Join Hidden City as we tour a range of ghost signs from Washington Square West through Center City. We'll discuss the history of the businesses and buildings behind the faded ads, exploring signage as a window to the neighborhoods' commercial past: Piano Row on Chestnut Street, a concentration of print and publishing houses, Horn & Hardart Automat, and so much more.
"Ghost Signs" are faded and often forgotten business and advertisement signs, usually found on the front or sides of buildings. The effects of decades of weather, neglect, and cover-up attempts have diminished their eye-catching glow, but they reveal generations of a building's history and fascinating stories of our city.
Meet at the northwest corner of St James St & West Washington Square.
Tour guide Jordan Keiffer has been documenting Philadelphia's ghost signs on the Instagram page @phillyghostsigns since 2019. His goal is to connect people to the forgotten stories of these faded signs through historic narratives and supplemental images. His work was featured in a special exhibition on ghost signs at the Neon Museum of Philadelphia in 2021. A native of Montgomery County, PA, Keiffer is a proud Temple University alum. He enjoys long runs and bike rides through the city that allow him to periodically check in on ghost signs.
If you are a Hidden City Member, don't forget to use your promo code for a member discount!
Questions, concerns, conundrums? Contact Hidden City project coordinator Alyssa Shea at ashea@hiddencityphila.org.
