Fairmount Park Digital Guide: Centennial District
Your guide to discovering the Centennial District in West Fairmount Park
The Centennial District of West Fairmount Park sits on 700 acres originally identified by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead as the location for Philadelphia's first purpose-built urban park. It hosted the Centennial Exposition in 1876.
Today, the Centennial District landscape is dotted by natural areas, athletic fields, public art, and historic landmarks. It’s also home to some of Fairmount Park’s popular cultural institutions, including the Philadelphia Zoo, Please Touch Museum, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Shofuso Japanese House & Garden.
Start Your Journey
Centennial District Park Hub at Lansdowne Drive and Black Road
Begin your exploration of the Centennial District at our Centennial District Park Hub, located at 41st St. and S. Concourse Drive in West Fairmount Park.
( Directions )
From here, you can explore nearby gems:
- Cedar Grove (3 min walk)
- Smith Memorial Arch (3 min walk)
- Shofuso Japanese House & Garden (9 min walk)
- Pavilion in the Trees (12 min walk)
This Park Hub includes a portable restroom.
View all Park Hubs by clicking the points on the map below.
Fairmount Park Hubs
Discover the Centennial District
We hope this guide will lead you on a path to discover the less-traveled features of the Centennial District in West Fairmount Park.
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1
Cedar Grove
Cedar Grove, today one of the six Park Charms of Fairmount Park , once stood in Philadelphia’s Frankford neighborhood. Built for Elizabeth Coates Paschall in 1746, it was the summer home for five generations of the Coates, Paschall, and Morris families of Philadelphia.
In 1927, it was moved stone by stone to its current location in West Fairmount Park. It is operated by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and is currently closed to the public.
1 Cedar Grove, Philadelphia, PA
2
Smith Memorial Arch
Smith Memorial Arch in West Fairmount Park is a towering public sculpture that honors Pennsylvania’s Civil War heroes. It took 15 years to finish. Today it remains an iconic gateway to the park.
3
Fairmount Park Horticulture Center
The Horticulture Center, a modern exhibition hall and greenhouse, is located in beautiful West Fairmount Park. The Center was built in 1979 and sits on the site of the former Horticultural Hall and the 1876 Centennial Exposition building. While the greenhouse is currently closed to the public, the grounds of the Horticulture Center remain open.
100 N. Horticultural Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19131
4
Pavilion in the Trees
Pavilion in the Trees has offered park-goers a quiet place to reflect and relax ever since it was installed on the grounds of Fairmount Park Horticulture Center in 1993. Commissioned by the Association for Public Art , the art sculpture was created by artist Martin Puryear, who was inspired by his childhood longing for a treehouse of his own.
5
Shofuso Japanese House & Garden
Shofuso was built in Nagoya, Japan in 1953, using traditional materials and techniques, exhibited at MoMA as part of “The House in the Museum Garden” series. It moved to its current site in Philadelphia, within steps of the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center, when the exhibition closed in 1958.
Lansdowne Dr. and Horticultural Dr., Philadelphia, PA 19131
Explore Trails in the Centennial District
Click each button below to view the individual trail route on the map. Zoom in for a close-up look at each route. Pinpoints designate trail heads.
Lansdowne Glen Trail on the grounds of the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center.
- Length: ~0.7 miles
- Terrain: Soft-surface
- Level: Easy, some rolling hills
Smith Memorial Arch along the Centennial 5K Loop
- Length: 3.1 miles
- Terrain: Paved
- Level: Easy, flat
Help keep Fairmount Park's trails beautiful by taking trash with you.
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Explore more areas in Fairmount Park:
Know Before You Go
Follow social distancing guidelines in Philly parks
Wear a facemask when enjoying Philly parks. Courtesy of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation.
- Do not go out if you or members of your household are self-quarantining or do not feel well. Know the symptoms.
- Wear a facemask.
- Stay at least six feet from others.
- Avoid gathering with people outside of your household.
- Wash or sanitize hands before and after using play equipment. Parks & Rec will not be able to clean or sanitize play equipment while it is in use.
- Use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol or wash your hands for at least 20 seconds.
Enjoy your visit? Share your photos!
Tag @myphillypark in your photos of Fairmount Park on social media. We'd love to see what you discovered during your time spent in Fairmount Park.
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