Dream Garden

Philadelphia


In the east lobby of the Curtis Center is a masterpiece of American craft: a luminous, wall-size Tiffany mosaic of more than 100,000 pieces of glass depicting a lush landscape designed by Maxfield Parrish in 1916.

One of only three such works undertaken by Tiffany Studios, the piece is made up of 24 panels that took six months to install. There's a grand piano in the building lobby that is free for people to play, too.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Philadelphia attractions

1. Washington Square

0.08 MILES

On the northwest edge of Society Hill, this attractive tree-planted square dates back to William Penn's original city plan. In the center is the Tomb of…

2. Congress Hall

0.09 MILES

Congress Hall is where the first legislators met when Philly was the nation's capital. Entrance (no ticket necessary) is through the security checkpoint…

3. Athenaeum of Philadelphia

0.09 MILES

Free exhibitions are held at this special collections library, occupying a National Historic Landmark brownstone building designed in 1845. Curiously,…

4. Independence Hall

0.1 MILES

The 'birthplace of American government', this modest, early 18th-century Georgian building is where delegates from the 13 colonies met to approve the…

5. Legacy

0.12 MILES

Designed by Josh Sarantitis and Eric Okdeh, this massive mural commemorates the work Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass did to end slavery. Its right…

6. American Philosophical Society

0.13 MILES

The oldest learned society in the US was founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin with the aim of 'promoting useful knowledge.' It continues on its mission by…

7. Old City Hall

0.13 MILES

It was in this building, Philadelphia's Old City Hall, that the US Supreme Court made its first decisions between 1791 and 1800.

8. Liberty Bell Center

0.14 MILES

A glass-walled building protects this icon of Philadelphia history from the elements. You can peek from outside, or join the line to file past, reading…