Date Ideas in Philadelphia

Hike Forbidden Drive through Wissahickon Valley Park, an easy trail that leads to Valley Green Inn for brunch and a waterfront view. Fall foliage adds to the scenery along the way. The park covers 2,000 acres and includes a covered bridge, while the inn has both indoor dining and heated outdoor seating.

Walk above the trees at Morris Arboretum & Gardens, a 92-acre Victorian arboretum in Chestnut Hill with a 450-foot canopy walk set 50 feet off the ground. Pack a picnic and stop by the 135-year-old Rose Garden while you are there. General admission lets you roam on your own, with tour times and events posted on the website.

For a date that gives you plenty to talk about, tour Eastern State Penitentiary, the Fairmount jail turned museum. Choose a self-guided audio tour or a guide-led tour and discussion when you buy tickets; admission also includes 14 art installations and stops such as Al Capone's cell and the historic synagogue. A typical visit takes about two hours. The site is open daily from 10am to 5pm and has no climate control, so dress for the weather.

Walk through Philadelphia's Magic Gardens on South Street, an outdoor space covered in mosaics with plenty to photograph together. Visits are timed and self-guided, and tickets often sell out, so book online ahead. The gardens are open Wednesday through Monday from 11am to 6pm and closed Tuesdays.

Turn Friday night into a museum date at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where DJ sets fill the Great Stair Hall from 5pm to 8:30pm on the first, third and fourth Friday of each month. The museum stays open until 8:45pm on Fridays and is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Look through the unusual medical collection at the Mutter Museum together, from bullet-splintered femurs to slices of Einstein's brain. The specimens give you plenty to react to as you move through the galleries. The museum is open Wednesday through Monday from 10am to 5pm, with Tuesday hours from 3pm to 8pm through October 27. Capacity is 50 guests per half hour, so advance tickets are recommended, especially on weekends.

Split a sundae or float at The Franklin Fountain, an old-time ice cream parlor and soda fountain in Old City. The menu runs through sundaes and splits, milk shakes, house sodas, ice cream sodas and baked goods, while the ice cream itself is made by hand on antique machines in old-timey flavors.

Go downstairs at Harp & Crown in Rittenhouse for Elbow Lane, the cocktail bar beneath the main restaurant with two bowling lanes. Walk-ins who get a lane can order cocktails and the full menu downstairs, so a few frames can easily turn into dinner and drinks.

Catch a comedy show at Punch Line Philly in Fishtown and start the night at the separate Callback Bar for food or drinks. The bar opens an hour before showroom doors, which themselves open an hour before showtime. Seats are first come, first served unless you buy preferred seating on most shows. The club is 21+, and every guest in the showroom must order two beverages, with non-alcoholic drinks counting toward the minimum.

Settle in for live jazz at Chris' Jazz Cafe, where music runs five nights a week in two sets at 7:30pm and 9pm. We'd start with the jambalaya from the Southern-influenced menu, then stay for the set. The cafe is closed Sundays and Mondays.