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University City, Philadelphia — Area Guide & Where to Stay
University City is a district of Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania, centred on the University of Pennsylvania and its museums.
About University City
Where to stay in University City
The right area depends on your trip — here's what each neighbourhood is best for.
University City suits travellers who want to stay beside the University of Pennsylvania rather than downtown. Rooms cluster near the campus. The district runs on students and hospitals, with the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the Mütter Museum and Penn Medicine station all within reach.
If you want easy rail into central Philadelphia and a base among the museums and lecture halls of this Pennsylvania campus quarter, University City fits.
About University City
What are the main landmarks in University City?
University City is thick with museums and campus landmarks. The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and the Mütter Museum draw the district's visitors, while smaller collections fill the streets between them. Churches ring the campus.
The First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia and the Church of the Holy Trinity stand among the university blocks, and the Edward Drinker Cope House recalls the paleontologist who once lived here. Sport has its own address at the Class of 1923 Arena.
What is the history of University City?
University City grew up around the University of Pennsylvania and its neighbouring campuses. As the university expanded across this part of Philadelphia, grand houses like the Horace Jayne House and the Rafsnyder-Welsh House went up for its professors and patrons. Learning shaped the streets.
The Edward Drinker Cope House recalls the paleontologist who worked nearby, and the Pennsylvania Railroad World War II Memorial marks the era when the railroad ran through the district. Campus and city grew together.
Where is University City?
University City forms a campus district of Philadelphia, within Pennsylvania, built around the University of Pennsylvania and its museums.
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More areas in Philadelphia
Updated July 2026