This Musuem has some really cool artifacts and information presented. I learned about fire buckets…read morefor the first time. There's also two replicas in glass displays that are super cool.

Carpenters' Hall is a small but important historic site in the heart of Old City, Philadelphia…read more This is where the First Continental Congress met in 1774, making it a key piece of early American history. The building itself is quaint and well-maintained, and while the space is small, it's packed with interesting information and exhibits about its role in the founding of the country. (LOL things I learned while touring the hall) The surrounding garden is peaceful and beautifully kept -- a great spot to take a breather while exploring the area. Inside, they sell some charming little souvenirs like president rubber ducks, which are perfect for kids. It's completely free to enter, but there's a donation box in the center -- definitely consider dropping something in to help keep this gem open. A quick, meaningful stop that's well worth your time.

This is a venue for private dining that is a really incredible experience. I imagine corporate,…read morerehearsal dinners, and special events. Their own description The Back Room is the private dining venue for High Street Hospitality Group, conveniently located in Center City, Philadelphia. Food is amazing as are servers who really know and understand the menu.

We had an excellent experience at the Back Room for a holiday family dinner for 16 people. We all…read moresat at a long table. The venue communicated well with us before the event so we knew what to expect and they were ready for us with our preferences. The staff was fantastic. We had a great time with Julian and other team members. The food was delicious and interesting. Highly recommend!

We had our wedding here in July 2023. This venue made it soo easy for us to design the perfect…read moreevent with clean lines, industrial feel and all white backdrop. Our colors popped and the whole event was elegant. Chris and here team were so easy to work with making sure we were involved and able to make changes to the layout to fit what we needed. They worked well with our caterer and we got the wedding of our dreams. Would 100% recommend them!

My partner (I mean "my husband") and I looked at 8 possible venues for our wedding in Center City…read morePhiladelphia. Honestly, we could've stopped after the first one! When we walked into PowerPlant Productions in Old City, we knew that this would be the place. It's the coolest space for a party, and no other venue in Center City is anything like it! When visiting other venues, we imagined how we'd decorate to mask the ugly ballroom carpets, bland or dusty-looking walls, and utter lack of personality (even at classic, historical sites). But at PowerPlant, we wanted the gorgeous space to speak for itself, and use a little decor to accentuate its natural appeal. From the gorgeous wide-plank hardwoods, all white brick walls, extraordinarily high ceilings, massive wall of windows, and that huge iconic smokestack! There is no place like it. Not being pro party planners, having access to Chris and Jim (the owners-who got married there) and Tommi (manager) was the lifeline I didn't know we needed. First, they actually own the building which is different than other city venues. If you have questions or requests, you ask Chris and Jim directly. They decide and answer, not a chain of go-between people. Chris has seen countless events at Power Plant and (at our request) shared a menu of ideas and floorplans that were foundational to our once-in-a-lifetime, phenomenal party. She knows what works really well in the space. Chris even helped us pare down a list of vendors to the ones that would be most likely to negotiate and customize an experience in our financial ballpark (including our caterer-our other lifeline-who also got married there). Leading up to the day-of, Jim and Tommi made prep as simple as they could for us. They made sure everything was set how we planned it. Plus, all of the scheduling, dropping off, setting up, picking up afterwards... trust me, as you approach the big day, it's these little things (like access to the space when you need) that catch you off guard and cause tremendous stress. They had our backs. Ultimately, our wedding was unlike any that I've ever attended (and I think most guests would say the same). Everyone commented on the venue. It was the night of our lives. We owe that to the gorgeous space, the venue and catering teams, DJ, and of course the phenomenal grooms and guests too. Haha. Thank you, PowerPlant Productions!

went to a wedding & reception at Liberty view, and it was very nice. easy, inexpensive parking…read moreunder the building. wedding on the outside terrace overlooking independence mall, followed by cocktail hour also outside. tasty passed hors d'ouvres and a mezze table. the dinner was inside in a lovely room, very delicious salmon atop sweet potato puree with perfectly al dente vegetables. only mishap was the wait staff cleared all of the utensils before cake & coffee, so we had to ask for forks and spoons to be returned. other than that, service was efficient.

