Fox-Smith Post

Take advantage of the University City Swim Club during the summer months. This private swim club is open to prospective members—application is easy! Enjoy water recreation and fun in the largest, cleanest pools in the city. Choose from four pools: a lap pool, a diving pool, a large, wide pool and a kiddie pool.

Get the family to explore the beauty of nature when you go to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum. Bond at one of the many family-friendly festivals hosted throughout the year or just spend some quality time walking along the trails, canoeing in the lagoon or trying to spot the natural wildlife.

No matter where you are in Philadelphia, Fairmount Park is never too far away. This enormous park sprawls over 4,100 acres and has become the namesake for the entire municipal park system, all 9,200 acres spread throughout 63 public parks. No matter what your interests in the outdoors—hiking, biking, boating—Fairmount will meet all your needs.

Set aside some time to visit the oldest surviving botanical garden in the United States. Bartram’s Garden covers 46 acres in Fairmount Park, and is open to the public for free admission. Try taking a tour inside the historic garden area (the original 8-acre garden begun in 1728), the historic stone house, through the elaborate grove and the largest variety of North American plants in the world.