Public Art, Landmarks, and Transformations along the Schuylkill

The Schuylkill River received its name because of the confluence; groves of trees, sycamores, and oaks once obscured the entrance of the Schuylkill. In Dutch, Schuylkill means "hidden stream". This 130-mile corridor over the years has shaped the lives and landscape of Philadelphia. Learn about the changes and development along the lower Schuylkill River and the industrialization that followed in historical landmarks, and public art spanning the early 18th to the mid-19th century. This tour was developed in partnership with the Association for Public Art (formerly the Fairmount Park Art Association).

Meet in front of Lloyd Hall Recreation Center at 1 Boathouse Row, Philadelphia, PA 19130. 

Note: This tour includes walking up a steep hill from the Waterworks to the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA), steps down the front of the PMA, and short areas of grassy terrain. The tour will end at the parking lot next to Girard Bridge on Kelly Drive. 

Preservation Alliance walking tours utilize an audio system that transmits from a headset worn by the guide to earpieces worn by tour attendees. The equipment is thoroughly sanitized before and after each use. Tour attendees can also plug in their personal headsets or earbuds that use a standard headphone jack (Not compatible with Bluetooth or Apple earphones).

Space is limited. Advance registration required.

A limited number of $2 tickets are available for PA ACCESS or Art-Reach ACCESS card holders. Please email us at tours@preservationalliance.com for discount.

Email us at tours@preservationalliance.com for any questions or join the waitlist for a sold out tour!