Reasons to Visit Philadelphia in Winter

With new exhibitions and expansions coming to Philadelphia in 2022, visitors won’t want to miss a trip to this historic city. Following the exciting announcement of the arrival of Harry Potter: The Exhibition in February, more events and sites have come to Philadelphia. Experience some of Philadelphia’s newest additions this winter.

Winter Events and Festivals

Philadelphia will feature several festivals this winter and early spring. The Winter in Franklin Square event includes the Electrical Spectacle Light Show, a display featuring more than 150,000 lights choreographed to “Winter Wonderland.” Set to run through Feb. 27, this light show also invites visitors to play golf on the Chilly Philly Mini Golf course or enjoy a meal at SquareBurger.

© Bonita Cheshier | Dreamstime.com

At Longwood Gardens, the Winter Wonder event showcases hundreds of purple and white orchids in the Conservatory. The more than 400 acres of outside gardens will also display yellow and orange witch hazel and winter grasses. This event will be open Jan. 22–March 27.

Through March 6, visit Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest to experience one of Philadelphia’s favorite winter traditions. Located on the Delaware River Waterfront, guests can go skating at the city’s largest outdoor rink, stay warm at one of the warming cabins and fire-pit stations and enjoy the dazzling lights. Food and carnival games will also be present.

Black History Month

As February draws near, Philadelphia presents statues, sites and exhibitions about the history of Black Americans in Philadelphia. Created by Wofford Sculpture Studio to coincide with Black History Month, Women’s History Month and the 200^th anniversary of Harriet Tubman’s birth, a statue of Tubman was erected near City Hall. City Hall will host The Journey to Freedom event through March 31, to highlight the life of Tubman and her work as an Underground Railroad conductor.

© Tony Bosse | Dreamstime.com

At the Betsy Ross House, several exhibitions and programs will appear throughout the month of February. On Feb 5, visitors can “meet” Francis Harper and listen to firsthand accounts of the abolitionist’s life. Each Sunday throughout February, Once Upon A Nation Storytelling’s award-winning storytellers will share interactive and little-known stories about Black Americans through history.

In honor of Black History Month, the African American Museum in Philadelphia highlights various presentations, readings, movies and performances on different Black Americans in history. Some of the featured presentations will include sets by Clef Club musicians Feb. 6, 13 and 20, and history performances on Revolutionary War hero Ned Hector on Feb. 12 and 26.

Food and Drink

New restaurants and breweries will soon appear throughout Philadelphia to add even more energy and life. In early 2022, Kismet Bagels will open its first brick-and-mortar location. Good Luck Pizza Co. will soon become a neighborhood pizza joint in Midtown Village and a taco and cocktail bar, Bomba Taco + Bar, will open in the Philadelphia suburbs.

Set to open in March 2022, Wilder will offer guests the amenities of a restaurant, bar and event space in more than 4,500 square feet of space. Coffee lovers can soon visit Char & Stave Coffee by Bluebird Distilling in Ardmore, a coffee shop that serves coffee by day and craft cocktails by night.

In addition to the exciting expansion of the Craft Beer Trail of Greater Philadelphia, the Fishtown outpost of East Passyunk’s Brewery ARS and Fishtown’s Other Half Brewing Company are slated to open in early 2022.

Museums

Through Feb 13, visit the Jasper Johns: Mind/Mirror exhibition at Philadelphia Museum of Art. The exhibition displays the works of Jasper Johns in an unprecedented collaboration chronologically showing paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints and books that mirror the other’s display. The immersive experience allows guests to see how John’s fascination with reflection manifested in his works.

© Tony Bosse | Dreamstime.com

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University will feature the Invisible World of Water exhibition through Feb. 13. This year-long project incorporates artwork dealing with water, showing the blending of art and science into one fascinating manifestation of curiosity. Visitors can even see rare historical Victorian-arranged diatom slides by Harold Dalton and others as well as microphotographs by Ukichiro Nakaya.

To learn about how people around the world have dressed for ceremony, performance, battle, work, play and rule, walk through The Stories We Wear exhibition at Penn Museum. Open until June 12, this unique exhibit features more than 2,500 years of style through almost 250 objects. Visitors can see how expressions of identity and the meanings and purposes behind clothing have changed over time.