Travel Information

2012 Conference on Ethnicity in the World of the Ancient Mediterranean

Travel to Penn's Campus

The conference will take place on the ground floor of Cohen Hall in the Terrace Room. Cohen Hall is located at 249 South 36th Street (just off of Locust Walk on 36th Street) on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.

Finding Cohen Hall (Campus map)

Start at the northwest corner of 34th and Spruce, walk up spruce street past Irvine Auditorium and Houston Hall. When you get to 36th Street make a right onto campus. Cohen Hall is the green building on right hand side with benches in the front.

Parking on Campus (Map)

There are several parking facilities located on or near campus, as well as metered street parking. Street parking spaces are usually limited to either 2 or 3 hours and cost $3.50 per hour. Some garages may charge a flat fee and prices vary. Please note that Penn does not validate parking. Penn is located in a city setting so please allow ample time to find parking and make your way to Cohen Hall. Recommended garages and lots:

  • HUP Patient Parking (34th & Spruce)
  • 34th and Chestnut Street (closed on Saturday);
  • South Street and Convention Avenue;
  • Penn Tower Hotel (34th and Civic Center Boulevard);
  • Sheraton Hotel (36th and Chestnut Streets);
  • 40th and Walnut Street;
  • 32nd and Walnut Street;
  • 38th and Walnut Street (please use the 38th Street entrance).

 

Directions to Campus:

From the Crowne Plaza Downtown:

Tart by heading north on N. 18th Street toward Commerce Avenue. Take the first left onto Commerce Avenue, then turn left onto N. 20th Street. Next take the first right onto Market Street. Then, turn left onto S. 34th Street. Finally, turn right onto Spruce Street. Cohen Hall will be on your right.

From all other directions:

By Car

From the Northeast via the New Jersey Turnpike South
Use Exit 4. Bear right out of the toll following signs to Philadelphia and Ben Franklin Bridge. After crossing the bridge take I-676 West, to I-76 East, the Schuylkill Expressway. Before this ramp merges onto I-76, take the 30th Street Station exit (345) which empties onto a one-way street that bends left becoming 30th Street. Go through one light (JFK Blvd.), then turn right onto Market Street. Proceed 4 blocks and turn left onto 34th Street. Entrance to a Penn public parking garage is about five blocks away on the right 34th and Spruce.

From the West via the Pennsylvania Turnpike
On the PA turnpike, use Exit 326, the Valley Forge Interchange. Take I-76 East for approximately 16 miles until Exit 345, a right lane exit marked 30th Street. The exit empties onto a one-way street that bends left becoming 30th Street. Go through one light (JFK Blvd.), then turn right onto Market Street. Proceed 4 blocks and turn left onto 34th Street. Entrance to a Penn public parking garage is about five blocks away on the right 34th and Spruce.

From the North via I-95 South
Use the I-676/Center City Philadelphia Exit. Follow signs to I-676 West, the Vine Street Expressway. Take I-676 West until I-76 East, the Schuylkill Expressway. Before this ramp merges onto I-76, take the 30th Street Station exit (345) which empties onto a one-way street that bends left becoming 30th Street. Go through one light (JFK Blvd.), then turn right onto Market Street. Proceed 4 blocks and turn left onto 34th Street. Entrance to a Penn public parking garage is about five blocks away on the right 34th and Spruce.

From the South via I-95 North
Use the I-676/Center City Philadelphia Exit which is approximately 7 miles north of the airport. Follow I-676 West, the Vine Street Expressway, until I-76 East, the Schuylkill Expressway. Before this ramp merges onto I-76, take the 30th Street Station exit (345) which empties onto a one-way street that bends left becoming 30th Street. Go through one light (JFK Blvd.), then turn right onto Market Street. Proceed 4 blocks and turn left onto 34th Street. Entrance to a Penn public parking garage is about five blocks away on the right 34th and Spruce.

Philadelphia Public Transportation

Philadelphia's mass transit system is SEPTA, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. SEPTA operates a coordinated system of bus, subway, elevated train, and trolley lines that covers all of Philadelphia and parts of the surrounding counties. Exact change ($2.00) or a token is required. Weekly and monthly SEPTA TransPasses are also available. Tokens are available at all subway stations, and both TransPasses and tokens can be purchased on campus at the Penn Book Store. Fares are subject to change.

From the Airport

The Philadelphia International Airport is located in the Southwest section of the city, approximately twenty minutes from the University of Pennsylvania campus.

Visitors driving from the airport should take I-95 North to the I-676/Center City Philadelphia exit, which is approximately seven miles North of the airport. Follow I-676 West (the Vine Street Expressway) until I-76 East (the Schuylkill Expressway). Before this ramp merges onto I-76, take the 30th Street Station exit (345) which empties onto a one-way street that bends left becoming 30th Street. Go through one light (JFK Blvd.), then turn right onto Market Street. Proceed 4 blocks and turn left onto 34th Street. Entrance to a Penn public parking garage is about five blocks away on the right 34th and Spruce.

Convenient train service from the airport to 30th Street Station is available through SEPTA's Airport Express Train which leaves every half-hour. The fare is $7.00 (subject to change), and the trip takes approximately twenty-five minutes. The University City Station is about a five minute walk west on Spruce Street to our campus. The 30th Street Station is about a fifteen-minute walk or $5 cab ride to campus.

A metered cab ride from the airport to campus generally costs $35, including the tip, and takes approximately 20 minutes.

The Penn Tower Hotel, located adjacent to the Penn Campus on 34th Street at Civic Center Boulevard, runs an airport shuttle that leaves from the baggage claim area every half hour. The ride is $8 (subject to change) and takes approximately twenty minutes.

From 30th Street Station

The campus can be reached from 30th Street Station by cab, on SEPTA's Green Line (to either 36th and Sansom Streets or 37th and Spruce Streets) or the Market-Frankford Line (to 34th and Market Streets), or by foot; 30th Street Station is a fifteen-minute walk from the heart of campus.

Train Service
Intercity rail service to Philadelphia's 30th Street Station is provided by Amtrak. Frequent service is offered to Northeastern cities including Boston, New York, Baltimore, and Washington.

 

While in Philadelphia (map):

The Crowne Plaza Downtown is situated in the heart of Center City Philadelphia and is surrounded by many fantastic places to eat and shop.

The Elephant and Castle Pup is located in the lobby of the hotel, but if you would like to venture out for a meal, here are some great options.

Rittenhouse Row, just four blocks south of Market is home to Rittenhouse Square, a beautiful park square with many shops and BYOBs.

  • The Apple Store (16th and Walnut)
  • Puma
  • The North Face
  • The Gap
  • Coach
  • L'Occitane
  • City Sports
  • Urban Outfitters
  • Anthropology
  • Ralph Lauren
  • Tiffany
  • Banana Republic