Feb 27, 2025 - Things to Do
New playground, restrooms, PATCO station on tap for Franklin Square
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How fun does that look?! Rendering: Courtesy of Brian Haynes Studio/Historic Philadelphia
A new playground, restrooms and other upgrades are coming to Franklin Square.
Why it matters: The projects will bring a whole new look to the historic park.
Driving the news: Five projects are scheduled to be wrapped up over the coming 18 months, bringing some of the biggest improvements to the square near Chinatown since 2006.
- Historic Philadelphia, the nonprofit that operates the square, detailed the projects Wednesday.
What's happening:
- 🚽 New bathrooms: The $2.2 million project is underway and expected to be completed this spring.
- 💡 Upgraded lighting: Look for LED lights brightening up the square at night.
- 🚲 Bike lanes and road safety measures: Nearly $1.9 million for improvements surrounding the square and along Race Street between 6th and 8th Streets are scheduled for completion in May.
🛝 Plus: A new playground will have an amphitheater, music area and a massive tower kids can climb to access slides.
- Fundraising for the playground remains ongoing with no ETA for a groundbreaking.
🚇 Meanwhile, the Franklin Square PATCO Station is set to reopen this spring after its $30 million renovation.