53 mins ago - Culture

Portal to stay in Philadelphia

Mike D'Onofrio

People stand around a large circular metallic sculpture with a glowing ring and inner screen; a hand waves through the opening as a city street and a Market St. West sign appear behind. — People interact with the Portal at City Hall. Photo: Mike D'Onofrio/Axios

The Portal in Philly is staying put at City Hall.

Catch up quick: The Portals organization was on the hunt for a new home for the 3.5-ton sculpture since August because — at the time — Mayor Cherelle Parker's administration wouldn't renew its permit.

The Portal was on track to leave City Hall on Saturday.

State of play: On Thursday, the Parker administration revealed an anonymous donor was footing the bill to maintain the Portal at City Hall for now.

Zoom in: Michael Newmuis, the director of the city's 2026 initiatives, declined to reveal the identity of the mystery donor.

But he said the goal is to keep the Portal in Philly long-term through a private-public partnership.

Between the lines: Newmuis said the city only picks up the tab for the internet and electricity used by the Portal.

Worth noting: The Portal has become a landmark of sorts and connects Philly to a handful of cities across the globe via a livestream video feed.

The Portal landed in Philly's Love Park in 2024 and moved to City Hall in mid-2025. It remains the only Portal in North America.

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Portal to stay in Philadelphia

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