The Complete Guide to Group Transportation for the Mummers Parade (Philadelphia)

Every January 1st, Philadelphia pulls off something no other American city even attempts: a 10-hour, street-length spectacle that has been running continuously since 1901. The Mummers Parade stretches down Broad Street from City Hall to Washington Avenue — roughly a mile and a half of sequins, string bands, satirical Comics, and towering Fancy Brigade floats — while 100,000-plus spectators pack both curbs, every cross street fills with revelers, and the city essentially parks itself for the day. Then, when the last brigade clears the route, the party migrates four blocks east to Two Street for an after-party that runs until the early hours of the morning.

Getting a group to the Mummers Parade is not complicated, but it does require a plan. Broad Street closes to vehicles by 7 a.m., parking restrictions kick in as early as December 28, and every bus route running through Center City gets rerouted before 8:15 a.m. on parade day. If your group is coming in from Cherry Hill, Bensalem, Wilmington, or anywhere outside the immediate Center City area, the question isn't whether to drive — it's how to get everyone in together, get them positioned for a full day on Broad Street, and get them home after the Two Street celebration wraps up around midnight.

This guide covers all of it: what the parade actually is (including the five divisions most visitors never fully understand), where to stand, how the road closures actually unfold, where a charter bus can drop your group, and why a private Philadelphia party bus rental solves the New Year's Day logistics problem that no other option quite handles cleanly. Call 267-521-1350 for an all-inclusive quote, or keep reading for the full planning picture.

What the Mummers Parade Actually Is

Before getting into logistics, your group needs to understand what's actually on the street — because the Mummers Parade is not a single procession. It is a competitive, multi-division event with five distinct categories of performers, each with its own costumes, music, and judging criteria. The parade takes the better part of 10 hours because it's really five parades running consecutively.

The five divisions are:

• Comics. The parade traditionally opens with the Comics — sequined clowns and satirical characters, often carrying multi-tiered umbrellas, dancing to recordings of "Golden Slippers" and gently roasting current events. Many of the most memorable Mummers moments come from Comic clubs. They kick off around 9 a.m.
• Wench Brigades. An offshoot of the Comics, the Wench Brigades carry on specific traditions: the dress-and-bloomers suits, painted faces, decorated umbrellas, and live brass bands marching alongside the brigade. The tradition and the live music set them apart from the Comics immediately.
• Fancies. Elaborate, sequined costumes that rival the most extravagant Mardi Gras creations — no floats, no instruments, just the visual spectacle of extraordinary handmade outfits.
• String Bands. The most anticipated division for many. String Bands march the full route while performing original arrangements on banjos, saxophones, glockenspiels, and other instruments. They typically hit the middle sections of the route — Sansom Street, Pine Street, and Carpenter Street — in the early afternoon, and these are the performances most visitors come specifically to see.
• Fancy Brigades. The Fancy Brigades are the finale act of the parade and the most theatrical: dozens of club members in elaborate coordinated costumes performing Broadway-caliber choreographed routines. They also compete separately in a ticketed indoor show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center — the Fancy Brigade Finale at 11:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Tickets run $28 to $43 per person through the Philadelphia Visitor Center.

The parade has been running in its current organized form since 1901 — which makes the 2026 edition the 125th annual celebration. That history is on display at the Mummers Museum (1100 S. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147) in Pennsport, which happens to sit right in the middle of Two Street territory, and is worth a visit either before or after the parade if your group wants context for what they just watched.

The Route and the Best Places to Watch

The parade route runs south on Broad Street, beginning at City Hall (Broad and Market) and ending at Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia. That's roughly 15 blocks, and the experience of watching changes considerably depending on where you position yourself.

Three locations on the route function as performance and judging areas, where brigades and bands stop and perform their full routines for judges:

• Sansom Street (Broad & Sansom) — the most photographed spot, with City Hall visible in the background. Expect the deepest crowds here, sometimes four to five people back by noon when the String Bands arrive. The west side of Broad is preferable; the east lane is kept clear for emergency access.
• Pine Street (Broad & Pine) — slightly less packed and with more breathing room, while still catching the full performances. A better option for groups with children or anyone who wants space to move.
• Carpenter Street (Broad & Carpenter) — the furthest south of the three judging zones and the least crowded of the prime spots.

