Address
200 N 6th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Franklin Square is one of the five original open-space parks planned by William Penn when he laid out the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1682. It is located in the Center City area, between North 6th and 7th Streets, and between Race Street and the Vine Street Expressway.
William Penn included this piece of green space in his original city plan as one of five squares, although the park was slow to develop because it was a marshy land. Originally, the park was a place for settlers to meditate and set a virtuous behavior to set a proper example. The Park was supposed to be landscaped to have settlers understand the value of nature. In the 1920s, the park was abandoned and the surrounding area became known locally as the “tenderloin,” with an entertainment district featuring taverns and bordellos, and became a place for individuals experiencing homelessness to sleep on the park’s benches, resulting in its reputation as Philadelphia’s “skid row”. In 2003, Historic Philadelphia, Inc. renovated the park by adding commercials and houses to attract tourists which in turn helped the park back to its originality. Tourists are now able to enjoy the renovated park, family-friendly attractions, and the surrounding nature. Franklin Square is restored back to its original plan how William Penn wanted the park to be used.
From 2003 to 2006, Historic Philadelphia, Inc.— a non-profit company responsible for the Betsy Ross House and several other historical sites — refurbished the park in a $5.5 million project funded primarily by a grant from the state of Pennsylvania. Historic Philadelphia restored the fountain and cleaned up the park, aiming to bring the park back to that envisioned by William Penn. It was reopened and rededicated on July 31, 2006, in Franklin’s tercentenary year. The revitalized park contains a number of family-friendly attractions such as a golf course, an improved playground, a carousel, and gardens. The park’s restoration helped fulfill one of William Penn’s original intentions: a green respite in the middle of the city. Recently, re-development activities surrounding Franklin Square have included new housing, commercial, and office spaces, including the redevelopment of the shuttered Metropolitan Hospital as a condominium project. As a result, pedestrian traffic has increased dramatically and residents and tourists alike are able to enjoy the park’s attractions.
For more information: http://historicphiladelphia.org/franklin-square/what-to-see/
Upcoming Events at This Location
- <li>Presently we do not have any future events at this time.</li>