Boathouse Row

Stroll past fifteen historic rowing boathouses on the Schuylkill River, outlined in lights after dark.

Kelly Drive, east bank of the Schuylkill River · Philadelphia, PA

About Boathouse Row

Boathouse Row is a line of fifteen boathouses on the east bank of the Schuylkill River along Kelly Drive, just north of the Fairmount Water Works and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. All are at least a century old, most belong to the Schuylkill Navy, founded in 1858, and the row is a National Historic Landmark. Lights added in 1979 trace the outline of each building at night. You can watch regattas from the riverbank for free, including the Stotesbury Cup each May.

#rowing
#historic landmark
#schuylkill river
#night lights
#regattas

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What's around here?

The closest stops to Boathouse Row, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Tours
Family Favorite
Wheel Fun Rentals Boathouse Row
Under $25
Rent a surrey, e-bike, tandem or cruiser at Boathouse Row and pedal the Schuylkill River trails in Fairmount Park.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Steps awaySwitch it up: Tours
Museums
Iconic
Philadelphia Museum of Art
$25–$50
Run the Rocky Steps, then wander one of America's greatest art collections behind that famous neoclassical facade.
Transit: reachable by public transit
0.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
Attractions
Family Favorite
Philadelphia Zoo
$25–$50
America's first zoo, where the Zoo360 trail system lets big cats and primates travel right over your head.
Transit: reachable by public transit
0.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions
Sightseeing
Fairmount Water Works
No admission fee
Historic 1815 waterworks on the Schuylkill that now houses an interpretive center on local watershed history.
Transit: reachable by public transit
0.5 mi awayMore like this
Sightseeing
Benjamin Franklin National Memorial
No admission fee
A large seated statue of Benjamin Franklin inside the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.
Transit: reachable by public transit
1.1 mi awayMore like this
Sightseeing
History Buff
Parkway Central Library
No admission fee
The Free Library of Philadelphia's central library on Logan Square, with free tours of its Rare Book Department.
Transit: reachable by public transit
1.1 mi awayMore like this