A practical note: gaps in the parade are normal and can run long. TV coverage, judging breaks, and the coordination of thousands of marchers across multiple divisions all create pauses. The insider move is to grab lunch at a restaurant in the Midtown Village area (east of Broad, roughly between Chestnut and South Streets, where dozens of restaurants and bars are open on New Year's Day), then return to Broad Street in time for the String Bands.

That timing typically puts you in position at Sansom or Pine Street in the early afternoon — right when the most anticipated performances are arriving.

There are also 20 wheelchair-accessible viewing seats available on 15th Street on a first-come basis, and accessible viewing areas at 701 and 901 Broad Street, per the City's official event announcement. If anyone in your group needs accessible positioning, plan to arrive early.

Road Closures and Parking Restrictions: The Full Picture

This is the section that catches first-timers off guard, because the Mummers Parade doesn't disrupt Center City on January 1st — it disrupts it starting December 26th. The City of Philadelphia begins staging equipment and establishing restrictions almost a full week before the parade itself, and the closures compound each day as the event approaches.

Here is the timeline, per the City's official announcement:

• December 26–27: Equipment staging on 15th Street begins.
• December 29–30: 15th Street closes southbound at JFK Boulevard; Market Street closes eastbound at 16th Street. Both restrictions run through January 2 at 7:00 a.m.
• December 31: Market Street closes between 15th and 21st Streets from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• January 1, beginning 2:00 a.m.: Temporary No Parking zones go into effect on Broad Street from Cherry Street to Ellsworth Street and on surrounding blocks including Juniper Street (JFK Boulevard to Penn Square). This is when street sweepers and parade infrastructure crews move in.
• January 1, 3:00 a.m.: 15th Street (Arch to Chestnut) and Market Street (15th to 21st) close completely.
• January 1, 7:00 a.m.: Broad Street closes to all vehicular traffic from South Penn Square to Washington Avenue. This is the hard cutoff. Any vehicle that has not cleared Broad Street by 7:00 a.m. is stuck.

For a group arriving from outside the city on January 1st, the practical implication is simple: any vehicle trying to approach Broad Street after 7:00 a.m. on parade day will not get through. All cross streets along the route are also closed while the parade is in progress — cars cannot cross Broad Street at any point between City Hall and Washington Avenue during the parade. The detour goes around the entire parade area.

Parking, even on the holiday when meters are free, is functionally unavailable near the route. The City's official guidance says to avoid double-parking and to park in garages outside the immediate parade area. Garages in Old City, around the Convention Center on 12th and Arch Streets, or near the Broad-Street-adjacent neighborhoods of Hawthorne and Graduate Hospital (south of Pine Street, west of Broad) are the realistic options.

But the walk from any available garage to a prime viewing spot is substantial, and the garages fill quickly.

The City encourages everyone to use public transit — specifically the SEPTA Broad Street and Market-Frankford Lines. That guidance is correct. But for a group coming from Cherry Hill, Wilmington, or Bensalem on New Year's morning, getting everyone to a SEPTA on-ramp is its own coordination problem, especially on a day when most of the region wants to sleep late and the buses are already on detour.

A Philadelphia bus rental that picks the group up at a single point and drops them at the designated commercial zone near the route solves that coordination problem in one call.

Where a Charter Bus Drops Off Your Group

This is the specific detail that makes or breaks a group trip to the Mummers Parade, and it's the one most transportation guides skip entirely.

There are two designated drop-off zones for rideshares, taxis, and private vehicles near the Mummers Parade route:

• 17th & Market Street — on the west side of Center City, roughly two blocks from Broad Street. This is the closer of the two drop-off zones for groups positioning themselves near the judging areas at Sansom or Pine Streets. From 17th and Market, your group walks east on Market, turns right on Broad, and is immediately in the heart of the parade corridor.
• Washington Avenue — at the south end of the route, near the parade's finish. This drop point works well for groups that want to see the southern judging areas or who plan to transition directly to the Two Street after-party, since Pennsport is just a short walk east of South Broad and Washington.

Broad Street itself is closed to vehicles from 7:00 a.m. onward, so no vehicle — including a charter bus — can travel the parade corridor on parade day. But the 17th and Market drop zone puts your group a two-block walk from Broad Street, steps from the densest crowd of vendors, viewing spots, and cross-street access to the route. Your bus drops the group at the curb and waits — and when the group is ready to head to Two Street or home, the bus is there.

