Philadelphia’s annual Flower Show is set to pack the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and SEPTA is making a not-so-subtle plea: leave the car at home and ride the rails. To handle the crowds, the agency is rolling out extra trains, pushing contactless taps and offering special ticket sales for visitors heading into Center City this weekend. Riders are also getting a reminder that SEPTA-owned surface lots and a handful of garages now come with daily parking fees, and that paying by app speeds up entry and helps avoid parking arguments. Coming in from the suburbs, visitors are urged to use Regional Rail to Jefferson Station or hop one of the nearby subway or bus stops to dodge Center City traffic.
SEPTA adds trains and sells discounted tickets
To meet Flower Show demand, SEPTA is running additional weekend Regional Rail service on the Lansdale/Doylestown and Paoli/Thorndale lines and selling Flower Show tickets at select stations to keep riders out of long box office lines, according to SEPTA. Adult tickets listed by the agency are $42 on weekdays and $53 on weekends, which is a slight discount that also avoids the $3 processing fee charged by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. SEPTA notes that Key Tix sales end March 2 and that existing Key Tix will be accepted through August 28. The agency is also pushing a short Facebook reel with station tips and transit options for Flower Show visitors.
How to get to the show
The Flower Show runs from Feb. 28 to March 8 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and features expanded vendor offerings and family programming this year. Organizers recommend arriving by Regional Rail into Jefferson Station or using Market-Frankford and Broad Street service, along with walking and bike options for nearby visitors, according to PHS. For those arriving on Amtrak, PHS notes that riders can transfer to eastbound SEPTA Regional Rail at 30th Street Station and ride two stops to Jefferson.
Contactless taps and free transfers
SEPTA now accepts contactless credit and debit cards as well as Apple, Google and Samsung Pay on buses, trolleys, subways and Regional Rail, and Express Mode on Apple devices allows riders to tap without unlocking their phone or watch, according to SEPTA. On bus and Metro trips, using the same contactless card or device provides up to two free transfers within 120 minutes, which can trim both time and costs for multi-leg journeys into Center City. Regional Rail customers are reminded to tap on and tap off so the system charges the correct zone fare.
Parking and timing tips
SEPTA reinstated daily parking fees last year, so the park-and-ride strategy is not as free as it used to be. Surface lots are now $2 per day and three garages carry a $4 daily rate, Metro Philadelphia reported. The paper notes that most SEPTA lots require payment by license plate through the SEPTA Park app, by text or at a kiosk, and many visitors find it easier to use commercial garages near the convention center. If you absolutely have to drive, aim to arrive early or consider parking at PPA garages downtown, or switching to Regional Rail, to avoid long lines and Center City congestion.
Where to board and what to expect
Expect bigger crowds on weekend dates, when ridership spikes and SEPTA runs extra service. The Inquirer recommends checking schedules before heading out. For Center City access, riders should look to Jefferson and Suburban stations on Regional Rail, Market-Frankford Line exits at 11th or 13th streets, Broad Street Line stops near City Hall and several bus routes that serve the convention center area. Build in extra time for ticket scanning, bag checks and crowded platforms during peak hours so the only drama you experience is floral.
To keep things smooth, plan ahead: buy your Flower Show ticket from SEPTA to skip the extra processing fee, use contactless taps for faster entry and transfer benefits on bus and Metro trips, and check system status or follow @SEPTA on X for last-minute detours or schedule updates. For service questions, riders can call SEPTA Customer Service at 215-580-7800.
