City of Philadelphia releases information relating to the 2017 NFL Draft

• Tweet
• Email

ABOVE PHOTO:  Mayor Jim Kenney speaks at the recent press conference for the 2017 NFL Draft in Philadelphia.  (Photo: Bill Z. Foster)

The City of Philadelphia released details for the 2017 NFL Draft Experience, an exciting, three-day festival taking place Thursday, April 27th through Saturday, April 29th on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Eakins Oval and the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Festival Activities & Information

The 2017 NFL Draft invites families and fans of all ages to enjoy FREE admission to a three-day football festival held along a half-mile stretch of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway from Thursday, April 27 – Saturday, April 29.  Fans of all ages and of all teams will be able to participate in interactive exhibits, immersive games, and virtual reality experiences, free player autograph sessions and more. 

The event will be open to the public from 12PM-11PM on Thursday, April 27th and Friday, April 28th.  Hours on Saturday, April 29th are 10AM-6PM.

The NFL Draft Experience is free and no tickets are required.  Fans are encouraged to visit the event website for information.

In addition, most of the cultural institutions along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway will maintain normal hours of operation and, in some cases, even extend schedules during the event. Many institutions will also offer special discounts during the Draft. Details on hours of operation, access and special offers at Parkway institutions are outlined below as well as road closure and parking information.

Road Closures

The full set of closures on the Parkway and in the immediate vicinity are scheduled to be implemented by 12:01 AM on Tuesday, April 25th.  The full extent of these closures will be in place until 5:00AM on Monday, May 1st.   There are multiple phases of partial road closures that will precede and follow those dates. A detailed list of closures and restrictions by phase is listed below.

A full map of the road closures imprint for the Draft is available upon request.  Email [email protected].

Delays can be expected on the dates of the event and during the phases below.  Motorists are advised to avoid the area by using alternate routes, and allow for extra driving time when traveling in the vicinity.  Please refrain from double-parking, which creates congestion, limits traffic flow and is illegal.

Phase 1:

Start: 4/10/17 – 12:01am

End: 5/7/17 – 11:59pm

• Spring Garden Street westbound will close at Pennsylvania Avenue.
• The westbound center roadway of Benjamin Franklin Parkway will maintain two lanes from 20th Street to Eakins Oval.  The left lane of Benjamin Franklin Parkway will be closed from East Eakins Oval to Spring Garden St. and continue to southbound Kelly Drive, where it will open up to three travel lanes.
• The right two lanes of Eakins Oval in front of the Art Museum steps will be closed for the building of the theatre.
• Southbound Kelly Drive will have a lane drop between 25th St. and Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Phase 2:

Start: 4/19/17 – 12:01am

End: 5/2/17 – 11:59pm

• Inner lanes (inbound and outbound) of Benjamin Franklin Parkway closed from Eakins Oval to 20th Street.

Phase 3:

Start: 4/24/17 – 7:00pm

End: 5/1/17 – 5:00am

• Benjamin Franklin Parkway will be closed from 20th Street to the Art Museum.
• Martin Luther King Drive will remain open to 24th Street.
• Eastbound Spring Garden Street will remain open from 31st Street to 24th Street.
• Kelly Drive will be closed at Fairmount Avenue with traffic detoured onto Fairmount Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue.

Starting at 7:00pm on Monday, April 24th, due to the closure of the outer lanes on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, traffic headed inbound (to Center City) from Spring Garden Street Bridge or Martin Luther King Drive must exit Eakins Oval on the 24th Street ramp.  Traffic headed inbound on Kelly Drive must exit Kelly Drive at Fairmount Avenue.  Those wishing to access the rear of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on the north side must exit onto Fairmount Avenue, turn right on Pennsylvania Avenue and proceed SB on 25th Street onto Anne d’Harnoncourt Drive.