One logistical move worth planning: because 15th Street closes southbound at JFK Boulevard starting December 29, and Market Street has its own closures active by the morning of January 1, the approach into the 17th and Market zone requires routing from the west or from the Ben Franklin Parkway corridor. We confirm the current approach for your pickup and drop date when you book — because the routing changes by day, and the plan that worked December 31 does not necessarily work January 1 at 8:00 a.m.

SEPTA and Transit Options for Groups

For the record, SEPTA's options are genuinely good for the Mummers Parade, and we'll tell you that plainly:

• Broad Street Line (BSL / Orange Line): Direct service to the parade route, with stops at City Hall, Walnut-Locust (near Pine Street), and Lombard-South (near the southern end of the route). On parade day, the Broad Street Line operates every 8–10 minutes from 8:00 a.m. through at least 6:00 p.m. It's the fastest way to penetrate the parade corridor, since it runs underground beneath Broad Street itself.
• Regional Rail: Arrives at Jefferson Station (10th and Market) or Suburban Station (16th and JFK), both within a walkable distance of Broad Street. A reliable option for groups coming from the suburbs along SEPTA's rail lines.
• PATCO High-Speed Line: The go-to option for South Jersey visitors, with a stop at 15th-16th and Locust — directly adjacent to the Pine Street judging area. For groups coming from Camden or Cherry Hill, PATCO is exceptionally well-positioned for the Mummers route.

The caveat: bus detours on parade day are significant. The following SEPTA bus routes are rerouted starting at 8:15 a.m. — Routes 4, 16, 17, 27, 31, 32, 33, 38, 44, 48, 62, 124, 125, B1 Owl, and L1 Owl — and bus Route 204 does not run at all. For groups that depend on bus connections to reach a rail station, check the SEPTA website for detour specifics before January 1.

So when is a charter bus the better answer? When your group is coming from somewhere that doesn't have easy rail access on New Year's morning — Wilmington, Trenton, Bensalem, or the areas of Cherry Hill not served by PATCO — or when the group is large enough that coordinating multiple households to a single transit station on New Year's Day becomes its own logistics problem. A Philadelphia charter bus picks everyone up at one point, drops them at the 17th and Market zone, and brings everyone home together after the Two Street celebration.

That's the value.

Two Street: The After-Party Your Group Needs to Know About

The official parade wraps around 7:00 p.m. Most first-time Mummers Parade visitors don't know what happens next, and most outsiders miss the best part of the day entirely.

After the final brigade clears Washington Avenue, the Mummers don't stop — they head four blocks east to South 2nd Street, known in Pennsport as "Two Street." The stretch between Washington Avenue and West Ritner Street, anchored by the Mummers Museum (1100 S. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147) and surrounded by Mummers clubhouses, transforms into an informal block party called the 2nd Street Strut. The official street party runs until 10:00 p.m.

Then it moves indoors at the clubhouses, local bars, and private homes — and goes until the early hours of the morning.

The Strut is essentially the parade's after-party without judges or cameras: Mummers still in costume, live music spilling out of clubhouses, the kind of neighborhood celebration that outsiders rarely get to see. For a group visiting Philadelphia specifically for the Mummers experience, leaving at 7:00 p.m. means missing the part of the day that Philadelphians stay for.

The logistics here are where a charter bus or party bus rental in Philadelphia earns its full value. Getting from the parade route on Broad Street to Two Street in Pennsport on foot is a 15-minute walk east through a neighborhood that has no regular transit service running through it on parade day. Getting from Two Street back to Cherry Hill, Bensalem, or Wilmington after midnight on January 1st — when rideshare surges hit their New Year's peak — is the coordination problem that ends the night on a sour note for groups without their own transportation.

Your bus waits nearby and comes back. The group stays until Two Street wraps up, climbs aboard, and gets home. That's the whole plan.

