For good reason, Philadelphia is the mural capital of America. With more than 4,000 murals painted on walls and buildings, it’s one of the world’s largest outdoor art galleries. This colorful collection started in 1984 through the Anti-Graffiti Network, which later developed into the iconic Mural Arts Philadelphia program.
Now, these beautiful works of art turn dull streets into vivid visual feasts, attracting art lovers worldwide. Following is a list of 20 places for someone visiting Philadelphia to view its world-renowned street mural art.
Mural Mile
In Center City, Mural Mile boasts more than 40 stunning murals in a tightly packed, walkable district. The high concentration of varied artistic styles is ideal for tourists who only have a short time in the city.
Residents regard this section as the best way to be introduced to Philadelphia’s public art scene.
Spring Arts District
This formerly industrial neighborhood has been transformed into an outdoor gallery showcasing bold, contemporary designs. The district features massive building-sized works alongside smaller, intricate pieces that reward careful observation.
Spring Arts exemplifies how public art can revitalize and redefine an entire neighborhood’s identity.
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Fishtown
Fishtown’s murals reflect the area’s working-class roots and ongoing creative renaissance. The neighborhood’s artworks often incorporate elements of its industrial past while celebrating its current status as a hub for artists and musicians.
Walking through Fishtown feels like moving through a living history captured in vivid colors.
Northern Liberties
This gentrified neighborhood features murals that reflect its dramatic transformation from a manufacturing center to a creative district. Many pieces here engage directly with themes of urban change and community identity.
Northern Liberties’ murals often incorporate interactive elements that change depending on the viewing angle or time of day.
South Street
South Street’s murals embody the eclectic, rebellious spirit that has defined this corridor for decades. The artworks here tend toward the whimsical and unexpected, much like the street itself.
Some pieces change regularly, making South Street worth revisiting even for those familiar with Philadelphia’s mural scene.
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Germantown
The murals in historic Germantown often tell stories of the area’s revolutionary history and diverse cultural heritage. Artists typically work closely with longtime residents to ensure these works authentically represent the community.
Germantown’s pieces frequently incorporate historical references that reward viewers with knowledge of American history.
Isaiah Zagar’s Magic Gardens
While not traditional street murals, Zagar’s mosaic works cover building exteriors throughout South Philadelphia. His distinctive recycled material style creates immersive environments rather than simple wall art.
The Magic Gardens represent over fifty years of continuous artistic creation woven into the city’s fabric.
West Philadelphia
The murals in West Philadelphia often address social justice while celebrating the area’s rich cultural diversity. Many works feature collaborations between established artists and local youth.
The murals frequently incorporate educational components about historical figures and movements connected to the neighborhood.
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Cecil B. Moore Avenue
Named after the civil rights leader, this avenue features murals celebrating African American history and culture. The artworks along this corridor serve as powerful reminders of Philadelphia’s role in America’s ongoing civil rights journey.
These pieces often incorporate quotes and imagery that connect historical struggles to contemporary issues.
Italian Market
The murals in America’s oldest outdoor marketplace combine traditional subjects with contemporary techniques. Most honor the immigrant communities that have defined this historic commercial area.
The market’s tight streets provide close-up viewing experiences far removed from the city’s monumental paintings.
Kensington
Murals in Kensington regularly tackle complicated issues of society alongside community hope and resilience. They often include materials from the industry, derived from the region’s history as a manufacturing sector.
These murals indicate how public murals can catalyze dialogue regarding difficult aspects of city living.
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Chinatown
The murals of Chinatown combine Chinese traditional art forms with modern urban styles. Several works commemorate cultural heritage and the community’s continued presence in the city center.
Seasonal pieces frequently appear during celebrations, making this section of town especially dynamic.
Bella Vista
This Italian-American community has murals that frequently celebrate culinary heritage and family traditions. The narrow scale of many streets makes for cozy viewing spaces, unlike the large canvases elsewhere in the city.
Bella Vista’s paintings often include three-dimensional elements that cast intriguing shadows at different hours of the day.
Manayunk
Perched along the Schuylkill River, Manayunk’s murals often incorporate themes of water, industry, and renewal. The neighborhood’s steep hillsides create unique perspectives not found elsewhere in the city.
Some works cleverly use the topography to create optical illusions visible only from specific vantage points.
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Brewerytown
These murals honor this neighborhood’s brewing past while embracing its present-day renaissance. The size of old industrial buildings creates giant canvases for truly dramatic works.
Brewerytown is a prime example of how public art can save historical memory while creating a new sense of community identity.
Point Breeze
The murals in Point Breeze emphasize community cooperation and pride in the neighborhood. Several of the works here have been the result of collaborative endeavors involving residents of all ages.
Point Breeze shows how public art can create connections within fast-changing city landscapes.
Fairmount
Proximity to the Philadelphia Museum of Art influences this neighborhood’s often art-historically referential murals. Some pieces cleverly respond to or reinterpret famous works within the museum’s walls.
Fairmount’s murals create an interesting dialogue between institutional and street art.
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Old City
The historic district includes murals that frequently address themes of American origins and modern democracy. The paintings contrast interestingly with the district’s colonial-style buildings and cobblestone roads.
The Old City’s works prove that even the oldest cityscapes can accommodate modern artwork.
Callowhill/Eraserhood
These factory blocks, named after David Lynch’s connection to the district, have surreal, dreamlike murals. The neighborhood’s evolution from industry to creative purpose is indicative of Philadelphia’s larger transformation.
Murals in Callowhill tend to include more mechanical elements, a reference to the neighborhood’s past.
Navy Yard
The most recent mural attraction consists of gigantic works on ex-military and industrial buildings. The sheer size of the available surfaces allows huge artworks to be seen from far away.
Navy Yard is a good example of Philadelphia’s continued commitment to relocating its outdoor art gallery to new areas.
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The Living Canvas
Philadelphia’s mural scene constantly changes as new work appears every few weeks and others slowly fade. This renewal process reflects the city’s acknowledgment that public art, like the people it touches, must grow and change to remain relevant.
The actual sorcery of the murals in Philadelphia is not merely the product they are as art but how they transform generic spaces into placeful locations that record the continual story of a city that continues to reimagine itself.
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