With the Franklin Square Park Patco station set to reopen April 3, and the Square’s official opening day on the horizon — April 19 — there’s a lot to check out this spring at the fan-favorite locale.
Opening Day activities
Opening Day will kick off for Franklin Square on April 19, and with it, comes plenty of ways to celebrate from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Locals can participate in the free Hop Along Trail where children can bring an Easter basket and follow the trail to collect eggs (advanced registration required), or participate in different (free) Earth Day activities spanning crafts, bird/nature activations, sorting games, recycling relays with the City of Philadelphia Office of Recycling and more.
Franklin Square Fountain Show
Franklin Square’s most iconic landmark is definitely the historic Rendell Family Fountain and its annual show. Choreographed with lights and water, during the show, fountain jets dance magically to music as LED lights “glisten for visitors.” Guests visiting the park day or night can enjoy free choreographed performances that showcase the historic infrastructure of the fountain beginning April 19. After that, daily shows starts at noon and then run every 30 minutes from 12 to 2 p.m., and then again at 5 p.m. until the park closes.
Franklin Square Park spring hours are as follows: Now through April 30 (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.), May 1 to 23 (10 a.m. to 9 p.m.) and May 24 to June 16 (10 a.m. to 10 p.m.)
Philly Mini Golf
Philly Mini Golf in Franklin Square is open year-round, but the spring and summertime offer opportune moments to visit and play some holes. This Philadelphia-themed miniature golf course runs for $13 for adults, $11 for children (3-12), and guests 2 years of age and younger are free with a paid accompanying guardian.
SquareBurger
Another icon from the Park comes in the form of a sweet treat: The Original Cake Shake is made with TastyKake Butterscotch Krimpets, caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. SquareBurger (open daily beginning at noon) also serves up an assortment of burgers (vegetarian options available), fries, nachos, sandwiches, and other ice cream sweets.
Parx Liberty Carousel
This all-American style carousel features hometown racehorse heroes Afleet Alex and Smarty Jones. The carousel runs for $4 per person (adult or child). Guests 2 years of age and younger are free with a paid accompanying guardian.
An Evening in Franklin Square
Tickets are now on sale for the annual charity event, which takes place Tuesday, June 17 from 6 to 9 p.m. Funds raised from An Evening in Franklin Square enable Historic Philadelphia, Inc. to support the operation and maintenance of Franklin Square’s 7.5 acres of treasured public green space, and Philadelphians can be part of all of the “glitzy” fun. The event features cocktails and cuisine by Cescaphe, followed by the Parx Square Derby and live/silent auctions. It all concludes with dessert and dancing.
This evening also gives visitors a first sneak peek at the 2025 Chinese Lantern Festival. What Philadelphians can expect this year is the popular 200-foot-long dragon along with completely new lantern displays and immersive experiences, live cultural stage performances, Asian-themed bites and American comfort food, a cocktail garden, and a front-row seat to the choreographed fountain light show. Guests can also play Philly Mini Golf and ride the Parx Liberty Carousel at a discounted rate. This charitable evening is the first look at everything the CLF has to offer, tickets ($175+) are available online.
There are also a few updates to keep an eye out for. A release also notes that in February 2025, HPI announced a $7.8 million investment in Franklin Square’s future, including new restrooms (opening spring 2025), new sidewalks and bike lanes from the City of Philadelphia’s Streets Department (summer 2025), all new LED lighting (summer 2025), and a brand new playground (expected 2026).
To find out more information about all of the spring events happening in Franklin Square Park (200 N 6th St.), visit historicphiladelphia.org
