Philly is the only city to get two spots in USA Today’s ‘10 Best New Attractions’

Guests take photos under the “Weeping Willow” at Otherworld in Northeast Philadelphia.

I’m always happy to see Philly rank well on any positive list (and I will come after you if you rank us on negative ones), so I was excited to see we snagged two spots this year on USA Today’s list of the “10 Best New Attractions” of 2024.

Even better news is that we were the only city to appear twice on the list, which was compiled by a panel of experts and then voted on by readers. Thus, I request all other cities formally acknowledge and refer to us as “The Center of Attraction” for the remainder of the year.

Coming in far too low at number nine is the Franklin Institute’s new permanent exhibit, “Wondrous Space,” which debuted in November. USA Today said it “provides ample insight into the beauty of the cosmos” and is “packed full of interactive displays.”

As I noted in my review last year, it’s the first of six new permanent displays the museum has in store and it’s light years beyond the Franklin’s previous space exploration exhibit, “Space Command,” which was 20 years old.

Over two floors, the museum taps into the universal wonder we share for our universe and seeks to inspire the next generation of space researches and explorers. I particularly loved the interactives that allow you to become the center of gravity for a celestial body, design your own space suit, and plant a space garden.

An interactive exhibit allows visitors to design their own space suit and to see how much protection it would offer on different planets at the Franklin Institute’s “Wondrous Space” exhibit.

“It’s exciting to see Wondrous Space getting this national attention, especially within weeks of its launch,” Franklin Institute president and CEO Larry Dubinski said via email. “The fact that the public voted makes the recognition even more meaningful, and it gives us great momentum as we prepare to launch additional exhibits that are equally engaging later this year.”

Franklin Institute chief astronomer Derrick Pitts works an interactive display at the museum’s “Wondrous Space” exhibit.

At number seven on the list (which is also far too low) is Otherworld Philadelphia, an immersive art experience in an old Forman Mills in Northeast Philly. USA Today said it “boasts a dazzling array of eye-catching visuals within the City of Brotherly Love.”

Opened in August, the 40,000-square-foot, 55-room experience is a peculiar playground that transports visitors into a futuristic dystopia where the lines between fantasy and reality have become blurred.

More than 100 artists, including some Philly creators, worked together to make his alien landscape filled with easter eggs and secret tunnels where you can walk through an extraterrestrial’s mouth, play a video game that’s an entire room, and spin tunes at a DJ booth in front of imposing, cult-like figures.

As I said in my review when it opened, if Guillermo del Toro fell down the rabbit hole instead of Alice, Otherworld seems like what he might find.

“Having Otherworld Philadelphia recognized on the USA Today 10 Best List is an amazing testament to our team’s continued dedication to pushing the limits of immersive entertainment in Philly,” Otherworld Philadelphia’s general manager Chris Fitzpatrick said via email. “We can’t wait to show everyone what’s in store in 2024.”

Other attractions making the top 10 include the LEGO Discovery Center Washington, D.C. (which is actually in Springfield, Va.); the Alamo Exhibit at the Ralston Family Collections Center in San Antonio, Texas; and at number one, Little Plumeria Farms in Haleiwa, Hawaii.

While I’m glad to see us take two spots, I do wish they were higher on the list. But competing with palm trees, tropical flowers, and ocean vistas is pretty tough, even for a great city like Philly.

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