11 Spots to View Cherry Blossoms at Peak Bloom in Philadelphia in 2023
Spring has sprung in Philly...
One of the first signs of spring in Philadelphia is blooming cherry blossoms all around the city — the parks, the streets, the sidewalks. It’s a stunning sight to see.
Philadelphia has a wealth of cherry trees of varying types that add touches of pink, white and purple to skyline views and the already-picturesque waterfronts of the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers.
Peak bloom dates predicted for 2023
The up-and-down temperatures to start spring have horticultural experts revising their predictions for peak cherry blossom blooms in the region.
The team at Chestnut Hill’s Morris Arboretum & Gardens bases its cherry-blossom-bloom prediction on work done by the National Park Service and the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC.
With Philly’s cherry trees typically blooming seven to 10 days after Washington DC’s, Morris Arboretum expects director of horticulture Vince Marrocco initially predicted peak bloom dates in Philly to be around March 29, 2023. In a recent Facebook post , Morris Arboretum indicated the best viewing window may begin the weekend of April 1, 2023 .
And the Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center has posted a revised prediction for peak cherry blossom blooms in Fairmount Park, with peak bloom now expected to begin the week of April 3, 2023 .
There are a ton of popular attractions and public green spaces (and even a weekend-long festival) within the city that offer premier viewing spots to go check out the camera-ready blooms. You can choose your own adventure with this handy cherry blossom map from our friends at the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia.
Below, we’ve called out the best places to check out cherry blossoms in Philadelphia in 2023.
Surrounded by cherry blossom trees, the Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center is a go-to spot for taking in the gorgeous pink blooms that arrive every spring. The serene site even boasts the ownership of a decades-old weeping cherry tree, standing tall and proud by its koi fish-filled pond. Note: Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center reopens for the season on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Timed tickets are required to tour the site.
Outside the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center and Centennial Arboretum, the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia hosts a two-day celebration complete with musical performances, cultural activities, workshops, dancing and more. This year’s festival takes place April 15 and 16, 2023. A return to pre-pandemic form, the expanded festival features a beer garden, food court, marketplace and Japanese cultural activity center.
Kelly Drive
Take in views of the Schuylkill River and springtime spectacles of blooming cherry blossoms on Kelly Drive along the east side of the river. Start where Girard Avenue passes over Kelly Drive and continue north on the Schuylkill River Trail up to the Playing Angels statues for cherry blossom goodness.
Behind the Please Touch Museum , find multiple hues of pink cherry blossoms stretching throughout the naturally green area of West Fairmount Park. Further northwest, cherry trees astound every year near the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center . Finally, double back and safely cross the street at Belmont Avenue and Avenue of the Republic, then make the short walk northwest to the Stone Gazebo for a truly spectacular frame.
Where: Please Touch Museum, 4231 Avenue of the Republic
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Fairmount Park Horticulture Center, 100 N. Horticultural Drive
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, which hugs the west side of the Schuylkill River, offers scores of pink and white blossoms during cherry-blossom season. Meander the two-mile stretch from Montgomery Drive to the Falls Bridge to take in the best views.
Belmont Plateau at Belmont Mansion Drive in Fairmount Park offers stellar views of both in-bloom cherry blossoms and the Philadelphia skyline. Pack a picnic, enjoy the gorgeous scenery, and call it a day well spent.
Whether you’re walking, running, biking or driving along Columbus Boulevard near the Delaware River waterfront, budding cherry blossoms are visible along numerous center strips on the road. Don’t miss the view near Race Street and Columbus Boulevard , where the Benjamin Franklin Bridge peeks out amidst budding blooms while looking east.
Drexel Park
This former industrial site is a green space and community hub for residents of West Philadelphia, students and staff at Drexel University and the many visitors passing through nearby 30th Street Station. Bonus: The urban park ’s skyline views come with a side of blossoming cherry blossom trees whose flowers dot the winding paths each spring.
Simply take a walk through Philadelphia, and you’re bound to stumble across a street sporting multiple blooming cherry trees during peak season. Neighborhoods like Bella Vista , Fairmount , Graduate Hospital and Washington Square West all offer beautiful views, as does the iconic Rittenhouse Square .
Usher in the season by admiring the pink blooms at Morris Arboretum & Gardens as its blossom collection bursts forth in full glory — then check out all the other cool spring things at this Northwest Philly treasure. Note that tickets are required to visit.
Longwood Gardens is home to beautiful blooms of all sort, including a variety of cherry blossoms. Stop by the Chester County megagarden to watch trees like the Okame Cherry and the Weeping Higan Cherry awaken seemingly before your eyes. Note that tickets are required to visit.
The Perfect Hotel Package for an Easy Philly Escape
The Visit Philly Overnight Package — booked more than 190,000 times since 2001 — comes with free hotel parking (worth up to $100 in Center City Philadelphia), overnight hotel accommodations and choose-your-own-adventure perks.
