New Megabus Service Makes It Easy For DC Residents To Visit Philadelphia and The Countryside(R)

PHILADELPHIA, March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting March 21, DC-ers can use the low-cost Megabus to travel to nearby Philadelphia -- and there are plenty of reasons to make a trip this spring. Once they arrive at 30th Street Station or Historic Philadelphia, the city's two Megabus stops, visitors can choose from a ton of big-name events and exhibitions, such as Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Gunther von Hagens' Body Worlds 2 & The Brain at The Franklin Institute and the National Constitution Center's Ancient Rome & America.

For even more savings, DC visitors who book one of the 70 hotel packages featured on visitphilly.com/withlove receive a special gift at check-in. The giveaway includes Philly Fill-Ins word games, With Love postcards, a With Love pin and the Official Philly Brag Book, featuring 200 reasons to love the Philadelphia region, along with maps and coupons. The packages are bookable online at visitphilly.com/withlove or by calling the hotel directly.

Science & History:

• Visitors to The Franklin Institute can uncover the incredible intricacies of human anatomy during Gunther von Hagens' Body Worlds 2 & The Brain. More than 200 specimens, including 20 whole bodies, healthy and unhealthy organs and body sections, provide an unprecedented view inside the human body. Through April 18, 2010. (215) 448-1200, fi.edu
• Visitors can learn just how significantly the Republic-turned-Empire impacted the young America when they explore Ancient Rome & America at the National Constitution Center. The exhibit features more than 300 ancient artifacts, including bronze and marble sculptures, ceramics and jewelry, and examines what the Founding Fathers learned from the civilization. Through August 1, 2010. (215) 409-6700, constitutioncenter.org

Arts & Culture:

• In Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris, the Philadelphia Museum of Art celebrates the icon internationally renowned as one of the most innovative and influential artists of the last century. The exhibition surveys Picasso's work from 1905 to 1945—decades when he transformed the history of art. Through April 25, 2010. (215) 763-8100, philamuseum.org
• 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. Undergraduates and grad students at this highly respected institution display their finest work, making this show the ideal place to spot fresh young talent. May 15-June 6, 2010. (215) 972-7600, pafa.org

Sporting Action:

• Philadelphia Union kicks off its first season during a nationally televised away match on March 25, and then plays its first home game two weeks later. The team will play that inaugural home opener on April 10 and several major games at Lincoln Financial Field. Once the new 18,500-seat PPL Park stadium in Chester is complete, the Union will play most of its regular season games there. philadelphiaunion.com
• For the 116th year, high school and college track stars compete at Franklin Field during The Penn Relays, the oldest relay meet in the nation. With an average of one race every five minutes, the action is non-stop all weekend. April 22-24, 2010. (215) 898-6145, thepennrelays.com
• With competitors from across the country and Canada, the longstanding Dad Vail Regatta is the largest collegiate regatta in the world and takes place on the Schuylkill River. May 7-8, 2010. (215) 542-1443, dadvail.org

Gay & Lesbian Festivals:

• The week-long Equality Forum celebrates the cultural and political legacy of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and includes more than 50 events by 60 regional, national and international organizations. April 26-May 2, 2010. (215) 732-3378, equalityforum.com
• New Hope Celebrates Pride includes the New Hope Pride Parade, the Family Forum, the "Decade an Hour" Dance and the "Sing Out Loud and Proud" Concert. Proceeds benefit national and local charities. May 13-16, 2010. (215) 431-6674, newhopecelebrates.com

Family Fun:

• The month-long Sakura Matsuri—the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival—welcomes the arrival of spring. Celebrated in Japan for hundreds of years, the citywide festival in Philadelphia encourages a better understanding of the cultural, social and educational customs of Japan and the U.S. Through April 17, 2010. (215) 790-3804, phillycherryblossom.org
• Jugglers, folk singers, puppeteers and acrobats delight young audiences at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts during the Philadelphia International Children's Festival.  April 27-May 1, 2010. (215) 898-3900, annenbergcenter.org
• One big block party, the 9th Street Italian Market Festival features live entertainment, games and food booths, plus the Italian Market's dazzling array of homemade sausages, delicious cannolis, imported meats and cheeses, luscious cappuccino, butcher-cut beef and poultry and fresh pastas. May 15-16, 2010. (215) 545-4543, 9thstreetitalianmarketfestival.com
• Longwood Gardens welcomes spring with Making Scents: The Art and Passion of Fragrance, embracing the beauty of gardens, the glamour of perfumes and the pleasure of wonderful smells. Visitors can delve into the history, science and evocative power of fragrance in Longwood's unmatched environment. April 10-November 21, 2010. (610) 388-1000, longwoodgardens.org

For more events happening this spring and beyond in Philadelphia and The Countryside®, go to visitphilly.com.

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 Hear Philly, 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