May 10-19, 2012: A Week of Blockbuster Openings in Philly, Just in Time for the Summer Tourism Season

PHILADELPHIA, March 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- May is going to be a monumental month on Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Parkway, particularly during the time span that stretches from May 10 through May 19. What will the week bring? The opening of the Barnes Foundation and Sister Cities Park, the debut of one of the most comprehensive Dead Sea Scrolls exhibitions ever organized at The Franklin Institute and the running of two of Philadelphia's most historic events: the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts' Annual Student Exhibition. Here's a look at what's about to bloom on the city's most culturally rich mile:

Monumental Openings:

• May 10: The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul will have a front yard worthy of its grandiosity when Sister Cities Park opens directly across the street from it in Logan Square. The park will include a brand-new outdoor children's garden and play area, a boat pond and an interactive fountain that pays tribute to Philadelphia's 10 sister cities around the world. It will also boast a contemporary, eco-forward pavilion that houses a cafe and a visitor center under its green roof. 18th & Benjamin Franklin Parkway, centercityphila.org
• May 12-October 14: One of the most comprehensive displays of the biblical Dead Sea Scrolls comes to The Franklin Institute this spring. The 20-scroll Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Biblical Times contains the books of Genesis, Exodus, Isaiah and others. The exhibition puts the scrolls into context by integrating a three-ton Western Wall in Jerusalem and more than 600 religious, military and household items from biblical times. 222 N. 20th Street, (215) 448-1200, fi.edu
• May 19: The Barnes Foundation will complete the much-anticipated $150-million relocation of its collection from suburban Merion, Pennsylvania to a spectacular new building on Center City Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Parkway, marking the first addition to the Parkway in 60 years. Once in their new home, hundreds of works by Impressionist, post-Impressionist and early modern masters, plus African masks and Pennsylvania Dutch decorative arts, will be on view in a structure that combines the vision of their original owner Dr. Albert Barnes with a contemporary and green execution. The addition of the Barnes Foundation to the Parkway will further cement the boulevard's status as one of the premier arts and culture corridors in the world. 20th Street & Benjamin Franklin Parkway, (215) 640-0171, barnesfoundation.org

Annual Favorites:

• May 11-12: Taking place on the Schuylkill River, the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta is the largest collegiate regatta in the world, attracting more than 3,000 competitors from nearly 150 colleges across the country and Canada. 2012 marks the event's 74th year in Philadelphia. (215) 542-1443, dadvail.org
• May 11-June 3: It only happens once a year, but people in the art world talk about it months in advance: It's the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts' Annual Student Exhibition. As the culmination of their formal study, undergraduate and graduate students at this highly respected institution display their finest work, making this show the ideal place to spot rising stars and purchase an outstanding array of paintings, sculptures and prints. Samuel M. V. Hamilton Building, 128 N. Broad Street, (215) 972-7600, pafa.org

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region's vitality.

For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit visitphilly.com or uwishunu.com, where you can build itineraries; search event calendars; see photos and videos; view interactive maps; sign up for newsletters; listen to HearPhilly, an online radio station about what to see and do in the region; book hotel reservations and more. Or, call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Historic Philadelphia, at (800) 537-7676.

SOURCE Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation