When do the leaves change in Philadelphia?
Philadelphia hides a surprising amount of forest inside the city line. The Wissahickon gorge turns gold and copper above its creekside gravel trail, Fairmount Park's old hardwoods line the Schuylkill, and ginkgos light up the colonial squares. The Brandywine Valley and the Poconos are within easy reach when you want bigger color.
Peak: November 1–November 5
Color builds from October 19 · mostly bare by November 25
Method: daily ERA5 temperatures (Open-Meteo) drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model, sampled at Philadelphia’s own coordinates rather than a regional average. Dates are computed for Philadelphia itself at 32 m elevation. Estimates, not promises — street trees vary block to block. Check locally before you plan around a weekend.
Fall activities in Philadelphia
Winterthur
25 miGarden
Peak November 2
Henry Francis du Pont's 979-acre former estate near Wilmington, opened as a museum in 1951, pairs a renowned American decorative-arts collection with a 60-acre naturalistic garden, where mature oaks, tulip poplars, and Japanese maples color 25 miles of trails into late October.
Don’t miss: 60-acre naturalistic garden · 25 miles of garden trails · Enchanted Woods children's garden
in Delaware
Longwood Gardens
28 miGarden
Peak November 1
Pierre S. du Pont's 1,100-acre estate near Kennett Square anchors its fall season with the Chrysanthemum Festival (some 4,500 mums, including an 18-month-trained 'thousand bloom' specimen) set against woodland and meadow color running into mid-November.
Don’t miss: Chrysanthemum Festival · 1,100 acres of gardens and meadow · Conservatory displays
in Pennsylvania
Mount Tammany
70 miTrail
Peak October 23
From the Dunnfield Creek lot in Worthington State Forest, a 3.5-mile loop climbs Mount Tammany for New Jersey's classic view of the Delaware River slicing through the Kittatinny Ridge, part of the roughly 70,000-acre Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area established in 1965.
Don’t miss: 3.5-mile loop to the Gap overlook · Classic Delaware River gap view · Worthington State Forest setting
in New Jersey
Where locals go
Things to do in fall in Philadelphia
Orchards, cider, haunts, and harvest season — the iconic fall stops within a day trip of Philadelphia.
Eastern State Penitentiary
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks November 3
Philadelphia's crumbling 1829 penitentiary (one of the first true prisons in the world, abandoned in 1971) turns its cellblocks into Halloween Nights each fall: five haunted houses and an outdoor scare zone staffed by 200-plus performers, running select nights from mid-September through Halloween.
Don’t miss: Five haunted house experiences · 200+ live performers · Set inside an 1829 former penitentiary
Linvilla Orchards
OrchardColor nearby peaks November 2
Halfway between Philadelphia and Wilmington, Linvilla Orchards turns part of its grounds into Pumpkinland each fall, with pick-your-own fields, hayrides, and a farm market known for cider and doughnuts. The rest of the orchard keeps going too, with a fishing pond, a beer garden, and produce fields beyond the pumpkin patch.
Don’t miss: Pumpkinland fall activities · Cider and doughnuts at the market · Fishing pond and beer garden
Valley of Fear & Original Haunted Hayride
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks November 3
Running for 36 years, Valley of Fear puts on three separate scares in Feasterville: a haunted hayride through the woods, a walk-through called Miles Manor, and an indoor maze themed around a shipwreck. It is one of Bucks County's longest-running haunts, with new sets built for the 2026 season, though exact dates were not yet posted.
Don’t miss: 36 years of haunted hayrides · Three separate haunted experiences · New sets built every season
Ramsey's Farm
23 miFarm
Color nearby peaks November 2
Family-run outside Wilmington since 1860, Ramsey's Farm still centers on a pumpkin patch and corn maze each fall, alongside a produce stand and even a small herd of wagyu beef cattle. It is a working farm where the main draw shifts with the season, and autumn means hayrides, a maze to get lost in, and pumpkins by the wagonload.
Don’t miss: Pumpkin patch and corn maze · Family farm since 1860 · Produce stand and wagon rides
in Delaware
Highland Orchards
28 miOrchard
Color nearby peaks October 31
West Chester's go-to orchard for pick-your-own fruit, with a corn maze, apple cannons, and hayrides filling out the fall lineup alongside a bakery known for apple cider donuts once named among the best in Philadelphia. The farm market and picking fields sit just outside town, an easy add-on to a Brandywine Valley day trip.
Don’t miss: Best of Philly cider donuts · Corn maze and apple cannons · Pick-your-own fruit fields
in Pennsylvania
Peddler's Village Scarecrow Festival
28 miFall festival
Color nearby peaks October 31
Every September, more than 150 handmade scarecrows take over this Bucks County shopping village, staying on display from September 7 through October 26 while the festival weekend itself brings scarecrow-making workshops and pumpkin painting. The 2026 festival runs September 19 and 20, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with free admission and parking.
Don’t miss: 150-plus scarecrow displays · Scarecrow-making workshops · Free admission and parking
in Pennsylvania
Guides
Frequently asked
- When do leaves peak in Philadelphia in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for November 1–November 5 (best estimate November 3). Color starts around October 19 and trees are mostly bare by November 25. These dates are computed for Philadelphia itself — at 32 m elevation — from the same weather model as the tracker.
- When is fall foliage season in Philadelphia?
- Philadelphia colors during autumn (September–November). Philadelphia hides a surprising amount of forest inside the city line. The Wissahickon gorge turns gold and copper above its creekside gravel trail, Fairmount Park's old hardwoods line the Schuylkill, and ginkgos light up the colonial squares. The Brandywine Valley and the Poconos are within easy reach when you want bigger color.
- What's the best foliage near Philadelphia?
- Winterthur (25 mi); Longwood Gardens (28 mi); Mount Tammany (70 mi). For a longer trip: Pennsylvania (138 mi, peak ~October 18); New Jersey (27 mi, peak ~November 7); Delaware (68 mi, peak ~November 6).
- What are the best things to do in fall in Philadelphia?
- Beyond the leaves: Eastern State Penitentiary (1 mi); Linvilla Orchards (14 mi); Valley of Fear & Original Haunted Hayride (17 mi); Ramsey's Farm (23 mi); Highland Orchards (28 mi). All of them are mapped on this page.
- What are the best things to do in autumn near Philadelphia?
- Come autumn — autumn (September–November) — locals head for Eastern State Penitentiary (1 mi); Linvilla Orchards (14 mi); Valley of Fear & Original Haunted Hayride (17 mi); Ramsey's Farm (23 mi); Highland Orchards (28 mi). Each is on the map with the distance from Philadelphia.