Choosing the Right Vehicle for Your Group

Not every Mummers group is the same size, and we offer a range of vehicles so you're not paying for seats you don't need. Here's how the fleet maps onto the most common Mummers trip configurations:

For a January 1st event that starts at 9:00 a.m. and ends sometime after midnight at Two Street, the onboard restroom on a full-size charter bus is not a minor amenity. It's one fewer thing to navigate in a neighborhood that's completely maxed out on January 1st. For a group of friends who want the party to start on the drive in — a New Year's Day Mummers trip that launches with toasts on the bus before the Comics even take the street — our 15- to 50-passenger party buses come with a built-in bar, color-changing LED lighting, and Bluetooth sound.

ADA-accessible vehicles are always available. Just let us know your needs when you book so we can have the right vehicle ready for your group.

What Does a Mummers Parade Bus Rental Cost?

There's no single number, because the quote is built from your specific group size, pickup location, and how many hours the vehicle is with your group on January 1st. The Mummers Parade is a full-day event — 9:00 a.m. parade start to midnight or later at Two Street — and the best way to book it is as a block of hours that covers the full arc of the day.

For reference: 14-passenger Sprinter limos run $170–$344/hour; 15–20 passenger party buses run $204–$378/hour; 20–30 passenger party buses run $244–$414/hour; 35–50 passenger party buses and minibuses run $294–$490/hour; and 40–56 passenger charter buses run $150–$300/hour. Pricing depends on the vehicle, the distance from your pickup point, and the date — and January 1st is a holiday, so New Year's Day availability moves fast. You will know the exact all-inclusive price before you ever book.

The per-person math is where this becomes obvious. Split the cost of a 40-passenger charter bus across 35 to 40 people and the per-head number is modest — for a group coming in from Wilmington or Bensalem, compare that to the alternative of coordinating multiple cars to a parking garage, paying garage rates, walking a mile to Broad Street, and then trying to arrange rideshares home after midnight on New Year's when surge pricing is at its annual peak. One bus, one pickup, one number.

Call 267-521-1350 for your quote, or use our online tool for instant availability.

Book Early: New Year's Day Has Its Own Supply Problem

January 1st is the single busiest day of the year for party bus and charter bus rentals nationwide. The combination of New Year's Eve bookings running into the morning and daytime Mummers Parade demand means the Philadelphia-area vehicle supply is under pressure from both ends. Groups that book in December get the right-sized vehicle at the right price.

Groups that call the week of the parade get whatever is left.

The math on this is real. The difference between booking in November and booking December 30th is not just availability — it's rate. When supply is thin, pricing moves.

A 50-person Mummers group that locks in a charter bus in October is paying the base rate; the same group calling December 28th is either paying a premium or splitting into uncomfortable compromises on vehicle size. Lock in your date as soon as your headcount is confirmed. Call 267-521-1350 now.

A Sample Day-of Timeline for Mummers Groups

Every group is different, but here's a realistic template for a group coming from the suburbs to see the full Mummers experience:

• 8:00 a.m. — Bus picks up from designated meeting point (a church lot, a hotel, a home with enough room for a bus to pull up). Broad Street is already closed. Approach via the Ben Franklin Parkway corridor or from the west toward 17th and Market.
• 8:30–8:45 a.m. — Drop-off at the 17th & Market commercial zone. Group walks two blocks east to Broad Street and positions near the Sansom Street or Pine Street judging area.
• 9:00 a.m. — Comics take the street. The parade is underway.
• 12:00–2:00 p.m. — String Bands reach the mid-route judging areas. This is the prime viewing window most attendees plan around.
• 2:00–4:00 p.m. — Group breaks for lunch at a restaurant or bar in Midtown Village (east of Broad, between Spruce and South Streets). Dozens of options are open and actively welcoming parade crowd traffic.
• 4:00–7:00 p.m. — Fancy Brigades and the final divisions complete the route. Group watches the finish at Washington Avenue or begins moving east toward Pennsport.
• 7:00 p.m.–midnight — Two Street Strut at South 2nd Street, Pennsport. Bus waits nearby and comes back for a pre-arranged pickup.
• Midnight–12:30 a.m. — Bus picks up from the Two Street area and heads back to suburban drop points.

This timeline works best when the pickup window at Two Street is set in advance — your group knows exactly where to meet the bus, and the bus is waiting nearby rather than trying to navigate in at the last minute. We set that pickup window when you book.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly does a charter bus drop off for the Mummers Parade?

