Every year Philadelphia hosts an event called “Campus Philly” or “College Fest” in which college students in the surrounding area are invited to get free swag, enter museums for free and meet other college students, all while getting a better understanding of what the city is like. I’ve gone to Campus Philly every single year, and even if you aren’t interested in going to a museum, it’s a great way to set the tone for your year and to get into the city before you get busy with work!
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Preregister
This will help you shorten your time waiting in line to get in so you can get your free stuff faster!
Get there early
The crowds tend to be bigger and the lines are longer earlier in the day, but vendors will run out of free swag. So if you want to get free bags, pens or snacks, it’s a good idea to get there early. Plus you can do more when you get to Center City earlier in the day!
Plan ahead of time
Check out the list of free museums on the Campus Philly website ahead of time so you can plan out where you want to go. If you want to go to go to multiple museums, planning ahead also allows you to schedule time for each museum and the path of travel.
Scout the surrounding area
Reading Terminal Market is nearby, so it might be a fun place to get lunch while you’re out! There’s also Rittenhouse Square, which is a great place for shopping with plenty of coffee shops.
Don’t miss the bus back
Well, you can if you want to. But Bryn Mawr typically offers two buses back from Dilworth park: one at 1pm and another at 3pm. It’s not a big deal to take SEPTA back to campus if you want to have a whole day out. However, if you get there early, and take the final bus back you can normally fit plenty into your day!