Where to Find Philly’s Outstanding Cherry Blossoms

Cherry blossoms are a highlight of spring in Philadelphia. The parks, gardens, and city streets are lined with fluffy pink and white blooms beckoning people to get outside. From Fairmount Park to Columbus Boulevard and beyond, there are lots of pretty places to see them.

Peak cherry blossom season typically lasts about 2 weeks, though the timing varies based on weather. For 2026, peak bloom is forecast to be the first week of April. It’s a bit later than usual due to a cold winter with lots of snow, but it’s similar to last year.

Shofuso Japanese House and Garden

One of the best places to see cherry blossoms is Shofuso Japanese House and Garden. This sanctuary in Fairmount Park includes a peaceful garden, koi pond, and traditional house.

The property is filled with bright blooms, and its 75-year-old weeping cherry tree is a star attraction. Shofuso opens for the season on March 18, 2026, and timed tickets are required for entry. The Shofuso Cherry Blossom Festival, which happens on March 28-29, includes lots of music and dance, a tea ceremony, face painting, a pop-up beer garden, and a vendor fair.

It can get very busy as the trees begin to peak, but you can see some of the gardens from outside the wall on Horticultural Drive.

Fairmount Park Horticulture Center

To see the blossoms for free, head to the grounds of Fairmount Park Horticulture Center close to Shofuso. Two parallel tree rows, including two large weeping cherry trees, attract lots of visitors every year, but it’s still one of our top recommendations. The gazebo and Alexander Stirling Calder’s sundial make for nice settings for photos.

West Fairmount Park

One of our favorite viewing spots is in West Fairmount Park just off Avenue of the Republic and States Drive. That’s where you’ll find the stone gazebo flanked by rows of pink. We’ve been lucky to visit several times just before peak bloom, and it is always stunning. Early morning and mid-afternoon can be good times to catch it with fewer people.

Belmont Plateau

Belmont Plateau is known for its skyline views and for being a prime spot for fall colors. But it’s also gorgeous in March and April when the group of trees along Belmont Mansion Drive is at its finest. It’s a special place–on our last visit, we helped out a couple taking pregnancy announcement photos.

Put together a picnic and bask under the warm(er) sun while enjoying the view.

Kelly Drive

Kelly Drive about one-half mile north of Boathouse Row is another great spot to take in the colors of spring. Along with river views on the Schuylkill River Trail, you can see cherry trees from a 1933 planting near the point where Girard Bridge crosses over Kelly Drive.

Martin Luther King Jr. Drive

One of the longest stretches of trees is along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive on the west side of the Schuylkill River. The 2-mile area that runs from Falls Bridge in the north to Montgomery Drive in the south is full of lots of pink and white blossoms.

Philadelphia Museum of Art and Water Works

The combination of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Water Works is one of the most iconic views in Philadelphia. And, in the spring, it’s given pops of pink by the trees that dot the area near the Azalea Garden, the Fountain of Sea Horses, and the west side of the museum.

North 21st Street

For a little extra treat after peak bloom head to Fairmount. Immediately north of Eastern State Penitentiary you’ll find one of the most Instagrammed streets in the city this time of year.

The quirky thing about the 800 block of North 21st Street is that it reliably blooms just a little bit later than most of the other trees. One to two weeks after peak bloom as other areas are past their prime, you’ll find this beautiful canopy going strong.

Drexel Park

A beloved community park in West Philadelphia, Drexel Park offers a great skyline view of downtown across the Amtrak railyard. For a few weeks each spring, the blossoms that line its paths make one of the city’s prettiest vistas that much more attractive.

Columbus Boulevard

Near the Delaware River waterfront, you’ll find lots of trees in an unexpected spot—right in the middle of the street on Columbus Boulevard. Close to Cherry Street Pier (appropriately enough) there are several strips of cherry trees on both sides of the trolley tracks. Take an afternoon to visit the piers and the waterfront attractions and enjoy the trees along the way.

Center City parks and streets

From Graduate Hospital to Rittenhouse Square and Washington Square West, the parks and streets of downtown are dotted with lots of lush trees. Take a walk along Manning Street, stroll down Panama Street, or wander along any of the other dozens of options where you’ll find cherry blossoms in the heart of the city.

University of Pennsylvania

The campus of the University of Pennsylvania–an accredited arboretum–is a great place to find cherry trees in University City. In fact, there are about 150 of them among the colorful trees that bloom on the grounds in spring.

Dozens of types of cherry trees contribute different colored blooms, particularly in the area of Claudia Cohen Hall, College Hall, and Perelman Quadrangle. Many of them are labeled, so you can learn the difference between an Okame and a Yoshino, if you’re curious.

Morris Arboretum

Spring is a beautiful time to visit Morris Arboretum in Chestnut Hill (although we’re a bit biased, since we’re members). Among all the gorgeous features across the arboretum’s 92 acres, there are lots of types of flowering cherry trees. Visit the English Park section and the Butcher Sculpture Garden for impressive displays.

Longwood Gardens

Longwood Gardens is renowned for its year-round beauty, but spring is a particularly gorgeous time in the gardens. Visit the Oak and Conifer Knoll and the area by the Large Lake to see the blossoms.