Fantastic space, views, and service. I didn't even know this existed and I live in Philadelphia! I…read morewas here this past Saturday for a friend's wedding and this makes me want to renew my vows with my husband haha. Views: you get a view of the most beautiful parts of Old Town Philadelphia. You can people watch while having a cocktail, which was probably the most fun part. I even waved at a few tour buses going by. Space: they have a flower wall, and the space outside especially is immaculate. There are tons of places to take beautiful pictures that are instagram worthy. Service: The bartenders, Brian and Walter, were amazing. They were so friendly and quick to help - even with lending me a pen so I could write in the card I had just bought for the couple! The drinks were amazing as well (loved the tequila sunrises). The manager, Kenya, was FANTASTIC. You could see how expertly she choreographed the night. At one point during dinner, the staff was clearing the plates for dinner, which is also when the couple started their toasts. Kenya quickly whispered to the staff "not now, not now" so that staff were not walking around while toasts were being given. The dinners for each table were given all at once and the food was delicious as well. All in all, it was an absolutely beautiful space, with even more wonderful service, which is always hard to find with weddings.

A fun place in Old Town to stop and grab a drink. There are plenty of places to sit and although…read morethe menu isnt huge we found things to enjoy.

Oh boy. This beer garden was an experience start to finish. I was visiting friends in Philly who…read morerecommended we hit up a beer garden near old city and we found this one on Yelp. With their experience of beer gardens in the city, you are almost always able to bring food with you. We brought halal trays with us, sat down at a table, and two people in our party left to go order drinks. They were gone for over 30 minutes. While they were gone my friend and I started eating our food and drinking our soda that was included with the food. This man walked near our table, stopped, and started staring at us. When we looked up at him he'd pretend to be on his phone but it was obvious that he was staring. I asked "can we help you" and he responded (I kid you not) "what my food isn't good enough for you"? I was so confused. I asked him what he was talking about and if he worked here and he said "yeah, I own the place. I got rent to pay". Again, I was so confused because there were no signs and nothing indicated on the website that we couldn't bring in outside food. We calmly explained to him that our partners were ordering drinks and food at the bar. We later found out the POS system was down so that's why he was likely in a bad mood and why it was taking so long to get drinks. When our partners finally did come back they brought beers which were really reasonably priced (like $6 a piece which is crazy in this economy) and they ordered the most delicious Philly cheesesteak egg rolls. I was really thrown off with the weird and abrasive experience from the owner but the food really hit. The drinks were cheap and the ambiance was really nice. It's an all outdoor space and there were outside games and football was playing on the tv. Note to the owner: be nice to your customers and communicate clearly what the rules are rather than being rude and standoffish and making everyone uncomfortable. A simple "hey we don't allow outside food here for next time" would have been fine. Put up signs. Make it clear on your website. Also, chill. We ordered food and drinks!

The group I was with spontaneously planned to see a show at FringeArts being performed by a local…read morecircus school (Circadium). I had never been to FA before and it was an experience. The pros: -Was pleasantly surprised by the show. The performer (who were about to graduate from Circadium) were extremely talented. Not sure how other shows are at FA but this one was great. -Tickets were $15, very reasonable -Seats were socially distanced, after each group three seats were left empty to allow for spacing. Also the audience was seated in every other row. -Masks and hand sanitizer were readily available. The cons: -If you are planning to see a show, buy your tickets in advance if you can. Or plan to pay in cash. If you want to buy tickets at the front desk, there is only one credit card machine and it is extremely slow. It took our group a solid 10 mins to get tickets. -With all the social distancing protocols, it would be convenient if one was seated on the end of a row to be able to cross the front row and climb up the stairs, versus having people get up to let you in. -When asked about the show we were going to see, none of the employees at the front desk knew anything about the show. I would advise having the people working to be able to give the show's general description. Overall I would recommend taking the time to catch a show at FA. Be prepared to be exposed to something new. Just buy your tickets online or have cash ready if you are buying at the front box office.

Well, we just got back from a fantastic weekend performing an interactive piece called "Life…read moreTraveler." The festival was supportive and so organized. In a culture of mass produced entertainment, this is the place to go for unique experiences. We hope to perform this work on bridges across the world! Thanks Philly Fringe.

This free museum is a hidden gem. It's located in the middle of the historic district. It has lots…read moreof cool science exhibits that interest both adults and kids. Be sure to check out the Lunchtime exhibit that is all about the science and history behind school lunches . The museum is on the smaller side. It can be explored in an hour or two. The staff are super nice and knowledgeable. The museum hosts lots of events too! First Friday events are free. Exhibit openings and other events also happen through the year and are usually free.

Free!! It's only about one floor of stuff with a ton of scientific history where you can browse and…read morelearn the origins of each invention. Free admission! Nice bathrooms!!!

Crispy Bacon and Grits with an added zing to them AWESOME !…read moreThe fireplace is great on a chilly day while enjoying my coffee.

