kayak excursions

READY FOR ANOTHER SEASON ON THE WATER? WE OPEN IN JUNE

Kayaking at the Independence Seaport Museum is back for another year!  With reimagined destinations, each excursion offered is directly connected to one of our award-winning exhibits.  Your ticket provides you not only with certified guides and equipment but also access to explore the building either before or after your time on the water.  Keep reading to learn about each excursion and the exhibit it is inspired by. 

LEGENDARY REMAINS

Best Suited For: Intermediate Paddlers (6 Miles)

Cost: $75

Join our guides on a trip to the iconic Graffiti Pier to explore the history of Philadelphia's river wards. Pass the location of the Treaty Elm, take in the remains of Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company, and let your imagination put the "Port" back in Port Richmond. This excursion is best paired with the "Selections from the Collection" exhibit.
Tickets coming soon!

SHIPWRECKED!

Best Suited for Beginner Paddlers (3 Miles)

Cost: $65

How did the bottom of three giant sailboats end up shipwrecked at the water’s edge in South Philadelphia? Join our guides on a trip to the Three Sisters Shipwrecks to explore this wildly Philadelphian story of greed, corruption, curiosity, and fire during a beginner-level paddle on the Delaware River. This excursion is best paired with the "At the Water's Edge" exhibit.
TICKETS COMING SOON!

BLACKBEARD'S COVE

Best Suited For: Intermediate to Advanced Peddlers (5 Miles)

Cost: $75

Did the Queen Anne’s revenge really ravage the city of Philadelphia? Join our guides on a trip to local and legendary pirate camps to learn fact-from-fiction and explore the history of swashbuckling in the City of Brotherly Love. This excursion is best paired with the "Patriots and Pirates" exhibit.
tickets coming soon!

IT'S ALIVE!

Best Suited For: Advanced Peddlers (10 Miles)

Cost: $85

Did you know that 15 million people drink water from the Delaware River? Join our guides on a trip around Petty’s Island to explore the impact of the Clean Water Act, and leave empowered with easy steps you can take to improve the health of our watershed. Bring your own lunch for a picnic at Pyne Point Park. This excursion is best paired with the "River Alive!" exhibit.
tickets coming soon



new to kayaking? Join us for kayaking 101!

Want to get out on the water but unsure where to start?  Join us for Kayaking 101, where we will show you the ropes (or should we say paddle?) on how to kayak, all while staying in our protected boat basin.  Interested?  Check out the particulars below:

  • When: Summer Tuesdays 
  • Time: 2 – 8 PM
  • Price: $25 per boat (price includes a 1-hour-long boat basin rental) 

Quantity is limited, so reserve your spot early!

tickets coming soon!

Questions?

Check out our Kayaking Excursions FAQs here.

Paddling times depend on weather conditions, tides, experience, and guided stops. Return times are estimates. Please arrive 30 minutes early. We will be leaving promptly at departure time. Paddles may be canceled for inclement weather events, such as wind, excessive heat or excessive rain, and registered attendees will be notified ideally 12-24 hours beforehand.

Kayaking excursions at Independence Seaport Museum were financed in part by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnerships Program Environmental Stewardship Fund under the administration of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation administered through the Pennsylvania Environmental Council’s Pennsylvania Water Trails Partnership Mini Grant Program.

visit the seaport museum

Immerse yourself in award-winning and interactive exhibits and climb aboard the oldest floating steel warship in the world on Cruiser Olympia and submerge yourself aboard the World War II-era Submarine Becuna.

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