Center City Philadelphia

John F. Collins Park is a small quiet oasis off of busy Chestnut Street in Center City Philadelphia. It’s a great spot for lunch, reading, or just enjoying a beautiful day.

Through the generosity of the William Penn Foundation, the Center City District has restored the park’s fountain, benches, landscaping and lighting. John F. Collins Park is owned and operated by Center City District.

Events
Enjoy live music Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12-1:30 pm.

 May 1: Rittenhouse String Quartet, Strings  
 May 3: TBD
 May 8: Rittenhouse String Quartet, Strings  
 May 10: Frank Butrey, Guitar  
 May 15: Monique Canniere, Violin  
 May 17: Rittenhouse String Quartet, Strings  
 May 22: Rittenhouse String Quartet, Strings  
 May 24: Daniel Dejesus, Violin  
 May 29: Elliott Levin, Flute  
 May 31: Gloria Galante, Harp

History
The Park: In the 1970s, Philadelphia philanthropist Dorothy (Mrs. F. Otto) Haas proposed the park and the William Penn Foundation funded its construction. Designed principally by John Collins (1936-2011) of the Delta Group, the original park was dedicated on June 5, 1979. For 20 years, the park was owned and maintained by the PenJerDel Regional Foundation until January 2010, when it was transferred to the Center City District Foundation.

The Gates and Fountain: The Wissahickon Gate, along Chestnut Street, was created by sculptor Christopher T. Ray (1937-2000). The animals and plants depicted on the gates are native to the Wissahickon and Delaware Valleys.

The Estuary Gate at the Ranstead entrance, also by sculptor Ray, is a tribute to the marshlands of New Jersey and Delaware, depicting moving water and islands, turtles and fish, a sky filled with migrating birds and sculpted reeds gently curved by the wind. The Fountain is a tribute to Native American totems.

Flora and Fauna
Great care has been taken to select plants, shrubs and trees that are native to the Delaware and Wissahickon Valleys.