The Association for Public Art is over 150 years old and we have stories to share – take a walk with us and hear them!
Public Art Decoded is a series of four annual walking tours that will look in-depth at the sculptures and installations that exist in popular Philadelphia locations. The tours will explore how and why the artworks exist, the artists behind them, the untold stories, and provide both a historical and contemporary contextualization.
All the 2026 Public Art Decoded tours are free and open to the public with the generous support of PECO’s Powering the Art Initiative, Team Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania Creative Industries.
Parkside Perspectives: Public Art in the Centennial District
Saturday, May 2, 2026
11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Let’s explore the role of public art in the history and evolution of the Centennial District and Parkside neighborhood!
Co-led by Mike Burch, creator of the Parkside Journal, this tour explores the site’s establishment during the 1876 Centennial Exposition as an iconic center for Victorian architecture and monumental public artworks, several of which aPA historically commissioned. Throughout, the tour invites participants to learn how the Parkside community has worked to organize, preserve, recognize, and educate the public about its history, legacy, and untold stories over generations—centering community perspectives and the intersections with public art.
Headsets are provided for all participants. Once you register, you will receive instructions on where to meet for this tour. Please reach out to apa@associationforpublicart.org for additional questions.
In case this tour needs to be rescheduled for any other reason, please hold Sunday May 3rd in your calendars as a rain check date.
FREE
Registration coming soon!
Public Art on the Parkway: American Artists
Saturday, May 23, 2026
11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Join the Association for Public Art on a walking tour of public art created by American artists on the Parkway!
As part of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA) and the Philadelphia Art Museum’s (PhAM) joint exhibition, A Nation of Artists, the Association for Public Art presents a Public Art Decoded walking tour highlighting the public art created by American artists along the stretch between the two institutions. The tour is a 1.3 mile walk that traverses the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, exploring the breadth of styles and historical influences that shaped this impactful corridor of sculptures.
Headsets will be provided. Meet at the Paint Torch (giant paintbrush sculpture) in front of PAFA on Cherry and Broad Streets, across from the Pennsylvania Convention Center at 11am!
FREE
Registration coming soon!
Art Along the Delaware: A Riverfront Walking Tour
Saturday, June 13, 2026
11 a.m.-1 p.m.
This tour features aPA’s 250th anniversary-themed Let Freedom Ring installation at Cherry Street Pier (on view until September 27) as well as Indira Allegra’s Sail Through This To That public artwork at Spruce Street Harbor (part of ArtPhilly), among other works along the Delaware River Waterfront. aPA will lead this tour alongside Sarah Eberle, Creative Director of the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, and other artist and curator guides.
Headsets are provided for all participants. Once you register, you will receive instructions on where to meet for this tour.
FREE
Registration coming soon!
Discovering the Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial
Saturday, September 12, 2026
11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Explore the Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial with aPA and Dejay Duckett, Arts Administrator, Curator, Collections and Exhibitions Specialist.
Learn the story behind this enigmatic site nestled between the Schuylkill River and Kelly Drive, and the iconography behind the 17 plus sculptures.
Headsets are provided for all participants. Once you register, you will receive instructions on where to meet for this tour.
FREE
Registration coming soon!
Public Art at America’s First Zoo
Saturday, September 19, 2026
4 pm
Learn more about the collection of historic & contemporary animal sculptures that embellish and welcome visitors to the nation’s first Zoo!
This Public Art Decoded tour will explore the intertwined legacies of the Philadelphia Zoo and the Association for Public Art, both founded in the 1870s, and the ways in which aPA has helped place at least seven sculptures at the zoo by notable artists over the many years.
Headsets are provided for all participants. Once you register, you will receive instructions on where to meet for this tour.
FREE
Registration coming soon!
Public Art on the Parkway: American Perspectives (September)
Saturday, September 26, 2026
11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Join the Association for Public Art on a walking tour of public art created by American artists on the Parkway!
As part of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA) and the Philadelphia Art Museum’s (PhAM) joint exhibition, A Nation of Artists, the Association for Public Art presents a Public Art Decoded walking tour highlighting the public art created by American artists along the stretch between the two institutions. The tour is a 1.3 mile walk that traverses the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, exploring the breadth of styles and historical influences that shaped this impactful corridor of sculptures.
Headsets will be provided. Meet at the Paint Torch (giant paintbrush sculpture) in front of PAFA on Cherry and Broad Streets, across from the Pennsylvania Convention Center at 11am!
FREE
Registration coming soon!
Horticulture Center: Art Meets Nature in an Urban Park
Saturday, April 26, 2025
Explore the grounds of Philadelphia’s Horticulture Center and its collection of over a dozen public sculptures. How did this seemingly disparate group of works come to live together? Learn how this destination has evolved since the 1876 Centennial Exposition and the role it has played in the development of Fairmount Park. Co-led by Mike Lewis, Program Manager at Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center, who will end the tour at the iconic landmark. Join us after the tour for a fun surprise activity at Shofuso.
Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial: Icons & Myths
Saturday, May 31, 2025
Explore the Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial with aPA and curator/professor Brittany Webb. Learn the story behind this enigmatic site nestled between the Schuylkill River and Kelly Drive, and the iconography behind the 17 plus sculptures.
Rittenhouse Square: Urban Design & Visual Art
Saturday, September 20, 2025
Take a break from the historic Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show to learn about the site and art of this historic park. Joined by the Friends of Rittenhouse Square, you’ll learn all the fun facts, the unknown stories, and why the park looks the way it does today.
Old City: Public Art in the Birthplace of America
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Explore the birthplace of America and the varied sculptures that inhabit its streets. From works commissioned for the bicentennial in 1976 to site-specific installations, this tour will take you through over 250 years of our country’s history. We will be joined by Old City District’s executive director, Job Itzkowitz. Let’s talk about the long history of public art in Philadelphia!
In addition to our public tours, private tours are always available to book for any kind of social or business occasion. Email jperciasepe@associationforpublicart.org to inquire.