Race Street Pier to Cherry Street Pier: Two Free Hours by the Bridge
Two free piers on the Delaware River split one Philadelphia afternoon in two. The first sits just south of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, where a wide sky promenade opens onto the river, the bridge and the Center City skyline at once. The second is a working art pier a few minutes south, where artists keep studios in shipping containers and food comes off historic trolley cars.
Race Street Pier to Cherry Street Pier
🌉 Start on the sky promenade
Race Street Pier is free and open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day, at Race Street and Columbus Boulevard. The deck sits south of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, and the raised sky promenade puts the river, the bridge and the Center City skyline in one view. Amphitheater steps curve around the far end of the pier. The open deck catches the wind off the water, so a jacket earns its place.
🎨 Walk five minutes to the studios
Head south on the Delaware River Trail for three to five minutes and you reach Cherry Street Pier, a 65,000-square-foot warehouse on the water. Entry is free, and artists work out of shipping containers along the central corridor. Studio hours shift and the artists are not always in, so plan on the corridor, the gallery and the garden rather than a guaranteed studio visit. The gallery stays open daily year-round. Food comes off historic trolley cars, and each vendor keeps its own hours, so check the day's lineup before you go.
🧭 Work around the closing times
Cherry Street Pier opens at noon Monday through Friday and at 11 a.m. on weekends, closing at 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and at 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Holiday hours change, so check the pier page before a trip. Start on the bridge side around 3 p.m., walk south for the studios, and end with a drink in the garden. The warehouse hall is unheated, and a warm layer buys you more time in the cold months.
