My Favorite Outdoor Places to Bring Visitors in Philly - Old City

If you're anything like me, you always want to have an "authentic" experience when visiting another town, so if people come and visit, I'm always wracking my brain to come up with fun, new and unique things to do. I have spent a lot of time thinking of what to do with guests in the City of Brotherly Love. A necessary area of Philly to check out is Old City! Whether you want the super typical touristy things, or more a more off the guide book vibe, below are some of the many outdoor things I suggest to in Old City this summer if you have loved ones coming to stay:

• Washington Square Park - This park was originally designed in 1682! Over the years the land has been used in different ways, including a fishing pond, grazing land, a potters field, burial ground for Catholics, Washington's Soldiers, the dead from Walnut Street Jail and victims of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. Currently, you'll find a great urban green space, the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldiers and a beautiful fountain. Grab a Cheesesteak or some snacks at Wawa at the corner of 6th and Chestnut, snag a bench and just relax and enjoy the view.
  

• The Christ Church Burial Ground, if you're a history fan, the Christ Church Burial Ground is an awesome and low-key place to take a stroll. If you'd rather not just sneak peeks through the gate/fences, you do have to pay to enter. The graveyard is 2 acres with over 1,000 markers to explore. There are even 5 signers of the Deceleration, including Benjamin Franklin. Even before its establishment in 1719, the Christ Church buried its early congregation members here. Head over to the Burial Ground and leave some pennies on Ben Franklin's grave.

• The 18th Century Garden - If your visitors are garden connoisseurs this will be a real treat. I have never once seen the garden, or any of the local gardens, too busy to stop by, making them true hidden gems. This garden is a recreation, designed to look like garden you may see in the 18th century homes of settlers. There is an orchard, formal English garden with seasonal blooms and a garden of herbs and vegetables. It's maintained by the NPS and was created with filled with plants typical in Philadelphia before 1800. It's located on Walnut between 3rd and 4th, the former location of a larger garden from 1750 to 1783.
  

• The Rose Garden + Original Cobblestone - Itching for more gardens? Nearby is the Rose Garden filled with antique rose plants. These 96 varieties of roses, unlike modern hybrids, only bloom once a year and they peak in June, so it's best to visit around then if you can. The Rose Garden is one of the only places to see REAL, original, cobblestone, not reproductions like around most of Old City. The Original Cobblestone was once a courtyard Stable and dates to around 1796.
  

• Franklin Court - Once the site of Benjamin Franklin's home during the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention, the Franklin Court is now home to a ghost structure of the home, an archeological exhibit, an original brick passageway where Franklin got to and from his home and marked locations where privy pits and water wells were. There is also a museum here which I haven't been, therefore, I'm only suggesting the court itself.

• The Waterfront - This is a bit broad, but a stroll anywhere along the waterfront and the piers is pretty necessary! If you're looking for a view with a more relaxed vibe visit Race Street Pier. There are plenty of trees and seating if you want to just soak in the waterfront without the bustle of a bar, etc. Visit Cherry Street Pier if you're hoping to catch an event (On the weekends, like a a vintage flea!) and make sure you go all the way back so you can grab a drink or a bite to eat with a really fabulous view. I've been there on both rainy meh days and beautiful sunny days and it's always nice. The Independence Blue Cross RiverRink is fun, especially for families. You can find food trucks, carnival rides, putt putt, drinks and a roller rink. The vibe here is a bit much for me some days, but it's worth it to check it out! There are viewing decks at the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing at the end of Chestnut Street, between the RiverRink and the Independence Seaport Museum. Lastly, Spruce Street Harbor Park. This waterfront spot is a summer staple with food vendors, a bar, hammocks and just a general relaxed feel. Whether you want to grab a drink at the Barge Bar Oasis and just enjoy the park or grab crab fries and tacos and lay out on one of the nets over the water, it's sure to be a unique experience.

Do you have any suggestions or things I really should have thought to add to the outdoor enjoyment of Old City? Let me know!