Trail Connections
Mantua Greenway in the Regional Trail Network. See nearby sights, info for commuters, and the regional map below.
Nearby Sights
In Mantua
Charles L. Durham Library
34th Street and Haverford Ave.
Formerly the Mantua Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia, which serves the Mantua and Powelton communities. The library was renamed in 1995 in honor of Judge Durham, a advocate for the community as well as strong civil rights advocate and a member of Philadelphia City Council (and of its first black caucus). Visit the Charles L. Durham Library website
Dupree Art Studio
3617–21 Haverford Ave.
Fine artist James E. Dupree has maintained his historic studio in Mantua. His works are in the permanent collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
James Wright Recreation Center
3320 Haverford Ave. (34th Street and Haverford Ave.)
This community recreation center serves residents and children of the Mantua neighborhood.
Mantua Haverford Community Center
631 N. 39th St.
The center is home of the Mt. Vernon Manor CDC/NAC and other programs that benefit the Mantua community.
Miles Mack Playground
732–66 N. 36th St. (36th and Aspen Streets)
This playground was named in honor of the beloved Mantua basketball coach and volunteer.
Morton Mcmichael School
3543 Fairmount Ave.
This public school, serving Mantua students Pre-K through grade 8, is one of the community jewels. Staff creates an environment to support students in achieving academic excellence. Visit the Morton Mcmichael School website.
In Fairmount Park
The following attractions are all housed within the world’s largest landscaped city park.
Fairmount Water Works
640 Water Works Drive
This National Historic Landmark, just across the Schuylkill River from Mantua in the shadow of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, is also a Civil Engineering Landmark and a National Mechanical Engineering Landmark. Constructed in 1815 to provide safe, clean drinking water to the city that was on the cusp of remarkable growth, the Water Works reopened in 2003.
Kelly Drive and Boat House Row
1 Boat House Fairmount Park, along the East side of the Schuylkill River
Boat House Row is an historic site just on the other side of the river from Mantua and the Philadelphia Zoo. Listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, it has 15 boathouses with social and rowing clubs, each with its own history. The houses run northwest along Kelly Drive—named for Olympic oarsman John B. Kelly Jr. (1927–1985)—from the Art Museum into Fairmount Park, including the Turtle Rock Lighthouse.
Martin Luther King (MLK) Drive
Fairmount Park, along the West side of the Schuylkill River
The Greenway is a means to access the scenic 8.5-mile recreational loop on both sides of the Schuylkill Riverfront. Walkers, joggers, and bikers can pick it up on the west side of the river in Fairmount Park and follow it around to East Falls and back along Kelly Drive to the Art Museum. The West Side of drive is closed to traffic on Saturdays and Sundays in summer (April–October) for recreational activities.
Mann Center for the Performing Arts
Philadelphia Museum of Art
26th Ave. and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia’s art museum is a landmark building that houses a world-renowned—only a few minutes’ walk away across the Spring Garden Street bridge. The Art Museum brings the arts to life with programs and opportunities for creative play to connect visitors of all ages and members of the community to the arts, so they can discover the spirit of imagination that lies in everyone.
The Philadelphia Zoo
34th Street and Girard Ave.
Located just north of the Mantua Ave. section of the Greenway, The Philadelphia Zoo was the first true zoo in the United States.
Please Touch Museum
4231 Avenue of the Republic
This fun, hands-on learning environment designed for kids from 6 months to 8 years. The museum is located in Memorial Hall, one of Fairmount Park’s grandest landmarks, constructed as part of the 1976 Centennial International Exhibition, restored for the opening of the Please Touch in 2003.
In adjacent West Philadelphia Neighborhoods
Belmont
East Parkside
University City
Drexel University
Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships
Info for Commuters
Making connections
Fairmount Park; the Fairmount, Brewerytown, and Spring Garden Neighborhoods, and much more.
On foot
Pedestrians can pick up the trails as part of Fairmount Park, the Zoo, and West River Drive at either end of the Greenway.
By bike
There are bike lanes and traffic calming features designed as part of the Greenway plan at several junctures, to help keep pedestrians and cyclists safe. There are also bike trails along West River Drive, whose roads are closed to automobiles on weekends.
Public transportation
Commuters can use the Greenway in traveling from 30th Street Amtrak and SEPTA stations to various destinations in Center City. Visitors can also travel to, from, and by the Greenway using SEPTA bus service. Several bus routes either connect directly to points along the Greenway or feature stops nearby, including along Mantua Ave. (bus #38), Lancaster Ave. (#10 and #43), Haverford Ave. (#43), and 40th St. (#40).
Regional Trail Map
The Circuit Trails system covers the entire Greater Philadelphia region. Use the Mantua Greenway to connect to jobs, communities, parks and waterways.