, South Street hasn't remained immune to big corporations so you can find Starbucks and Whole Foods too if that's more your thing. This is where some recording artists such as George Tho...

Reading Terminal Market features over 100 merchants that offer fresh produce, meats, fish, artisan cheeses, groceries, and everything you can imagine including specialty and ethnic foods. Usually every single space in the market is rented out. It's open every day of the week but the Pennsylvania Dutch merchants typically do not operate Sunday through Tuesday. Reading Terminal Market market is found at 12...

There is this major scene from the film "Rocky" everyone wants to relive when visiting Philly, and that is running, non-stop up the 72 stone steps before the entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Those steps have become known as the "Rocky Steps," resulting from their appearances in the film and its sequels in which this well known character runs up the steps to the song "Gonna Fly Now."

The museum is free although a donation is the fee for trying on the splendid costumes. The collection includes a colorful array of decadent clothes and mummers costumes, photographs, music, and props from bicentennial parades. The history of Mummery is alive and well here - although this tradition still lives on today in Philadelphia.

Geno's Steaks in Philadelphia specializes in cheesesteaks. Founded by Joey Vento in 1966, Geno's is located in South Philadelphia at the intersection of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue and is directly across from its rival, Pat's King of Steaks (generally credited with having invented the steak sandwich in 1933). The cheesesteak has become Philly's signature dish for the city.

An icon of American independence, the Liberty Bell is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the Liberty Bell Center in Independence National Historical Park. Commissioned from the London firm of Lester and Pack in 1752, the bell was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof," a biblical reference from the Book of Leviticus (25:10). The bell crac...

Officially the John F. Kennedy Center, this little haven in Philly is characterized by a giant LOVE sculpture near the fountain. It's a reproduction of Robert Indiana's original 1970 sculpture displayed at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Go alone or go with your better half - either way, you're sure to get the best Instagrammable picture! 

This wasn't the only residence of Poe during his years in Pennsylvania but it is the only one in existence today. When you step into the house don't be surprised to see it with bare walls and empty of furnishings. Since no one really knows how the Poe family furnished their home this is left to the visitor's imagination. And since admission is free, you have a little extra pocket change to buy something ...

Both an indoor and outdoor museum, these splendid gardens are filled with bright splashes of color everywhere. Colorful mosaics, tiles, and whimsical modern-art sculptures are entwined with a narrow staircase taking you to multiple levels and narrow corridors. This magical realm in the middle of Philadelphia is an entire work of art created by artist Isaiah Zagar. (Photo by Ashante Robinson)

The Mütter Museum is a medical museum located in the Center City area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This museum is not for the squeamish as it contains a collection of medical oddities, anatomical and pathological specimens, wax models, and antique medical equipment. Part of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, this museum's original purpose was for biomedical research and education. The museum bo...

This historic street may well be one of the oldest residential streets in the nation. A few dozen of the houses were built in the 18th and 19th centuries and the street itself has that old time charm. The houses and the street are brick-lined with a cobblestone walkway. There is a museum house on weekend days open during limited hours. Admission is a mere $3 per person. See the website for a calendar of ...

Pat's King of Steaks or Pat's Steaks is a Philadelphia restaurant specializing in cheesesteaks. Pats is located at the intersection of South 9th Street, Wharton Street and East Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia, directly across the street from rival Geno's Steaks. Pat's was founded in 1930 by brothers, Pat and Harry Olivieri, who are credited with the creation of the Philly cheesesteak, and did so wh...

Unofficially called Philly From The Top, it is 883 feet high, giving a 360 degree of Philadelphia. It opened in 2015 and has been a popular attraction ever since, rivaling observation decks in NYC, Las Vegas, and Boston. Although the building is easily viewable from the street, the deck itself might be closed until further notice. Check the website for updates. 

In 1976 Rocky Balboa was a long way from the heavyweight champion he would become. His humble, dingy apartment building in Philly underscores the achievements the boxing champion movie character will make in the Rocky sequels. After a quick view of the apartment (which is the first building on the left-hand side if you are turning right onto E. Tusculum from Ruth St.) you can head to other attractions al...

The interior gym scenes from the first Rocky were filmed on the West Coast at the now-defunct Main Street Gym, but this slim, red brick building was the stand-in for Mighty Mick's. It was never really a gym at all, but it is still recognizable today especially to Rocky aficionados. It's about one mile away from Rocky's apartment and about five miles from the famous Rocky steps.