Philadelphia Convention Center Information
Pennsylvania Convention Center
Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania Convention Center is a world-class venue that blends historic architecture with cutting-edge technology and services. Located in the heart of downtown Philadelphia, otherwise known as Center City, the center occupies six city blocks and is the largest public construction project undertaken in the state of Pennsylvania. The center is within walking distance of several major attractions and 8,000 hotel rooms, plus has indoor access to the 1,410-room Philadelphia Marriott Hotel.
Pennsylvania Convention Center currently has 624,000 total square feet of saleable space, consisting of four exhibit halls totaling 440,000 square feet, a 32,000-square-foot grand ballroom, 44 loading docks and 50 meeting rooms totaling 90,000 square feet. The upcoming expansion to be completed in 2010 will increase space totals to one million total saleable square feet, including 700,000 square feet of exhibit space throughout seven exhibit halls, a 92,000-square-foot grand ballroom, 61 loading docks and 87 meeting rooms making up 162,000 square feet. After the expansion, Pennsylvania Convention Center will boast the largest contiguous exhibit space in the Northeast and largest convention center ballroom on the East Coast.
The center’s traditional exterior of bricks and balconies evokes the feel of a historic Philadelphia meeting place, while its remarkable interior is nothing short of modern and impressive. The immense Grand Hall and Ballroom occupy the historic Reading Terminal train shed, which is the world’s oldest surviving single-span arched train shed, and the only one of its kind in the United States. Elegant and light-filled, the interior space is highlighted by its exposed beams and soaring ceilings. The Reading Terminal Market, the nation’s oldest continuously operating farmers’ market, is located on the ground level, seamlessly integrated into the building’s architecture.
The center’s stunning architecture is beautifully complemented by its wall-to-wall contemporary art collection. The $2 million public collection, consisting of 73 purchased art works and 18 site-specific installations, spans a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, woodwork and jewelry.
The Pennsylvania Convention Center is extremely accessible, as it functions as both a meeting space and transportation hub. In addition to two subway lines within two blocks, eight bus routes and seven regional rail lines provide direct service to the center. For guests with cars, more than 11,000 parking spaces are located within a three-block radius of the center.
The center features fiber-optic cabling infrastructure, high-speed private networks, and a wide range of superior services, including full-service catering provided by ARAMARK and on-call audio-visual support and concierge service. The Pennsylvania Convention Center has hosted more than 13 million guests in the past decade and high-profile events such as the Republic National Convention and National Baptist Convention, as well as meetings for such groups as the Ford Motor Company, American Chemical Society, American Association of Community Colleges, International Society for Stem Cell Research and American Public Health Association.
1101 Arch StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 215-418-4750
