Everything You Need to Know About the Eagles Super Bowl LIX Parade
Here’s the when, where, and how of Friday’s championship parade.
Scene from the 2018 Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl parade / Photograph by Alex Brandon/Associated Press
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!
This is really happening, people. The Eagles obliterated the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl, and now Philly is going to celebrate like it’s 2018. Here’s everything you need to know about the Eagles Super Bowl LIX parade.
The Basics
The Eagles Super Bowl parade will take place Friday, February 14th at 11 a.m. The parade will begin at the stadiums (Broad and Pattison), go north on Broad Street, go around City Hall, and make its way up the Parkway to the Art Museum. The players are expected to arrive at the Art Museum stage between 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. for the formal ceremony at 2 p.m., which is predicted to last till about 3:15 p.m.
The barricades are already up. There is currently a stage being built on the steps of the Art Museum for the celebration, as well as port-a-potties as far as the eye can see.
Giant video screens and other attractions will be placed along the parade route to view the celebration. (Before the parade starts, the screens will show Super Bowl highlights.)
Getting There
For the love of God, don’t drive. You can’t, anyway, the streets are closed all over the place. (See details here.) And remember, if you drive into the city, you also have to drive out of the city.
SEPTA is encouraging everyone to take public transportation, and is running a special Eagles Parade schedule with free rides on the Market-Frankford and Broad Street lines. Service will run every six to eight minutes starting at approximately 5 a.m. Caveat: Some subway stations in Center City and on the Regional Rail will be closed (as they did with the 2018 parade) to streamline passengers. You can see the map of open stations here.
Regional Rail lines are not free, but use them anyway. They will run on a limited, modified service from 4:30 a.m. through 10:50 p.m.
Buses will be detoured on and around Broad Street beginning the night before.
PATCO will be on limited service, too. From 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., trains into Philly will only stop at Lindenwold, Woodcrest, Ferry Avenue, City Hall and 9/10 & Locust stations. There will be no eastbound service during this time. (After 2 p.m., “special PM service” will go into effect for those traveling east back to New Jersey.)
In addition to some stations being closed and SEPTA buses being detoured, of course you can expect an abundance of road closures and parking restrictions throughout the city.
The Eagles Super Bowl Parade stage being built at the Philadelphia Museum of Art / Photograph by Laura Swartz
More to Know
- Text READYEAGLES to 888-777 to receive text updates from the city’s Office of Emergency Management.
- Yes, Philly schools are canceled! All School District of Philadelphia schools and offices are closed. How would you get there anyway?
- For the first time ever, there will be sensory-friendly features along the parade route.
- The parade will also air live on TV, as well as streaming.
More Parade Tips
Basics
Be as prepared as you possibly can. It’s gonna be cold so dress in layers and comfortable shoes. Bring snacks (and whatever other … refreshments you need) and water. Okay, the mom in me is done with all that now.
Bring a battery pack for your phone, and have a plan for if your phone stops working either because it dies or because you can’t get a signal. Have a meeting spot planned for your group in case you get separated and can’t text.
Should I Bring My Kids?
I don’t know, should you?
Only you can honestly say what you and your kids can handle (emphasis on “honest”). Expect cold weather and a lot of waiting, crowding, walking, frustration, and sensory overload. Can your kids handle all that? And I don’t mean on their best day. I get that this feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but if everyone in your family is miserable, those are not happy memories.
And don’t bring a stroller if you’re planning to really crowd in there. Baby- (or toddler-) wearing, walking, and piggyback rides (especially to see over the crowds) are your key modes of transportation once you are in the city on parade day. I know it might be a lot of walking. I know, your kids get cranky and tired and need to nap. And I am telling you, if that is true, and you cannot see a way to bring your kids without a stroller, this might not be their year.
What I’m saying is, sometimes you just need to make like the Chiefs, take the L, and watch the champions at home on TV.
If you’ve made it this far and decided your kids can hang, read on. If sitting on the Parkway from early morning in order to watch the celebration (most likely on a giant screen) isn’t your kids’ idea of fun, think about watching the parade somewhere else along the route. Ideally, pick somewhere that is near home (or a friend’s home) or somewhere you feel safe making “home base” so you can pop in, use the bathroom when you have to, and bail quickly if need be. My pick for watching on the parade route with kids is around Broad and Washington. The CAPA lawn has lots of space and schools are closed anyway. Run around!
But What About Valentine’s Day?
An Eagles Super Bowl win is my love language, so I’m just embracing the day. But maybe you had reservations and plans? Well, Mayor Cherelle Parker wants you to keep them, and claims that everything will be back to normal by dinner time. With the celebration estimated to go till 3:15 p.m., let’s hope she’s right. (And the restaurant community is really hoping you’ll keep your plans, just saying.)
Luckily, Valentine’s Day is on a Friday this year, so just go ahead and make it Valentine’s Weekend, why don’t you? Lots of restaurants already have extended their menus to reflect that (including some on this list), so show those places (and your S.O.) some love when you can.
