Where to Watch Free Outdoor Movies in Philadelphia This Summer
Grab a blanket and catch al fresco showings of old favorites, new favorites, and lots of family-friendly films.
Watch free outdoor movies all over Philly this summer. / Photograph courtesy of Fairmount Park Conservancy
When it comes to free outdoor flicks, you have a lot of options this summer. So dust off your blanket, pack some snacks and find a sweet spot to sprawl out.
Rocky Movie Night on the Art Museum Steps
June 27th, 6-10 p.m., Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
It’s a Wawa Welcome America tradition to watch Rocky together, outdoors, like a proper society. After an indoor detour last year, the screening moves back to the Art Museum steps where it belongs. But wait, there’s more. Come early to participate in one of two free, Rocky-themed, 30-minute boxing classes with Rumble. Also, there’s a beer garden and snacks. And, of course, the new Rocky Shop if you want some memorabilia to go along with your night.
Libertee Grounds
Wednesdays, 7 p.m.; 1600 West Girard Avenue
Yes, we love Libertee Grounds for their indoor mini golf, but they also have an outdoor beer garden perfect for soaking up summer. Gather each Wednesday night for a “retro” film. (They remind us that Shrek 2 turns 20 this year, which, rude.) They’ll have their full menu available during the movie. The screenings are free and seats are first come, first served, so show up early!
- June 26th: Shark Tale
- July 3rd: National Treasure
- July 10th: Shrek and Shrek 2 double feature
- July 17th: The Incredibles
- July 24th: Miracle
- July 31st: The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
- August 7th: 50 First Dates
- August 14th: Dodgeball
- August 21st: Anchorman
Sunset Social
Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons; 129 South 30th Street
Ride the elevator to the top of the city, and gather on Cira Green for a free movie night with a view. Food and drink are available on site. Dogs are welcome. Movie nights begin at 7 p.m., while the kid-friendly Saturday matinees are at noon. For some added fun, on certain dates (indicated below) Sunset Social encourages guests to come in costume for a chance to win a prize package.
- Movie Nights (7 p.m.)
- June 26th: Hunger Games: Catching Fire
- July 3rd: Top Gun Maverick
- July 10th: Barbie
- July 17th: Dune 2
- July 24th: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (come in costume for a chance to win a prize)
- July 31st: Mean Girls (2024)
- August 7th: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (come in costume for a chance to win a prize)
- August 14th: Wonka
- August 21st: Back to the Future
- August 28th: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (come in costume for a chance to win a prize)
- September 4th: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
- September 11th: Invincible
- September 18th: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
- September 21st: Haunted Mansion (2023)
- Saturday Matinees (noon)
- June 29th: Boss Baby
- July 6th: Zootopia
- July 13th: Luca
- July 20th: Trolls: Band Together (come in costume for a chance to win a prize)
- July 27th: Brave
- August 3rd: The Lego Movie
- August 10th: Spirited Away
- August 17th: FernGully: The Last Rainforest
- August 24th: Finding Nemo (come in costume for a chance to win a prize)
- August 31st: Orion and the Dark
- September 7th: Cars
- September 14th: Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken
- September 21st: Kung Fu Panda 4
- September 28th: Frozen (come in costume for a chance to win a prize)
Schuylkill Banks Movie Nights
Thursdays, 8:30 p.m. through July 18th; slightly earlier after that. Some screenings take place on Grays Ferry Crescent, while others will be just north of the Walnut Street Bridge. See schedule for details.
This popular Thursday-night series gets points for ambiance, setting up its big screen in a serene little spot near the Schuylkill River. Movies range from kid-friendly to throwback films. Bring your own blanket and snacks, and come early to stake out your spot and watch the sunset.
- June 27th: Big
- July 11th: Little Miss Sunshine
- July 18th: Mulan
- July 25th: 50 First Dates
- August 1st: Akeelah and the Bee
- August 8th: Dave
- August 15th: Wonka
- August 22nd: Barbie
Bartram’s Garden Family Movie Nights
Select Fridays, 8 p.m., 5400 Lindbergh Boulevard. Movie screenings take place on the Gingko Lawn.
Before each screening, there will be nature-based pre-movie activities with the Pennsylvania Game Commission starting at 7 p.m.
- June 28th: The Wiz
- July 26th: Migration
- August 30th: TBD
Spruce Street Harbor Park
Sundays, 4 p.m., 301 South Christopher Columbus Boulevard.
The waterfront oasis is up and running with its hammock lounge, boardwalk treats, and shopping and more. For the season, they’ve got lots of weekly events, including family-friendly Sundays with Pop-Up Play and Active Kids. After craft and activity time at 12:30 p.m., the day wraps with a 4 p.m. movie on their giant, new outdoor screen.