From the owner: Smiley's Catering is dedicated to creating fabulous food for your most memorable events. We're a…read morefull-service caterer that specializes in buffet style settings. The Smiley's team along with Chef Smiley will tailor any of our menu items to suit your needs or incorporate any menu ideas that you may have for your event. Our goal is to provide you the client with exceptional, innovative foods at reasonable prices. We strongly believe in serving our clients with respect, graciousness, and courtesy. Smiley's is committed to making the production of your event a happy, fun and stress-free experience. In business since 1999, we've created a unique catering company, which offers unsurpassed fresh, contemporary and outrageously exciting menus. Smiley's Catering is dedicated to listening to our clients, sharing your vision and bringing all of the elements together. Our success is primarily measured by satisfying each of our customers.

Whether its for checking out awesome art exhibits, or its for booking your own event of endless…read morepossibilities, Room 244 is a space that really know how to tie its room together! I first came across Room 244 during their 2nd First Friday event, and since then I've seen their walls filled with Japanese influenced art, surreal art with farm animal motifs, a craft bazaar, Eclectic sculpture art from Hannah Dancing, and more. The two sisters who own it do a good job of collaborating with diverse artists and showcasing a number of events that don't just happen on the first Friday of the month. But when they're not hosting their own events, Room 244 is a space that caters to events of all types. Sometimes there might be a game night, and on others the Boss Group might host a UX Designer Networking Event. But if you're looking to host a group meeting, throw a surprise party, throw an art show with some musicians, or other; all you need to do is shoot them a message on their website, and you might just be able to throw it together!

We couldn't figure out what to do for my mom's birthday party/ Mother's Day Party and found this…read moreplace through a friend. The space was customizable and fit our plans perfectly. The tables and seating fit our group of 20 pretty comfortably. There was plenty of space for everyone to move around while we had big tables set up for food. The outdoor space was picturesque but it was raining so we didn't get to use it much, but we were able to put together a nice photo spot right at the front. Laura was easy to communicate with and very responsive whenever I texted her. She was super flexible with my schedule and made it easy to see the place, plan the layout for the party, and let us come extra early for setting up. She even helped us put up a big banner with my mom's picture on it! My mom and all the guests had a great time, and the art was a conversation starter. Thanks again!

We had our wedding here on 9/26/25 and everything was PERFECT! From the moment we walked into Union…read moreTrust for the first time while touring venues we knew this was where we wanted to get married. The building is an old bank that was built in the 1880's. It has so much character and the architecture is gorgeous. Perfect for an elegant, black-tie wedding. The first day we met with Chelsea who was bubbly, personable, and professional. She made sure everything went smoothly with negotiations and the contract. From then on, she did a fantastic job with communication throughout the next year leading up to wedding day (we missed her on the night of our wedding, unfortunately!). I really love how cocktail hour is on the 2nd floor overlooking the rest of the venue -- it makes for great views and great pictures. The venue comfortably held and accommodated our 125 guests. The food was also fantastic. I've had some pretty below average and mediocre food at weddings, but not here. For cocktail hour, Finley Catering offers 8 passed Hors d'Oeuvres (the steak tartare and lamb chops were the star of the show in my opinion!) and 3 stations (we went with a hot seafood station, a cold seafood station, and an Italian station). The offerings that came with each station were great and had remarkable variety. Lobster tail, crab claws, oysters, to name a few! The filet mignon entree was also one of the better filets I've had. Throughout the night we were treated so well by every single employee we encountered. Everyone that was working at Union Trust was respectful, gracious, professional, and would go out of their way to make us or our guests happy. From the night of our wedding still to this day, we had and still have friends and family members coming to us telling us how much fun they had. Comments to us about how beautiful the venue was and how spectacular the food was were common coming from our guests. I keep telling my wife to convince someone to get married at Union Trust so I can experience a wedding here as a guest. I couldn't have imagined a better day and much of that is thanks to not only my wife for all of her meticulous planning, but also to Union Trust and Finley Catering for being such an incredible venue. I am so happy and thankful we toured Union Trust and made the decision to have our wedding.

Great place to host a formal venue like a gala or wedding.. Bar is upstairs to mingle and socialize…read morebefore the main event. Hors d'oeuvres are served upstairs with some tables and chairs. Some is passed around, my favorites are the lamb chop and shrimp coconut. Food is pretty good. Salmon is perfectly cooked. Yuca fries is addicting. My only criticism is the rice and beans that is clumpy and overcooked. . Dessert: cute and small cups of tiramisu, key lime meringue,panna cotta, there are some small cupcakes as well. All staff members are courteous and nice, clean up the dirty plates right away