PHILADELPHIA – The City of Philadelphia released details for the 2017 NFL Draft Experience, an exciting, three-day festival taking place Thursday, April 27^th through Saturday, April 29^th on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Eakins Oval and the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Festival Activities & Information
The 2017 NFL Draft invites families and fans of all ages to enjoy FREE admission to a three-day football festival held along a half-mile stretch of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway from Thursday, April 27 – Saturday, April 29.  Fans of all ages and of all teams will be able to participate in interactive exhibits, immersive games, and virtual reality experiences, free player autograph sessions and more.

The event will be open to the public from 12pm-11pm on Thursday, April 27^th and Friday, April 28^th.  Hours on Saturday, April 29^th are 10am-6pm.

The NFL Draft Experience is free and no tickets are required.  Fans are encouraged to visit the event website for information.

In addition, most of the cultural institutions along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway will maintain normal hours of operation and, in some cases, even extend schedules during the event. Many institutions will also offer special discounts during the Draft.

Road Closures
The full set of closures on the Parkway and in the immediate vicinity are scheduled to be implemented by 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 25^th.  The full extent of these closures will be in place until 5:00AM on Monday, May 1^st.   There are multiple phases of partial road closures that will precede and follow those dates. A detailed list of closures and restrictions by phase is listed below.

Delays can be expected on the dates of the event and during the phases below.  Motorists are advised to avoid the area by using alternate routes, and allow for extra driving time when traveling in the vicinity.  Please refrain from double-parking, which creates congestion, limits traffic flow and is illegal.

Maps of the road closures can be view here.

Residents and workers will be able to access roads and parking lots marked “local access” at all times.  During event days, residents may be asked by police on duty to provide identification.  Further, the city cautions people that there may be delays, particularly during event days, AM/PM rush hours and during heavy intake and departure times at the event grounds.  We appreciate your patience in advance. 

Phase 1:

Start: 4/10/17 – 6:00 AM
End: 5/7/17 – 11:59 PM 

• Spring Garden Street westbound will close at Pennsylvania Avenue.
• The westbound center roadway of Benjamin Franklin Parkway will maintain two lanes from 20^th Street to Eakins Oval.  The left lane of Benjamin Franklin Parkway will be closed from East Eakins Oval to Spring Garden St. and continue to southbound Kelly Drive, where it will open up to three travel lanes.
• The right two lanes of Eakins Oval in front of the Art Museum steps will be closed for the building of the theatre.
• Southbound Kelly Drive will have a lane drop between 25^th St. and Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Phase 2:
Start: 4/19/17 – 12:01 AM
End: 5/3/17 – 5:00 AM

• Inner lanes (inbound and outbound) of Benjamin Franklin Parkway closed from Eakins Oval to 20^th Street.

Phase 3:
Start: 4/24/17 – 7:00 PM
End: 5/1/17 – 5:00 AM 

• Benjamin Franklin Parkway will be closed from 20^th Street to the Art Museum.
• Martin Luther King Drive will remain open to 24^th Street.
• Eastbound Spring Garden Street will remain open from 31^st Street to 24^th Street.
• Kelly Drive will be closed at Fairmount Avenue with traffic detoured onto Fairmount Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue.

Starting at 7:00pm on Monday, April 24^th, due to the closure of the outer lanes on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, traffic headed inbound (to Center City) from Spring Garden Street Bridge or Martin Luther King Drive must exit Eakins Oval on the 24^th Street ramp.  Traffic headed inbound on Kelly Drive must exit Kelly Drive at Fairmount Avenue.  Those wishing to access the rear of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on the north side must exit onto Fairmount Avenue, turn right on Pennsylvania Avenue and proceed SB on 25^th Street onto Anne d’Harnoncourt Drive.

Phase 4 – Full Extent of Road Closures:

• Martin Luther King Drive closed at Sweet Briar Drive, starting at 12PM on 4/26 and reopening at 5 AM on 5/1. Road will not be opened during peak AM rush hour.
• 21^st Street closed from Winter Street to Spring Garden Street
  • Local access to Pennsylvania Avenue only (all traffic must turn left)
• 22^nd Street closed from Race Street to Spring Garden Street
  • Local access to Park Towne Place only (residents)
• 23^rd Street closed from Fairmount Avenue to Benjamin Franklin Parkway
  • Local access only
• 24^th Street closed from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Park Towne Place
  • Local access only
• Kelly Drive closed from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Fairmount Avenue
• Spring Garden Street Bridge closed at 31^st Street at I-76 ramp
  •  Local access to I-76 westbound will be maintained
  • Local access to Art Museum will be maintained (via Anne d’ Harnoncourt Drive)
• Spring Garden Street closed from 22^nd Street to Benjamin Franklin Parkway
  • Local access after peak AM rush hour
• Pennsylvania Avenue closed from Hamilton Street to Fairmount Avenue
  • Local access after peak AM rush hour
• Pennsylvania Avenue/Callowhill Street closed from 20^th Street to 21^st Street
  • Local access to Barnes Foundation driveway (westbound) only
  • Eastbound open from 21^st Street
• Park Towne Place closed from 22^nd Street to 24^th Street
  • Local access only (residents)
• I-676 westbound 22^nd Street off-ramp closed
• The following streets will be designated “local access only” west of 22^nd Street:
  • Wallace Street
  • Mt. Vernon Street
  • Green Street
  • Judson Street
  • Brandywine Street
  • Summer Street
• The following streets will be designated local access only east of 22nd Street:
  • Spring Street
  • Winter Street

No Parking

–   No parking on 2400 Pennsylvania Avenue (south side angle parking only) from 4/5 to 5/8
–   Pennsylvania Avenue between 22^nd Street & Fairmount Avenue (south side of street only) 4/25-5/1
–   Winter Street between 20^th & 22^nd Streets (both sides of street) 4/26-5/1
–   20^th Street between Vine & Callowhill Streets (east side of street only) 4/26-5/1
–   21^st Street between Benjamin Franklin Parkway & Race Street (both sides of street) 4/26-5/1
–   22^nd Street between Winter & Spring Garden Streets (both sides of street) 4/26-5/1
–   Park Towne Place between 22^nd & 24^th Streets (both sides of street) 4/26-5/1

Vehicles wishing to access the Art Museum parking garage and Anne d’ Harnoncourt Drive will have to pass through a checkpoint and a brief vehicle sweep starting at 7am on Thursday, 4/27 and ending at approx. 9pm on Saturday, 4/29. Checkpoints will be setup at the following locations:
– Kelly Drive between Fairmount Avenue and 25th Street
– Anne d’ Harnoncourt Drive and Spring Garden Street (south side of the Art Museum)
– Waterworks Drive
All vehicles wishing to access the Art Museum parking garage and Anne d’Harnoncourt Drive from the north (Kelly Drive) side must enter the checkpoint at Kelly Drive and Fairmount Avenue.  Vehicles will not be permitted to enter at 25th Street.  During this timeframe, vehicles requiring access to these locations will be permitted to make a left turn onto Kelly Drive from Fairmount Avenue.  Directional signage will be displayed, and Philadelphia Police will be on hand to facilitate traffic flow

Bicycle Lane Detours
During venue construction, a number of bicycle lanes along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Eakins Oval and in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art will be detoured.  Appropriate signage will be prominently displayed, and cyclists are advised to utilize marked detours.

Pedestrian Detours
During venue construction, a number of sidewalks and pathways along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Eakins Oval and in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art will be detoured.  Appropriate signage will be prominently displayed, and pedestrians are advised to utilize marked detours and avoid walking in the street.  The primary north-south pedestrian detours will be 22^nd Street and Anne d’Harnoncourt Drive.

Public Transportation and Parking
SEPTA is a convenient, affordable way for fans to get to and from the event grounds.  The PHLCVB has secured FREE parking at the sports stadium complex for NFL Draft Experience attendees.  From the sports stadium complex, event-goers should utilize the Broad Street Subway at AT&T Station, located at Broad Street and Pattison Avenue.  Fares can be purchased onsite, and fans are encouraged to purchase their return fare prior to departing AT&T Station.

SEPTA service changes/alerts can be found at www.septa.org.

SEPTA Customer Service can be reached at 215-580-7800 and directly on Twitter @septa_social.  For more information on SEPTA and NJ Transit routes and schedules during the NFL Draft Experience, visit www.septa.org or call 215-580-7800, and www.njtransit.org or call 973-275-5555.

The PHLASH Downtown Loop will add service for Thursday, 4/27 for the NFL Draft Experience and will operate its April weekend schedule Friday, 4/28 – Sunday, 4/30. PHLASH runs 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and is an easy, inexpensive way to get around.  PHLASH will re-route due to street closures during the NFL Draft Experience and will communicate any detours at http://RidePhillyPHLASH.com.

If driving into Center City is necessary, commercial off-street parking lots and garages conveniently are located near the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Contact individual facilities in advance for rates and availability, or visit the Philadelphia Parking Authority’s website at www.philapark.org for a list of parking options.  The NFL Draft Experience is not affiliated with these parking facilities.