February 25, 2026
Kristin Hunt/for PhillyVoice
The Philly Pride Visitor Center will offer tourists guides to LGBTQ-owned businesses and other travel information. It also features educational materials on local queer history and a gift shop.
Queer tourists visiting the city for the nation's 250th birthday celebrations will find specialized guides to restaurants and museums and a bit of local history at the new Philly Pride Visitor Center.
The information hub opened Wednesday near the corner of 12th and Locust streets, next to the longtime Gayborhood bar Knock. The small storefront features panels on the local movement for gay rights, curated by Philadelphia Gay News founder Mark Segal and other members of the community. A front desk offers pamphlets on LGBTQ-owned businesses and relevant attractions.
Though it was designed with the semiquincentennial in mind, the center will serve travelers past 2026.
"It is a declaration that is visible, permanent and unapologetic," said Anne Ryan, deputy secretary of tourism for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. "The Philly Pride Visitor Center stands here as proof that belonging is not an afterthought. It's not seasonal, it's not subtle, and it's not hidden. It's intentional."
The Philly Pride Visitor Center will help tourists plan itineraries, purchase tickets and find destinations. It will also sell souvenirs from LGBTQ-owned businesses and local queer artists like Symone Salib, Nile Livingston, Laser Philly and Kah Yangni. The center currently stocks a selection of books, hats, tees, totes, keychains and other gifts.
Tourists can buy totes, hats and other souvenirs from queer-owned businesses and LGBTQ+ artists in the visitor center's gift shop.
Councilmember Rue Landau, the first openly gay person elected to City Council, said the center builds on previous tourism outreach like the "Get Your History Straight and Your Nightlife Gay" campaign. Developed by the late Visit Philadelphia President Jeff Guaracino, the initial 2004 ads were some of the first from a U.S. destination explicitly aimed at LGBTQ+ travelers. The visitor center, Landau said, sends a similar message.
"Philadelphia is an open place," she continued. "It's a welcoming place. We want you to come and visit. You're gonna have a great time. And if you guys are like me, I recruit. These folks aren't just gonna be tourists, but they are going to end up being Philadelphians and Pennsylvanians."
Recent census data suggests the LGBTQ+ community has roughly $1.4 trillion in annual spending power in the United States. Visit Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Visitor Center, the operators of the new information hub, are hoping to bring more of these consumers to the city during its busy 2026.
The Philly Pride Visitor Center will be open Mondays through Thursdays from noon-6 p.m. It is currently recruiting volunteers and businesses to advertise their LGBTQ-friendly events.
Follow Kristin & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @kristin_hunt
| @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Have a news tip? Let us know.
