6abc Loves the Arts: Fun on the Parkway

Sunday, August 13, 2017

6abc Loves the Arts: Fun on the Parkway. David Murphy reports during Action News at 7 a.m. on August 13, 2017.

The Benjamin Franklin Parkway is Philadelphia's Museum Row, and this summer there are special things to do all up and down the grand cultural boulevard.

This is the fifth summer of fun at Eakins Oval and this year it's dubbed Oval Plus.

"It is bigger and better than ever," says Kathryn Ott Lovell, Commissioner of Parks and Recreation. "There's free mini golf. There's free music, free dancing, free activities every hour of the day, movie nights, concert series, you know, dance lessons; there's so much happening here."

The theme is "What's Your Parkway?" with three colorful open air rooms inviting visitors to explore the city's arts, culture, and diversity.

"My favorite, favorite part about the Oval this year is the conversation room," says Jamie Gauthier, Acting Executive Director at the Fairmount Park Conservancy. "We've created this space where people can tell us where they are coming from and what neighborhoods they're originating from."

"Whether you're 4 or 94, come on out to the Oval; there's something for you," says Ott Lovell.

At the Franklin Institute, you can unlock secret codes and solve challenges in their all-new escape rooms.

"This is one of the largest and most technologically advanced escape rooms there are," boasts Larry Dubinski, President and CEO of The Franklin Institute.

One is a "Survivor" meets "Gilligan's Island" theme. The other is an intergalactic space theme described as "a Sci-Fi dream come true," said Elisabeth Garson, Owner of Steel Isle Productions, creators of the escape rooms.

And from now through Labor Day, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is helping children bring out their inner animal and artist at the free Art Splash with a different theme each week.

"This week, inspired by our theme of climb," says The Philadelphia Museum of Art's Liz Yohlin Baill.

This year's Art Splash is inspired by Wild, the Art Museum's newest exhibition from world-renowned wildlife photographer Michael Nichols.

"We're making amazing paperscapes, which are really paper collages using all kinds of different papers and shapes of papers to create their own wild immersive environment," explains Yohlin Baill, who says there are special kid's tours of the Wild exhibition as well, "and their imagination is immediately sparked and they want to know what else there is for them to do."