Philadelphia PA - Dog Friendly Parks, Walks & Places

Independence National Historical Park

Date visited: 5/31/2026

This was Mandy and Lexi's first trip to Philadelphia. We wound up walking over five and a half miles, mostly through the historic district, starting and ending here. This national park covers 20 city blocks, and contains many of the most famous historical sites in the city, including Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Unfortunately, we weren't able to go inside to see the Liberty Bell close up, since dogs aren't allowed inside the building, but we were able to see it from the outside and get one photo of it. I was here about 30 years ago, and I don't think the Liberty Bell was inside a structure like it is now. We also didn't explore the Independence Hall grounds. Dogs are allowed outside, but there was a security checkpoint that I didn't want to deal with considering all the stuff we had with us. Other than that, it was a nice walk through the park, that also includes a number of gardens, fountains, statues, and other historical buildings.

More Images

Washington Square

Date visited: 5/31/2026

This is a small park adjacent to Independence National Historical Park. It has a nice fountain and some statues, but it's not very big. It also contained the first hydrangeas we've seen in bloom this year.

Philadelphia's Magic Gardens

Date visited: 5/31/2026

This was one of our highlights of our trip to Philadelphia. It's an art installation made up of mosaics created from a variety of materials, including tiles, glass, mirrors, and found objects. It's a really unique and colorful place to explore, and there are lots of nooks and crannies to discover. It's kind of small, with very narrow paths, so a lot of art is crammed into a small space. The place is dog-friendly. Dogs are allowed in both the outdoor and indoor areas. This was a fun and unique stop, and a good place to get some very cool photos.

More Images

Franklin Square

Date visited: 5/31/2026

This was another highlight of our walk through Philadelphia. It's a nice park with a fountain, some gardens, a carousel and a mini golf course. The real highlight for us was that the park was all set up for the annual Chinese Lantern Festival, which was starting the next week, running from June 5th through August 16th. The park was filled with large and colorful lanterns in a variety of shapes, including animals, flowers, and other objects. The lanterns and displays were really impressive, and it was fun to walk around and see all the different designs. The park is dog-friendly, and there were a lot of dogs there when we visited. They charge an admission fee for the lantern festival, which runs evenings from 6 to 11PM, but the park is free to enter during the day when we were there. This was a really fun stop, and a good place to get some colorful photos.