Can’t Miss Stops for Arts and Antiques Lovers
Chestnut Hill is a destination for one-of-a-kind finds. Whether searching for a quirky vintage owl brooch, upscale artisan-made jewelry, centuries-old map prints, or striking new photography, you will uncover something to love (and take home) within the galleries and shops that pepper the quaint main street of Germantown Avenue. The best part: Nobody you know already has it.
Here’s where you should go to explore the eclectic mix of modern arts and antique treasures in Philadelphia’s urban village.
Shop Vintage
Head to The Antique Gallery to find fun collectors’ items like match safes and brass inkwells alongside Austrian glassware, Asian pottery, and decorative accents worldwide.
If you’re looking for furniture Blum’s Antiques, located just off the main stretch on East Chestnut Hill Avenue, is a must. Established in 1930, Blum’s sells a carefully curated array of quality American pieces from the 18th and early 19th centuries, plus mirrors, clocks, and more housewares you can’t find in stores today.
You can bring your heirloom accessories to Delphine Gallery for appraisal. With a nationally accredited appraiser and gemologist on staff, this jewelry salon can help you determine the value of your vintage and estate pieces. But drop in even if you’re empty-handed because the gallery also sells exquisite new artist-designed jewelry.
Get Artsy
Start your cultural experience at Woodmere Art Museum, located in a beautiful Victorian mansion about a mile north of the Avenue’s main shopping stretch. In addition to special exhibits, the museum celebrates regional artists through its permanent collection of more than 25,000 works from the 19th century to the modern day. Music fans will also love the museum’s Friday Night Jazz and Classic Saturdays concerts. More of a theater person? Buy tickets to a show at The Stagecrafters, a nearby non-profit with classic and contemporary plays on its stage.
You don’t have to walk far to appreciate more artwork – go to “Gallery Row” at the heart of the Avenue. Discover contemporary art at Gravers Lane Gallery, where you can buy fine jewelry, ceramics, fiber arts, and pieces of all mediums. Get to know more emerging and established artists at Borrelli’s Chestnut Hill Gallery, which changes its main exhibit every two months and welcomes you to sip wine and meet the artmakers on opening nights.
The Little Gallery and Gallery on the Avenue provide a broad survey of art categories for you to enjoy.
A few cobblestoned blocks down the road, venture into Wendy Concannon Photography Gallery to glimpse a colorful collection of images, including modern still lifes and bold interpretations of nature.
If you’re inspired to create something of your own, check out Artist and Craftsman Supply. Whether you need paint brushes, calligraphy pens, or craft tools for kids, this supply store has you covered.
Mark Your Calendar
Check out Chestnut Hill’s calendar of events while planning your trip – there’s always something new going on around here! Green thumbs won’t miss the Spring Home & Garden Festival, featuring Ask the Expert demonstrations, plants and flowers, art and artisans, and live entertainment. And when the leaves change in autumn, Fall for the Arts Festival transforms the Avenue into an open-air marketplace full of crafts, art, music, and culinary goodness.
