Spruce Street Harbor Park | Philadelphia

Spruce Street Harbor Park

Spruce Street Harbor Park (SSHP) is a seasonal waterfront park created in 2014 along the Delaware River at Penn’s Landing, between Lombard and Spruce Streets in Philadelphia. Operated by the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, it opens each year from May through late September, transforming a working pier into a vibrant, resort-like promenade of hammocks, floating gardens, craft food kiosks, and riverfront beer gardens.

Layout and Design

The Promenade: A wooden boardwalk runs the river’s edge, lined with container-style food stalls, vintage arcade games, and kiosks selling local crafts. Multicolored LED lights strung overhead and wrapped around trees give the entire area a lantern-lit glow after dusk.

Floating Barge Oasis: Three linked barges are moored to the pier, planted with native grasses, willows, and flowering shrubs. Built-in bench seating and overwater net lounges let visitors recline directly above the water.

Hammock Grove: More than 50 bright hammocks hang beneath mature London plane and honey locust trees. The grove’s turf is reinforced to withstand heavy foot traffic while retaining a natural lawn feel.

River Beer Garden: Shipping-container bars dispense more than two dozen regional craft beers, frozen cocktails, and non-alcoholic slushies. Picnic tables and Adirondack chairs face the water, positioned for sunset views over the Camden skyline.

Food and Drink

SSHP operates on a “Philly food court” model, rotating local vendors:

Distrito Taco Stand: Mexico City-style tacos, esquites, churros.

Federal Donuts: Hot honey-dipped fried chicken tenders and specialty doughnuts.

French Toast Bites: Bite-size brioche tossed in cinnamon sugar with dipping sauces.

Humpty’s Dumplings: Pan-fried dumplings in cheesesteak and buffalo chicken varieties.
Vegans find options at Lalo (Filipino-inspired rice bowls) and Popel’s Garden Bar smoothies. Seating is unreserved; guests may picnic anywhere except within USB-charging hammock stations.

Activities

Games: Free shuffleboard, oversized Jenga, ping-pong, bocce, and Connect Four along the boardwalk; arcade tent with Skeeball and retro cabinets (token purchase).

Kayak & SUP Rentals: Hourly rentals launch from a floating dock south of the barges, offering calm-water paddling between the Benjamin Franklin and Walt Whitman Bridges.

Weekly Programs: Movie nights on a 20-foot inflatable screen (Thursdays), salsa lessons (Wednesdays), and DJ-hosted dance parties (Fridays after 9 pm). A twice-monthly makers’ market features Delaware Valley artisans and small-batch food producers.

Sustainability Features

Solar-powered lighting supplements grid power.

Stormwater planters capture runoff from the promenade.

Recycled plastic lumber is used for boardwalk decking.

A closed-loop beer cup system collects and recycles single-use cups through a local plastics reprocessor.

Practical Information

2025 Season: May 9 – September 28, daily 11 am–1 am; vendor stalls generally open until midnight Fridays and Saturdays.

Admission: Free entry; pay-as-you-go for food, drinks, and arcade games. Cashless payment preferred.

Transit: Five-minute walk from SEPTA’s Market-Frankford Line (2nd Street Station). The #12 and #25 buses stop at Columbus Boulevard & Dock Street. Limited metered parking on Columbus Boulevard; garages at Front & Lombard.

Accessibility: Boardwalk and barges are wheelchair-accessible via gently sloped ramps. ADA restrooms are located near the central information hut.

Tips: Arrive before 6 pm on weekends to secure a hammock; bring a light jacket—river breezes can feel cool after dark. Non-glass water bottles are permitted; outside alcohol is not. Pets on leashes are welcome weekdays before 5 pm.

Significance

Spruce Street Harbor Park exemplifies tactical urbanism—temporary, low-cost interventions that activate underused waterfront infrastructure. By blending playful design with local food culture, it has become one of Philadelphia’s most popular summer attractions, drawing more than 750,000 visitors annually and energizing continued investment in the Delaware River waterfront corridor.