Philly PHLASH adds 2 new bus stops, helping locals and visitors ‘explore every single attraction’

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The Philly PHLASH bus is adding two new stops this summer, giving tourists and locals a convenient way to check out historic sites and quickly navigate around parts of the city.

The first stop is now located on Independence Mall on Arch Street between 5th and 6th streets next to the Independence Visitor Center and the National Constitution Center. The PHLASH also added a stop near the Calder Gardens, a new sculpture garden set to open in September, on the Ben Franklin Parkway between 21st and 22nd streets.

Maita Soukup, vice president of experience and engagement at the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation, said adding the stop on the Parkway was a “no-brainer.”

“The PHLASH is all about serving visitors,” Soukup said. “There wasn’t a stop from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to the Franklin Institute. This also gives riders who want to go to the Mütter Museum or check out Rittenhouse Square or jump down to the Graduate Hospital area some more flexibility.”

For the last 30 years, the PHLASH has brought visitors through the heart of the city. Soukup said routes are slightly tweaked each year to reflect the “changes to the city’s streetscape” and construction happening in the city, such as the ongoing I-95 cap project near Penn’s Landing.

“Every year, it looks a little bit different, but it’s always that same loop of river-to-river access,” Soukup said. “Visitors can really explore every single attraction from Penn’s Landing to the Shofuso Japanese House, the Please Touch Museum, the Barnes, Eastern State, the Franklin [Institute], all the main attractions are featured on the PHLASH.”

Tickets cost $2 for a single ride. A single-day pass is $5, while two-day passes are $9. A family day pass runs at $12 per day for two adults and up to four children. SEPTA Key holders, children ages 4 and under, and seniors over the age of 65 can ride for free.

“It’s a really fun way to see the city through the eyes of tourists and also to meet new people,” Soukup said.

Tickets can be purchased using exact change on the bus, on the Philly PHLASH website, and in person at any Philadelphia visitor center and the Betsy Ross House.

Buses currently run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Beginning Memorial Day, PHLASH service will run daily through Labor Day, with no service on July 4.