Join us for a series of all-levels paced guided bike rides to see some of the artist designed bird houses known as "Meadow Mansions" which were installed around the park during the summer of 2017. Free for members and $10 for non-members. Learn more about becoming a member here. Please make sure your ticket date corresponds to the East or West Park tour.
Saturday, June 30 - East Park - 5 miles
Saturday, Sept 30 - West Park - 9 miles
Sunday, October 28 - East Park - 5 miles
Note: The Oct. 28 ride was originally scheduled for Oct. 21. Please contact [email protected] if you already registered and can no longer attend the Oct. 28 ride.
Included with your tour is a map of the Meadow Mansions for you to take home.
Both tours depart from Lloyd Hall located at 1 Boathouse Row.
Bike rentals may be available from Wheel Fun Rentals there (please confirm in advance) - or you can bring your own bike or borrow one from Indego. Please wear a helmet, dress in layers, and bring water and a snack!
To reserve your ticket, click here.
Tickets are free for members of Fairmount Park Conservancy and $10 for non-members. Learn more about membership here.
In the event of weather related cancellation, refunds will be issued to ticket purchasers.
Meadow Mansions in East Park - 5 miles
1. Carolina wren (Wrent Stabilized by Cassandra Raihl). This dual bird house (made for birds who often sing duets together) is hanging from the eaves of the out building behind Lemon Hill Mansion.
2. Carolina chickadee (Gone Unnoticed by Jesse Harrod). This blue-hued cedar-shingled bird house is installed in Mount Pleasant Meadow, just southeast of Mount Pleasant Mansion.
3. Tree swallow (Real Tree by Kaitlin Pomerantz). These bird houses made of painted dried pear gourds can be found at the Boxers’ Trail, at the intersection of Reservoir Drive and Randolph Drive.
4. Mourning dove (Nothing here but a pile of boxes by Lucia Thomé).This playful bird house is on the second floor porch of the playhouse at Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse.
5. American kestrel (Kestrel Birdhouse by Claes Gabriel). This brightly-hued bird house is installed in Cliff’s Meadow, in the trees near the ruins of the Cliffs, a former country house. The meadow is accessible from Sedgley Woods Disc Golf Course – take the grass path back through the course and into the meadow.
Meadow Mansions in West Park - 9 miles
6. Tree swallow (Habitat lost, and gained by John Heron). This bird house made of recycled construction materials is in Warner Creek, just off of Sweetbriar Lane, and visible from the Centennial 5K Loop.
7. Wood duck (Go Nest, Young Duck [Manifest Nestiny] by Emily Bunker). This teak bird house, inspired by the Shofuso Japanese House, can be found (naturally) at the pond at the Shofuso Japanese Garden, visible from Horticultural Drive.
8. Carolina parakeet (Protector [for Extinct Carolina Parakeets and Others] by Jenny Kendler). This bird house, a reminder of an extinct species and of those whose populations are in decline, is at the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center, in the greenery at the back of the greenhouse.
9. Tree swallow and Eastern bluebird (Nested by Mallary Johnson). This pair of houses, made for compatible bird species, is in the Belmont Mansion Meadow, off of Belmont Mansion Drive (near the parking lot at Army Road).
10. Barred owl ([B.D.I.S.] Beacon, Defensive Improved Shelter by Mark C Martinez). This bright, mixed-material bird house is tucked away near the lower tip of Bittersweet Meadow. This is accessible from Wynnefield Avenue near Belmont Avenue.
11. American kestrel (Tree Crystal by Charlyn Griffith & Sam Spetner).This geometric cedar bird house is installed in Greenland Drive Meadow, near the intersection of Greenland Drive and West Ford Road.
12. Wood duck (Comeback Home by Aislinn Pentecost-Farren). This house made of found materials is on the Schuylkill River Trail near Martin Luther King Jr Drive. It’s visible from the parking lot across from Peters Island and close to the Bill Pickett Riding Academy.