Phase 4 – Full Extent of Road Closures:

Start: 4/25/17 – 12:01am

End: 5/1/17 – 5:00am

• 21st Street closed from Winter Street to Spring Garden Street
• Local access to Pennsylvania Avenue only (all traffic must turn left)
• 22nd Street closed from Race Street to Spring Garden Street
• Local access to Park Towne Place only (residents)
• 23rd Street closed from Fairmount Avenue to Benjamin Franklin Parkway
• Local access only
• 24th Street closed from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Park Towne Place
• Local access only
• Martin Luther King Drive closed at Sweet Briar Drive.
• Road opened daily during peak AM rush hour on 4/27 & 4/28 (5AM-10AM) for access to I-676 via 24th Street
• Kelly Drive closed from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Fairmount Avenue
• Spring Garden Street Bridge closed at 31st Street
• Road opened daily during peak AM rush hour on 4/27 & 4/28 (5AM-10AM) for access to I-676 via 24th Street
• Access to I-76 westbound will be maintained
• Local access to Art Museum will be maintained
• Spring Garden Street closed from 22nd Street to Benjamin Franklin Parkway
• Local access after peak AM rush hour
• Pennsylvania Avenue closed from Hamilton Street to Fairmount Avenue
• Local access after peak AM rush hour
• Pennsylvania Avenue/Callowhill Street closed from 20th Street to 21st Street
• Local access to Barnes Foundation driveway (westbound) only
• Eastbound open from 21st Street
• Park Towne Place closed from 22nd Street to 24th Street
• Local access only (residents)
• I-676 westbound 22nd Street off-ramp closed
• The following streets be designated “local access only” west of 22nd Street:
• Wallace Street
• Mt. Vernon Street
• Green Street
• Judson Street
• Brandywine Street

No Parking

• No parking on 2400 Pennsylvania Avenue (south side angle parking only) from 4/5 to 5/8
• Pennsylvania Avenue between 22nd Street & Fairmount Avenue (south side of street only)
• Winter Street between 20th & 22nd Streets (both sides of street)
• 20th Street between Vine & Callowhill Streets (east side of street only)
• 21st Street between Benjamin Franklin Parkway & Race Street (both sides of street)
• 22nd Street between Winter & Spring Garden Streets (both sides of street)
• Park Towne Place between 22nd & 24th Streets (both sides of street)

Bicycle Lane Detours

During venue construction, a number of bicycle lanes along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Eakins Oval and in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art will be detoured.  Appropriate signage will be prominently displayed, and cyclists are advised to utilize marked detours.

Pedestrian Detours

During venue construction, a number of sidewalks and pathways along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Eakins Oval and in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art will be detoured.  Appropriate signage will be prominently displayed, and pedestrians are advised to utilize marked detours and avoid walking in the street.  The primary north-south pedestrian detours will be 22nd Street and Anne d’Harnoncourt Drive.

Public Transportation and Parking

SEPTA is a convenient, affordable way for fans to get to and from the event grounds.  The PHLCVB has secured FREE parking at the sports stadium complex for NFL Draft Experience attendees.  From the sports stadium complex, event-goers should utilize the Broad Street Subway at AT&T Station, located at Broad Street and Pattison Avenue.  Fares can be purchased onsite, and fans are encouraged to purchase their return fare prior to departing AT&T Station.

SEPTA service changes/alerts can be found at www.septa.org.

SEPTA Customer Service can be reached at 215-580-7800 and directly on Twitter @septa_social.  For more information on SEPTA and NJ Transit routes and schedules during the NFL Draft Experience, visit www.septa.org or call 215-580-7800, and www.njtransit.org or call 973-275-5555.    

The PHLASH Downtown Loop will add service for Thursday, 4/27 for the NFL Draft Experience and will operate its April weekend schedule Friday, 4/28 – Sunday, 4/30. PHLASH runs 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and is an easy, inexpensive way to get around.  PHLASH will re-route due to street closures during the NFL Draft Experience and will communicate any detours at http://RidePhillyPHLASH.com.

If driving into Center City is necessary, commercial off-street parking lots and garages conveniently are located near the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Contact individual facilities in advance for rates and availability, or visit the Philadelphia Parking Authority’s website at www.philapark.org for a list of parking options.  The NFL Draft Experience is not affiliated with these parking facilities.  

Parkway Institutions

Most of the cultural institutions on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway will maintain normal hours of operation and, in some cases, even extend schedules during the NFL Draft Experience. Visitors and residents are encouraged to visit.

During the NFL Draft Experience, the west entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art will be open and visitors may obtain access via pathways north and south of this entrance. Anne d’Harnoncourt Drive will be open at 25th Street, with access to the museum’s parking garage for museum visitors throughout the week.  The south entrance to Anne d’Harnoncourt Drive will remain accessible via the Spring Garden Street Bridge for museum visitors only.  Signage will be prominently displayed with directions.

Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

1900 Ben Franklin Parkway, www.ansp.org, 215-299-1000

Regular operating hours: Thurs. April 27th and Fri. April 28th, 10:00 am – 4:30 pm; Sat. April 29th, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm.

On April 27-29, the Academy will offer free general admission to the museum to all visitors. In addition, an $8 Super Saver Ticket will be available for the special exhibits. Visitors who wear an NFL jersey, get $1 off the Super Saver ticket. Their special exhibit is Frogs: A Chorus of Colors, featuring 15 species of live frogs (on view through May 14).

The Barnes Foundation

2025 Ben Franklin Parkway, www.barnesfoundation.org, 215-278-7200

Thurs., April 27th: CLOSED for special event

Fri., April 28th and Sat., April 29th, regular operating hours: 10am – 5pm

EXHIBITION:

Person of the Crowd: The Contemporary Art of Flânerie (on view through May 22) features over 50 international artists who have taken to the street to speak to issues as diverse as gentrification, gender politics, globalization, racism, and homelessness. Including new performances, and historical pieces by Marina Abramović, Eleanor Antin, David Hammons, and Man Bartlett, who has been commissioned to create a project siteand digital artwork exploring themes related to the exhibition and the concept of “cyberflânerie,” Person of the Crowd will be on view in the Roberts Gallery, and on the streets of Philadelphia via performances, billboards, and street poster projects.  For more information, visit https://personofthecrowd.org/

PROGRAMS:

Wanderlust Walking Tour: Michelle Ortiz

Saturday, April 29, 10–11:30am ($15; members and students $10)

Eastern State Penitentiary

2027 Fairmount Ave, www.easternstate.org, 215-236-3300

The historic site will remain open with regular hours – 10 am to 5 pm daily.

The Franklin Institute

222 North 20th St., www.fi.edu, 215-448-1200

Hours: The Franklin Institute will be open to the public from 9:30am-5pm during NFL Draft days (April 27-29).

Parking: The Franklin Institute’s parking garage entrance is located at 21st and Winter Streets, street parking and public transportation are strongly encouraged.   

Special Offer: The Franklin Institute is offering a $2 discount on adult general admission for adult visitors wearing NFL team gear during draft days (April 27-29).

Free Library of Philadelphia – Parkway Central

1901 Vine St., www.freelibrary.org, 215-686-5322

Parkway Central Library welcomes NFL fans to experience guided tours of their 90 year-old beaux arts building and its world-renowned Rare Book Department.

Daily tours are at either 10:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m. Rare Book Department tours start at 11:00 a.m. While in the Rare Book Department, be sure to check out their latest exhibition, Becoming the Detective, which explores the development of fictional detective stories and their relationship with readers. For hours of operation, go to www.freelibrary.org.

Moore College of Art and Design

20th Street and the Parkway, www.moore.edu

The Art Shop at Moore (215-965-8586) will be open April 27-29, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm, The Galleries at Moore (215-965-4027) will be open those days, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm. 

Philadelphia Museum of Art

www.philamuseum.org, 215-763-8100

Main Building

26th & Ben Franklin Parkway

Open: Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Wednesday and Friday open until 8:45 p.m.

Closed: Monday

Perelman Building

Fairmount and Pennsylvania Aves.

Open: Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Closed: Monday; Wednesday and Friday evenings

Current exhibitions on view:

• American Watercolor in the Age of Homer and Sargent
• Now Through May 14, 2017
• More than 170 works comprising what the Philadelphia Inquirer calls “The Art Show of the Year” and what the Financial Times describes as a “thrilling tour de force… a stupendous show.”
• Phulkari: The Embroidered Textiles of Punjab from the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Collection
• Now Through July 9, 2017
• Rare embroideries from north central India and eastern Pakistan showcasing a vibrant tradition shaped by women and passed down through generations.

Rodin Museum

22nd St. and Ben Franklin Parkway, www.rodinmuseum.org, 215-763-8100

Open: Wednesday–Monday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Closed: Tuesday

• A new installation devoted to The Kiss explores what passion looks like in the hands of a master sculptor.  It explores the artist’s intimate and powerful depictions of romantic love.

• Tweet
• Email