Is Independence Park ready for 2026? | Morning Newsletter

Happy Friday. It’ll be another mostly sunny day with high temps in the mid-80s.

2026 is set to be a big year for Philadelphia. Yet Independence National Historical Park, the center of the city’s historic district, is “woefully behind” in preparations for the U.S. semiquincentennial and in “grave need of resources,” stakeholders say. Can a new cultural coalition fix the problem?

And in University of the Arts’ final days, student and faculty artists shared their illustrations, photos, and words to convey their feelings about the abrupt closure. Find these stories and many more below.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

When Philly is in the international spotlight two years from now, will it looks its best?

🔔 The United States will celebrate its 250th birthday in 2026. Stakeholders say Independence National Historical Park should be a cornerstone of the celebration.

🔔 But long-standing funding woes are keeping much-needed improvements from getting done not only for the semiquincentennial, but for everyday visitors. The park has a nearly $200 million backlog of deferred maintenance.

🔔 An advocacy group called United for Independence has formed to generate awareness of the park’s needs. Kathryn Ott Lovell, head of the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation and a member of the new coalition, hopes a rejuvenated park would bring more hometown pride to Philadelphians.

🔔 “We talk as a country about democracy being under attack, but that’s theoretical,” Ott Lovell told The Inquirer. “This is physically the birthplace of democracy and it’s not being cared for in the best way that it can be.”

Read columnist Stephanie Farr’s take on the urgent, yet ongoing challenges facing Independence Park.

P.S. On a lighter note, you’ll also want to check out Farr’s column on a choral hymn about Gritty (who else?) that premieres this weekend.

Today is the University of the Arts’ final day, an idea that would have been unthinkable a mere week ago. Since last Friday’s sudden closure announcement — so sudden, City Council called for hearings into how things collapsed so quickly — community response has been swift.

Even as they mourned the nearly 150-year-old institution, students and staffers took action by suing the school for various alleged breaches. Student artists questioned what would become of their degrees, as well as what would happen to their pieces housed at the school, including one giant, metal goat.

In the meantime, they made art.

The Inquirer asked faculty and students to share their work and words to illustrate how they feel about UArts’ end. Several expressed fear, uncertainty, anger, and sadness. But they also said they feel hopeful that creativity and community will persist.

Watch Inquirer.com throughout the weekend for the latest coverage on UArts’ last day.

Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. We’ll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks.

This week, we’re resurfacing an explainer from December on Philadelphia street nomenclature. Reader John Chivers wanted to know why avenue numbers in Philadelphia start at 64th. Why 63rd Street, not 63rd Avenue? Or First Avenue, for that matter?

It turns out, no one really knows — not the city, not the Free Library, not the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. But reporter Michelle Myers did unearth some cool history about how other streets got their names. Here’s the full explanation.

Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.

About how many lifeguards does the city need to hire in order to open all 60 public pools this summer?

A) 60

B) 100

C) 400

D) 1,000

Think you know? Check your answer.

🪘 Planning for: This weekend’s Odunde Festival celebrating African culture.

🚗 Not moving: Our cars (because we don’t have to) before the city “deep cleans” our block.

🥩 Wishing: We could eat like the Phillies do, courtesy of their team chef.

The beloved monster currently auditioning to become a Buckingham Palace guard.

ANA PITCH

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Susan Spencer, who solved Thursday’s anagram: London, where the Phillies are playing this weekend. This U.K. superfan is thrilled — but these Philly fans who can no longer make the trip are not. (And yes, this is a big, green hint for today’s anagram.)

Enjoy your weekend! I’ll be back in your inbox on Monday.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.