PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — After a parade down the Parkway Monday morning, the Philly Portal is officially out of LOVE Park and warming up to its new home at the City Hall Courtyard.
“I mean, I think that's kind of fitting for the Portal that's brought a lot of happiness. You know, why not give it a parade? We gave the Eagles a parade. We'll give the Portal a parade,” said Matty Monroe, who swung by to get a photo of the Portal before the procession.
The Portal was set to move from 16th Street and JFK Boulevard to the Parkway at 9 a.m., but a brief rain shower and power issues caused a slight delay. Once things cleared up, it made its way to the courtyard, where Joe Callahan, director of the Portal organization, says it will stay for at least the next year.
The 8-foot-tall circular art installation connects Philadelphia with cities around the globe through 24-hour video streams. It came to the city in October and closed in February after some vandalism incidents, but went back online in March.
Come next spring, Callahan says the Portal will move closer to Independence Hall. He added it will still be here when the city celebrates the nation’s 250th birthday in July 2026.