Once a year, typically during the first month of school, Campus Philly (an organization that helps college students in the local area connect with Philadelphia) hosts an event known as “CollegeFest.” They host a block party, give out prizes, and offer students free access to ~30 of the major museums and historical sites around Philly. Having just begun my sophomore year, I have now participated in this tradition twice.
During my freshman year, a couple of friends and I planned an itinerary for the occasion that would have allowed us to see as many notable museums as possible. Unfortunately, this plan was quickly scrapped after we got enthralled by the exhibits within the Franklin Institute. I am a Delaware native, so most of my childhood field trips landed me on the steps of this museum. However, many of my friends were new to the East Coast and had never been, much less heard about, the Institute. Less than a ten-minute walk from Suburban Station, we were able to get there quickly using our free SEPTA passes from Swarthmore. While the giant heart (my favorite exhibit </3) was under construction at the time, we had fun running through the rest of the museum. The space exhibit, air show room, and “Your Brain” exhibit, which was a huge indoor climbing gym intended to mimic the chemical and electrical signals fired by neurons within the brain, were among my personal favorites. After spending about three hours exploring the space, we stopped for boba nearby (which is where my eventual addiction to Kung Fu Tea began), and I became closer friends with everyone. After boba, we took a nearby bus to the Museum of Illusions and joined the line of Swarthmore students stretched around the building. After entering, we explored the space and took photos at all the different spots. Many of the illusions were built on perspective and mirrors, so it was fun being able to engage with the exhibits firsthand, then see them come to life in photos later. Following this, we stopped for rolled ice cream in Chinatown before heading to Jefferson Station and making the journey home.
Pictures from the Franklin Institute, Museum of Illusions, and various sweet treat places
This year, I made plans with two different friends to go to the Philadelphia Zoo (also included in the free CollegeFest admissions). This time, we took one of my friends’ cars and drove up to the Centennial District of Philadelphia. With a quick scan of the passes, we were let in and completely free to roam the zoo. We posed with the tigers and lions, gawked at the red pandas, and spent ample time with the various bird species across the different exhibits. I even left with a new favorite animal: the elephant shrew! We spent far too much time in the gift shop afterwards, then crossed the Schuylkill River and pursued Brewerytown. We stopped for lunch at Green Egg’s Cafe (HIGHLY RECOMMEND) and spent time at The Broken Spine, Philly’s first romance bookstore featuring works by many local artists. I left there with two new crochet pieces for my collection: a gummy bear & a chocolate-covered strawberry. Finally, we walked back towards the museum, stopping once more at the zoo to revisit the reptile exhibit before heading back to campus.
Various pics from around the Philadelphia Zoo
When I was selecting colleges back in high school, access to a major city was always one of my main considerations. I love Swarthmore College and the surrounding area endlessly, and being able to return to such a safe, cute, suburban area always brings me so much joy. It is this, coupled with the ability to embark on adventures like those presented through CollegeFest, that has, thus far, fostered a pleasant, well-rounded college experience for me.
Strawberry Matcha & Crème Brûlée French Toast from Green Egg’s Cafe <3