Location: Bala Cynwyd
Top Things to do in Bala Cynwyd
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Top 10 Things to do in Bala Cynwyd, United States
Bala Cynwyd ( /ˈbælə ˈkɪnwʊd/ BAL-ə-KIN-wuud) is a community in Lower Merion Township which is located on the Main Line in southeastern Pennsylvania, bordering the western edge of Philadelphia at US Route 1 (City Avenue). It was originally two separate towns, Bala and Cynwyd, but is commonly treated as a single community. This came about when a single US Post Office served both towns (the "Bala Cynwyd" Branch) using ZIP code 19004. The community was long known as hyphenated Bala-Cynwyd. Bala and Cynwyd are currently served by separate stations on SEPTA's Cynwyd Line of Regional Rail.
Restaurants in Bala Cynwyd
1. The Barnes Foundation
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 203 reviews
Reviewed By Elisabeth B - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Before summer ends you might want to take a walk through the Barnes Arboretum, a hidden treasure of horticultural rarities spread over 12-acres in suburban Merion, Pa., a short distance from the art filled Barnes Foundation on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia.
The Arboretum was Mrs. Barnes’ passion. The Barnses purchased the land in 1922 from an equally devoted horticulturalist who had made it his mission to create a park-like setting that could thrive here for ever. Many of the trees then planted still do. Mrs. Barnes complemented the woods with thousands of rare plant specimens including dogwoods, lilacs, horsetails, medicinal plants, a fern dell, a unique collection of hostas and an extensive herbarium that ultimately encompassed an astounding 2500 species, sub-species, cultivars and hybrids of woody plants and trees.
You might even play a game asking which medicinal plants in the herbarium are intended to cure which illness. Drumstick? Ginger? Papaya? Periwinkle? Suffice it to say that the list of ailments thus cured is long and varied ranging from blood pressure, cholesterol and cancer to digestive disorders, diabetes, arthritis and more. Here is to inexpensive folk medicine!
As for the Monkey Puzzle Tree (Araucaria araucana), it’s a tall evergreen that is native to Chile and Argentina. Monkeys in South America? After discovering this conifer in the early 1800s, the British supposedly gave it this name when a botanical luminary in London suggested that it would be difficult for a monkey to climb such a tree. Unscientific the name may be, but it has stuck as a popular moniker.
Please check for openings and tours at 215.278.7350.
300 N. Latches Lane, Merion Station, Pa. 19066
2. Bryn Mawr Film Institute
Overall Ratings
5 based on 101 reviews
Reviewed By Margaret B - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Fans of intelligent, award-winning films will enjoy the offerings at this theater. The staff is knowledgeable and the selected films range from this year’s critically acclaimed films to recent and not-so-recent classics. Check out their website for special screenings.
3. Cynwyd Heritage Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By Quest50States - Wynnewood, Pennsylvania
Nice place if you're looking for a simple walk or bike ride. The trail is relatively flat. Parking is available in various locations. The one at the train station will give you the longest walk/ride, but we also like the lot near Mama's Pizza. You can cross over into Manayunk as well. Safe, clean place.
4. Ardmore Farmers Market
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 46 reviews
Reviewed By reelwise - Boca Raton, Florida
Not truly a farmers market, Many dishes can be purchased next door at Trader Joes at less than half the price. Dibruno"s Italian deli has taken over half the market and other stands have raised prices to their level. Seafood stand especially good but high priced. This is the Main Line and many don't care about price. Asian stand very good and more sensibly priced. Parking lot difficult to navigate. Two very good bakeries. Produce stand offers freshness on most products. Sushi stand worth a try.
5. Narberth Tennis Club
Overall Ratings
5 based on 2 reviews
The Narberth Tennis Club offers all the resources you need to learn, play and enjoy tennis. The club features four well-lighted, high-visibility US Open Blue indoor courts, as well as lessons, leagues, clinics and other programs. The pro shop offers a selection of racquets, accessories and onsite stringing.
Reviewed By arv212 - Devon, Pennsylvania
This was a club where Bill Tilden used to play at. Narberth tennis club which is owned and managed by the renowned Julian Krinsky School of tennis. They are a year around tennis facility which has 4 awesome clay courts in the outdoor season and 4 indoor courts in the indoor season. 2 of the indoor courts are bubble structures for the indoor season.
Narberth has world class tennis pro's and they teach players of all ages and of all levels. Mayur is the manager of the club and he will make sure all your needs are met. The tennis program is headed by Gavin Siney, a former Zimbabwe Davis Cup captain and ably assisted by pro's from India, South Africa, Hungary, and Brazil.
Narberth provides several cutting edge programs such as 10 and under classes for the young ones, Clinics for all level juniors, match plays, adult clinics. and Cardio classes.