- July 7th: National Treasure
- July 14th: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
- July 21st: The Dark Crystal
- July 28th: Explorers
- August 4th: The Dark Crystal
- August 11th: The NeverEnding Story
- August 18th: Short Circuit
- August 25th: The Secret of NIMH
- September 1st: A League of Their Own
- September 8th: The Lego Movie
- September 15th: Willow
- September 29th: The Wizard
Fairmount Park Conservancy’s Movies in the Park
Neighborhood parks all around the city will be transformed into outdoor movie theaters all summer long and into the fall. There are plenty of family-friendly picks, including many screenings of the latest Kung Fu Panda installment and the severely underrated Pixar film Elemental. Movies are BYOB (Bring Your Own Blanket) and begin at dusk. See below for the park-by-park schedule:
- July 3rd: Trolls Band Together at Elmwood Park
- July 10th: Elemental at Dickinson Square Park
- July 20th: The Lion King (1994) at Vernon Park
- July 25th: Kung Fu Panda 4 at Hagert Playground
- August 5th: TBA at Northwood Park
- August 8th: Jaws at Historic Rittenhouse Town
- August 8th: Kung Fu Panda 4 at Mifflin Square Park
- August 10th: Wish at Thomas Hart Park
- August 10th: Barbie at McMichael Park
- August 14th: Back to the Future at Matthias Baldwin Park
- August 15th: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts at Triangle Park
- August 15th: Wish at Williams Moore Reed Memorial Park
- August 15th: Kung Fu Panda 4 at Rainbow de Colores Park
- August 17th: Kung Fu Panda 4 at 3rd & Norris Playground
- August 22nd: Madame Web at Hissey Playground
- August 24th: The Marvels at Cliveden Park
- August 24th: Elemental at Suffolk Park
- August 28th: TBA at Fotterall Square
- August 28th: Wonka at Inn Yard Park
- August 31st: The NeverEnding Story at Penn Treaty Park
- September 6th: Shrek at Carpenter Green Park
- September 11th: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom at Lanier Park
- September 13th: Elemental at Palmer Park
- September 14th: Kung Fu Panda 4 at Woodside Park
- September 14th: Megamind at Benson Park
- September 17th: If at Pop’s Park
- September 20th: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) at Campbell Square Park
- September 20th: Garfield at Columbus Square Park
- September 21st: TBA at Fairview Park
- September 27th: The Little Mermaid (2023) at Spring Garden Community Garden
- September 27th: Elemental at Roots Community Garden
- September 28th: Garfield at Powers Park
- September 28th: If at Ridgeway Park
- October 5th: If at Burholme Park
- October 5th: TBA at Northwood Park
- October 11th: The Little Mermaid (2023) at Harrowgate Park
- October 11th: Elemental at Tacony Creek Park
- October 18th: A Million Miles Away at Starr Garden
PFS Movies on the Block
Philadelphia Film Society’s a free summer screening program returns. Each screening includes pre-movie activities, performances, educational demonstrations and more. Activities start at 6 p.m., and movie screenings begin at 8:15 p.m.
- July 19th: Creed at Awbury Rec Center (6101 Ardleigh Street)
- July 26th: Men in Black at Smith Playground (2100 South 24th Street)
- August 17th: 42 at FDR Park (1900 Pattison Avenue)
- August 30th: Sing at Stenton Rec Center (4600 North 16th Street)
Mount Airy Moonlight Movie
July 26th, 8 p.m. at Lovett Park, 6945 Germantown Avenue.
Mount Airy is hosting a single Moonlight Movie for the 2024 season: The Holdovers, starring Philly native Da’Vine Joy Randolph in her Oscar-winning role. Bring your family, friends, blankets and lawn chairs. (You can bring your own snacks, too, or buy some on site.)
Outdoor movies at the Oval / Photograph by M. Fischetti for Visit Philadelphia
The Oval
Fridays at sundown; Eakins Oval.
Grab a blanket and gather around the big screen at the Parkway’s summertime pop-up park, which reopens on July 11th. Food and drink will be available for purchase at on-site vendors (including the beer garden by Libertee Grounds). Movies begin at dusk.
- July 12th: The Little Mermaid (2023)
- July 19th: The Lion King (1994)
- July 26th: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
- August 2nd: Elemental
- August 9th: Wonka
- August 16th: Jumanji (1995)
- August 23rd: Luca
Movies in Clark Park
Fridays in August at sundown; Clark Park, 4300 Baltimore Avenue
On three Friday nights in August, bring your own blankets and gather in West Philly’s main quad.
- August 2nd: Men in Black
- August 9th: Barbie
- August 16th: Wonka
Pictures in the Park
Fridays in September at 7 p.m.; Sister Cities Park, 210 North 18th Street
- September 7th: Kung Fu Panda 4
- September 13th: Trolls Band Together
- September 20th: Shrek
- September 27th: Migration
More Outdoor Movie Screenings That Aren’t Free, But Are Worth It
First Friday Movies Under the Stars and Stripes
First Fridays; Betsy Ross House, 239 Arch Street
Enjoy $8 admission, a tour of the Betsy Ross House, and a movie in the courtyard. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early, and bring food and a bottle of wine to watch the movie! The movies are all vintage sci-fi horror B-movies, and start after sundown, so they begin earlier in the night as the series goes on. Tickets available online.
- July 5th: The Killer Shrews (1959)
- August 2nd: The Invisible Boy (1957)
- October 4th: Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Laurel Hill Cemetery
July 26th, 8:30 p.m. (activities start at 7 p.m.)
Pack a picnic and BYO blankets or lawn chairs for a the 1989 film Vampire’s Kiss (starring Nicholas Cage) in a historic cemetery, presented by Philadelphia Film Society and Friends of Laurel Hill. Before the 8:30 p.m. screening, there will be a pop-up market of local vendors at 7 p.m., and trivia inspired by the movie at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 for general admission, with discounts for kids, seniors, students and members.
Movies @ The Mann
July 27th, 8 p.m. (doors at 6 p.m.)
The Movies @ The Mann series is truly a unique entry in this list, because it pairs an outdoor movie experience with a live Philadelphia Orchestra performance. While you watch the film, they perform the score! This summer, catch Disney’s classic animated feature, Aladdin, on July 27th. Tickets available online.
