Philadelphia’s Cherry Blossoms Are a Stunning Sight to Behold

The best places to see cherry blossoms in Philly this spring and details on the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival 2023.

Photo courtesy of Fairmount Park Conservancy
Photo courtesy of Fairmount Park Conservancy

The sight of blooming cherry blossoms is a surefire sign of spring. Prominent in Japanese culture, the flowering trees sprout lovely pink blooms in early spring, from late March through early April in Philadelphia. However, due to a warmer-than-usual winter, the trees have started to bloom a little earlier this year.

The backdrop for a lovely picnic or picturesque snapshot, cherry trees, or sakura, can be found throughout the city, with the highest concentration of pink petaled branches along the Schuylkill River and in Fairmount Park. Get ready to pack a snack, go for a stroll, and take in the sights at the best places to see cherry blossoms in Philadelphia this spring.

Shofuso
Shofuso

Lansdowne Drive and Horticultural Drive
This 17th century-style Japanese house and garden in Fairmount Park is home to cherry blossoms that bloom among its manicured lawns. The site opens for the season on March 22 for tranquil flower-peeping and tours of the historic house, built in Japan and reassembled in Philadelphia in 1957-58.

Fairmount Park Conservancy
Fairmount Park Conservancy

100 North Horticultural Drive
Consisting of an exhibition hall, greenhouse, and sprawling arboretum, Fairmount Park Horticulture Center also has gardens, a reflecting pool, butterfly garden, and romantic gazebo—and is a nature-lover’s dream. One of the center’s highlights is the Cherry Allée, a grove of cherry trees donated by the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia in 2003. The Horticulture Center is also host to the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival, held April 15 and 16, celebrating Japanese culture and, of course, cherry blossoms.

Discover PHL
Discover PHL

Kelly Drive

North of Boathouse Row along the Schuylkill River
Take a stroll north on the Schuylkill River Trail (the direction away from the art museum) or bring a blanket and post up under the blooming cherry blossoms along the east side of the river. A popular biking, walking, and running destination, you can soak in the magic of a body of trees on foot or wheel.

640 Waterworks Drive
The side of the Philadelphia Museum of Art that doesn’t have the iconic Rocky Steps features a cluster of cherry blossoms that feed into the grounds of Fairmount Water Works. Again, situated near the banks of the Schuylkill River, the grassy museum lawn is lined with trees and gives way to a few more surrounding Water Works.

4231 Avenue of the Republic
The building that is home to the Please Touch Museum opened in 1876 as a part of the Centennial Exhibition—which makes it a stately backdrop to the dozens of cherry blossoms that live on the lawn behind the museum.

Belmont Plateau

1800 Belmont Mansion Drive
Boasting one of the best views of the city skyline, the sprawling, flat space known as Belmont Plateau is a popular picnic and hangout spot—and bursts with pink in the springtime.

Schuylkill Banks
Schuylkill Banks

Martin Luther King Jr. Drive

Between Montgomery Drive and Falls Bridge
On the west side of the Schuylkill River, Martin Luther King Jr. Drive boasts a chill path for walking, running, and biking, surrounded by pops of pink. A popular spot for cyclists—the road is closed from 7 am to 5 pm on weekends in April through October—you can see a bunch of spring foliage from a car-free road.

Columbus Boulevard

Between Race Street and Penn’s Landing
Jumping from the west side of the city to the east, the median of popular throughway Columbus Boulevard is lined with cherry blossoms, brightening up a stretch of road by Race Street Pier under the Benjamin Franklin Bridge to Penn’s Landing.

Washington Square

6th and Walnut Streets
One of the five original public squares in Philadelphia, Washington Square is one of the city’s most popular al fresco hangout spots. Nestled in a quiet and stately neighborhood, the park comes to life with pink.

Photo courtesy of Andalusia Historic House, Gardens & Arboretum

1237 State Road, Andalusia, Pa.
A little over half an hour outside the city, Andalusia Historic House, Gardens & Arboretum features an early 19th-century Greek Revival home situated on a 50-acre estate, surrounded by native woodlands and formal gardens. On those grounds are nearly two dozen cherry trees waving hello as you embark on a self-guided tour of the grounds. Andalusia opens for the season on April 1.

Morris Arboretum
Morris Arboretum

100 East Northwestern Avenue
What was once the summer home of brother and sister John and Lydia Morris is now a research and teaching resource for the University of Pennsylvania as well as a popular arboretum where visitors can wander through gardens, meadows, and treed areas. Come see multiple types of cherry blossoms bloom alongside other seasonal treats like spike winterhazel and katsura-tree.

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Allie Volpe is a writer based in Philadelphia. She hasn't slept in days. Follow her on Twitter: @allieevolpe.