6. Wissahickon Valley Park
Overall Ratings
5 based on 183 reviews
Reviewed By Stan K
Recently ranked the number one trail in Pennsylvania in 2018, this is a wonderful place to visit in the city. It contains the only covered bridge in an urban area in the United States. It has a few different trails that you can find at different intersections; I usually start at either Valley Green or Bells Mill road .
There’s a large running and biking trail that most people use but if you’re able to go and find the orange or white trail that’s where the hiking takes place. Stop at the Valley Green Inn if you want to have a nice lunch or romantic dinner. If you have children, bring some leftover bread so you can feed the ducks with them. Make sure you get a chance to see the secretive Indian statue on the white trail. It’s worth the hike!
Make sure you bring a lot of water, as water fountains are scarce. Also cell phone service is pretty nonexistent.
7. Philadelphia Museum of Art
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6 reviews
Set within a lively urban neighborhood, commanding a spectacular view of Fairmount Park, and just across the street from the main Museum building, the Perelman Building galleries and study centers showcase some of the Museum's most comprehensive, colorful, and cutting-edge collections. The new spaces offer a variety of other wonderful new amenities. Among them are a library open to the public and offering a wealth of resources, including ever-changing displays of rare books, precious documents, and graphic arts; a café overlooking a landscaped terrace; a new bookstore; a soaring skylit walkway; and a succession of other spaces in which to stroll, linger, and explore the visual arts.
Reviewed By Kirk E - Santa Fe, New Mexico
One of America’s oldest and largest, yet paradoxically least-known museums, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is testament to the city’s long support and boosterism of art and artists. The physical space, a soaring glass and steel construction that spans three expansive floors, is a work of art in itself, and offers ample display space for rotating selections from the museum’s 54,000-strong collection. The galleries devoted to European and American art are both quite extensive and revelatory, but the true highlights are upstairs, in the Asian and African art wings. Exquisite Chinese ceramics, some dating back more than a millenium, reveal an unparalleled mastery of craft, while the elaborate masks, ceremonial paraphernalia and extraordinarily rich carvings from African tribespeople are uncannny in the way they suggest and anticipate similar displays in the New World. Beyond the museum proper, the grounds and gardens are well worth a stroll in good weather, especially in the spring.
8. The Barnes Foundation
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4 reviews
The Barnes Foundation houses one of the finest collections of nineteenth- and twentieth-century French painting in the world. An extraordinary number of masterpieces by Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse provide a depth of work by these artists that is unavailable elsewhere. Established as an educational institution, the Barnes carries out its mission teaching classes in its galleries and Arboretum.
Reviewed By UnrepentantFoodie - Bellingham, Washington
It's almost had to fathom the drive (or wallet) of a man like Dr. Barnes who collected all this in a single lifetime. In fact, he was on his way to close another art deal when he was killed in an automobile accident, though at 84 I believe it was you can't say he hadn't already lived a full life.
This collection includes the largest single holding of Renoir paintings in the world--181 I was told. Impressive (though many looked alike--lots of comely young females wearing bonnets), but on a dynamic basis the 60 or 80 Matisses and Picassos might be the most compelling. The collection also includes Monet, Seurat and some lesser known suspects.
Possibly the most impressive thing is the way his entire show space was meticulously duplicated, even down to the ugly ochre-yellow paint, of the spaces he himself displayed them at his home (well, an extra building to his home built expressly for this purpose). There's also the quirky element of all the antique hinges he also collected interspersed throughout.
In all, an inestimable treasure.
9. Eastern State Penitentiary
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5 reviews
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site was once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, but stands today in ruin, a haunting world of crumbling cellblocks and empty guard towers. Known for its grand architecture and strict discipline, this was the world’s first true “penitentiary,” a prison designed to inspire penitence, or true regret, in the hearts of convicts. Tours today include the cellblocks, solitary punishment cells, Al Capone’s Cell, and Death Row.
Reviewed By LonePineKath - Nottingham, United Kingdom
This place is well worth a visit. It explained the prison system really well and the atmosphere on the abandoned wings is really interesting. The recorded tour works really well and helps with the quiet feeling of isolation. We visited with teens and everyone felt it was well worth seeing.
My advice would be to wrap up warm as we visited in April and it was still pretty cold. You can take your time and spend as long as you like, wandering about and exploring at your own pace.
10. Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 793 reviews
The head church of Philadelphia's Catholic Archdiocese is on the National Registrar of Historic Places. Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass here in 1979.
Reviewed By ttaylor2u - Illinois
There was no mass when we visited, but there appeared to be a 'practice' session for Easter Sunday service. The exterior is massive and the interior is incredibly beautiful. The Cathedral was visited by two Popes in the last few decades and it is very well maintained. If you appreciate the artistic beauty and design, you will enjoy the viewing.
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