Fairmount Water Works
The Fairmount Water Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was Philadelphia's second municipal waterworks. It goes back to 1812. Worth the trip, USS New Jersey is 3.1 mi off.
A park & preserve inside Philadelphia
You can stay in Philadelphia
Fairmount Water Works is inside Philadelphia, which has 168 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from New York City
New York City is about 81 miles northeast and Baltimore is about 89 miles southwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Established in 1812
Fairmount Water Works dates from 1812. About ↓
Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Sep and Oct
April, May, June, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 64–83°. When to go ↓
An airport 7 miles away
Philadelphia (PHL) has airline service, about 7 miles from Fairmount Water Works.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Picking a season
Here are the months at Fairmount Water Works, with their weather.
Fairmount Water Works
The Fairmount Water Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was Philadelphia's second municipal waterworks. Designed in 1812 by Frederick Graff and originally finished in 1815, it operated until 1909, winning praise for its design and becoming a popular tourist attraction. It now houses a restaurant and an interpretive center that explains the waterworks' purpose and local watershed history. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976 for its architecture and its engineering innovations. It was the nation's first water supply to use paddle wheels to move water.
- Type
- Park & preserve
- Established
- 1812
- Listed
- National Historic Landmark · National Register of Historic Places (1976)
- Wikipedia readers
- 6.2K a year
Staying near Fairmount Water Works
Nearest for a night are Philadelphia (168) and Mount Laurel Township (34).
- 1USS New Jersey
- 2Eastern State Penitentiary
- 3Independence Hall
- 4Lincoln Financial Field
- 5Xfinity Mobile Arena
- 6Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
- 7Philadelphia Museum of Art
- 8Lynnewood Hall
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Fairmount Water Works | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | in town | — | 168 133 hotels · 2 motels · 17 inns & B&Bs · 9 lodges & cabins · 3 hostels · 4 campgrounds | 1,574,281 | $243K | D− |
| Mount Laurel Township | 15 mi east | 20 min | 34 31 hotels · 3 motels | 47,738 | $357K | C |
| Lower Merion Township | 7 mi northwest | 10 min | 12 9 hotels · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds | 64,691 | $810K | B− |
| Tinicum Township | 8 mi southwest | 10 min | 13 13 hotels | 3,985 | $207K | C− |
| Upper Merion Township | 14 mi northwest | 20 min | 26 23 hotels · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs | 36,674 | $455K | C− |
| Bellmawr | 8 mi southeast | 10 min | 11 8 hotels · 3 motels | 11,874 | $239K | B− |
| Cherry Hill Township | 11 mi southeast | 15 min | 14 11 hotels · 3 campgrounds | 79,965 | $386K | — |
| Bensalem Township | 16 mi northeast | 25 min | 21 17 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground | 62,783 | $364K | C |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
More near Fairmount Water Works
A wider trip can take in these, within 8 miles.
Big draw13 mi MuseumUSS New Jersey
Big draw2in town MuseumEastern State Penitentiary
Big draw32 mi Ancient siteIndependence Hall3.0M visitors a year
Big draw45 mi Stadium & arenaLincoln Financial Field
Big draw54 mi Stadium & arenaXfinity Mobile Arena
6in town MuseumAcademy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
7in town MuseumPhiladelphia Museum of Art437K visitors a year
Big draw88 mi MuseumLynnewood HallPhoto credits
USS New Jersey: Camera Operator: PH3 BRYANT, Public domain · Eastern State Penitentiary: Davidt8, Public domain · Independence Hall: Mys 721tx, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lincoln Financial Field: The original uploader was Betp at French Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Xfinity Mobile Arena: Jen Smith, CC BY 3.0 · Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University: See below, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Philadelphia Museum of Art: Unknown, Public domain · Lynnewood Hall: Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Visiting Fairmount Water Works: the answers
Is Fairmount Water Works in Philadelphia?
Yes. It’s inside Philadelphia, PA.
When is the best time to visit Fairmount Water Works?
April, May, June, September and October, with highs of 64–83°.
How far is Fairmount Water Works from Newark and Jersey City?
About 75 miles northeast of Newark and about 78 miles northeast of Jersey City, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Fairmount Water Works?
Philadelphia (PHL), about 7 miles away.
Where should I stay near Fairmount Water Works?
Philadelphia (in town, 168 places to stay), Mount Laurel Township (15 mi, 34 places to stay) and Lower Merion Township (7 mi, 12 places to stay).
What locals in Philadelphia say
Start the conversation in Philadelphia’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.