7 Best Sights in Pennsylvania, USA

There are many great sections of Fairmount Park, but the 1,800 acres around Valley Green known as Wissahickon Valley Park may be the most stunning. Miles and miles of trails running along and above the river lead to covered bridges, a statue of a Lenape chief (rife with inaccuracies but created with good intentions), caves used by a 17th-century free-love cult, large boulders that drip water, and mallards quacking for bread bits. Forbidden Drive, on which cars are forbidden, runs from Northwestern Avenue (the westernmost part of Chestnut Hill) all the way to Lincoln Drive, where it connects to a bike and walking path that leads one way to Historic Rittenhouse Town (where you can also park and enter) and the other way to Manayunk and Kelly Drive, with additional bike/walking paths that take you to the city or out along the Schuylkill to Valley Forge. There are also many miles of surprisingly difficult mountain-bike trails. The Valley Green Inn is a very attractive restaurant with decent food at Forbidden Drive and Valley Green Road. Other recommended spots to hike to include Hudson and Andorra Meadows, Thomas Mill Covered Bridge, and Toleration Statue.

This welcoming outdoor space has a café and a spacious Great Lawn for relaxing. There's a fountain for cooling off in the summer, and the space transforms into the Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink in the winter. It's also home to free events throughout the year, including the Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market.

Frederick Law Olmsted is best known as the designer of New York’s Central Park, and his sons followed in their father’s footsteps in founding the Olmsted Brothers firm, which created this high-profile park in deep South Philly. Originally called League Island Park, when it was designed in the decade leading up to the 1926 Sesquicentennial Exposition, it’s now colloquially known as “The Lakes” for its network of channels and lagoons. The park contains numerous historical structures, including a soaring granite gazebo ringed in Doric columns, the dramatically arched boathouse, and the castlelike American Swedish Historical Museum. April through October, it's also home to the Southeast Asian Market ( www.fdrseamarket.com), where talented cooks from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and more cook street food from their cultures' cuisines.

One of five squares William Penn placed in his original design, this park is now a family-friendly destination. In addition to the water-dancing fountain, there’s a modern playground and carousel; a food stand with burgers, fries, and shakes; and an 18-hole miniature golf course boasting scale models of Independence Hall, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Ben Franklin Bridge, and other local landmarks. The park also plays host to numerous events throughout the year, including the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival and Winter in Franklin Park.

This 24-acre park stretches along the western side of the Schuylkill River and is managed by the University of Pennsylvania. The park has natural grass and turf playing fields, 12 tennis courts for public use, and bike and walking trails; its most striking feature is an elevated walk offering pedestrians panoramic views of the Philadelphia skyline. A friendly culture of pickup soccer exists here on the weekends, with small nets to accommodate games.

On any given day, runners, cyclists, walkers, dog walkers, and loungers can be found at the expansive Schuylkill River Park. The park runs along the river from Lombard Street to Manning Street, spanning more than three city blocks on the edge of Center City before University City. Even during the coldest months, the park is packed with people and their dogs in the on-site dog parks, children on the playground, athletes shooting hoops at the basketball courts, and people enjoying the skyline vantage points.

Marking the city's connections with eleven global "sister cities" such as Kobe, Japan, this small, family-focused park has a prime location near Logan Circle, the Logan Philadelphia hotel, and the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. A play area for kids features a rocky area to explore and a toy-boat and wading pond, and kids can cool off in a fountain with water jets, April through October. Sister Cities is also home to Robert Indiana's AMOR (Spanish and Latin for "love") sculpture, a companion to nearby LOVE Park's famous LOVE. The handy seasonal café (closed mid-December to early March), in a modern building with floor-to-ceiling windows, has light fare including kid-friendly items.