For the next stop on my tourist in my own town tour, I figured I'd check out One Liberty Observation Deck since I work right next to it. I went at lunch on the Thursday before the July 4th weekend and was one of four people up there.
Views:
This is the view I spent the most time on. I stared at this guy for at least 10 minutes with second hand anxiety.
As far as views go, personally I prefer the views from the City Hall Observation Deck. You can see a straight shot down the parkway, which is one of the best views in the city in my opinion, with the Philadelphia Museum of Art as anchor. PMA is largely obstructed from Liberty One. City Hall is definitely different - not as high, cheaper, limited hours/accessibility, and the experience going up to the top is not cushy like this one is. Overall, this is more of an experience. And I always think it's cool to see a city from above.
They give you a little Philly flavor up at the top, with some fun facts scattered about and narration in certain areas.
They also have interactive maps you can operate to let you know what's in front of the view you have right now and to also search by category like music, sports, etc.
This is a shitty video of how it works:
If you go:
- One Liberty Observation Deck is at 1650 Market Street
- Open daily 10-10
- Ticket info here, I did the adult for $19 but should've done the two visits in 48 hours for $26
- Directions and parking, click here
My verdict: I'd do it. If you're hesitant or in a budget, the entry at One Liberty is worth a pass by if you're in the area and seeing that is free. It's very well done. Twenty bucks for a view from 57 feet up isn't too bad either.