The designated commercial drop-off zones near the Mummers Parade are at 17th & Market Street (the primary zone for groups viewing the judging areas at Sansom and Pine Streets) and at Washington Avenue (best for groups targeting the southern end of the route or planning to transition directly to Two Street). Broad Street itself is closed to all vehicular traffic from 7:00 a.m. onward on January 1st — no vehicle crosses or travels Broad Street during the parade. The 17th and Market zone puts your group a two-block walk from the parade route.

What time does Broad Street close for the Mummers Parade?

Broad Street closes to all vehicular traffic at 7:00 a.m. on January 1st, from South Penn Square to Washington Avenue. Parking restrictions and street closures in the surrounding blocks begin as early as December 26th. Do not plan on driving a vehicle through or across Broad Street on parade day after 7:00 a.m.

What are the five Mummers divisions?

The five divisions competing in the Mummers Parade are Comics (satirical characters opening the parade), Wench Brigades (continuing the traditional dress-and-bloomers suit with live brass bands), Fancies (elaborate sequined costume competition), String Bands (marching musical ensembles performing original arrangements on banjos, saxophones, and other instruments), and Fancy Brigades (theatrical, choreographed indoor-and-outdoor performers who also compete in the ticketed Fancy Brigade Finale at the Pennsylvania Convention Center).

What is the Two Street party after the parade?

After the parade concludes around 7:00 p.m., the celebration migrates to South 2nd Street ("Two Street") in the Pennsport neighborhood, between Washington Avenue and West Ritner Street. The official street party runs until 10:00 p.m. and continues informally at local clubhouses, restaurants, and bars well into the early morning hours. The Mummers Museum (1100 S. 2nd Street) sits at the center of this neighborhood.

Two Street is the part of the Mummers experience most outsiders miss, and it's where Philadelphians consider the actual celebration to peak.

Can I park near the Mummers Parade route?

Effectively, no. Temporary No Parking zones are in effect from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on January 1st on Broad Street from Cherry Street to Ellsworth Street and on surrounding blocks. Even where parking is technically available on the holiday (meters are off), spaces fill completely.

The City's official guidance is to use nearby parking garages outside the immediate parade area — options include garages around Old City and near the Convention Center on 12th and Arch — but the walk from any available garage to a prime viewing spot is significant. Using a bus rental that drops your group at the 17th and Market zone is far more direct.

What SEPTA options are available for the Mummers Parade?

The Broad Street Line (BSL/Orange Line) is the best transit option, running every 8–10 minutes on parade day with stops at City Hall, Walnut-Locust (near Pine Street), and Lombard-South. Regional Rail arrives at Jefferson Station (10th and Market) or Suburban Station (16th and JFK). PATCO serves South Jersey visitors with a stop at 15th-16th and Locust, adjacent to the Pine Street judging area.

Note: most SEPTA bus routes through Center City are detoured starting at 8:15 a.m. on January 1st — Routes 4, 16, 17, 27, 31, 32, 33, 38, 44, 48, 62, 124, 125, B1 Owl, and L1 Owl are all rerouted, and Route 204 does not run. Check the SEPTA website before parade day.

What is the Fancy Brigade Finale at the Pennsylvania Convention Center?

The Fancy Brigades also compete in a separate ticketed indoor show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107) on January 1st. There are two shows: 11:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., with tickets ranging from $28 to $43 per person. Tickets are available through the Philadelphia Visitor Center.

For a group that wants to see the full-Broadway production side of the Fancy Brigades — with floats, props, and full choreography performed in an arena setting — the Convention Center show is the venue for it. A bus rental that drops your group at 17th and Market in the morning can reposition to the Convention Center on 12th and Arch for a midday show, then return to Broad Street for the afternoon.

How far in advance should I book a bus for the Mummers Parade?

Book as soon as your headcount is confirmed — ideally by November or early December. January 1st is the busiest day of the year for group transportation, with New Year's Eve bookings running through the morning and Mummers Parade demand starting in the afternoon. Philadelphia-area charter buses and party buses book out early for this date.

Waiting until the last week of December means paying a premium or getting second-choice vehicles. Call 267-521-1350 the moment your group size is settled.

Can a group do both the parade and Two Street in one bus rental?

Yes — and this is exactly the configuration most Mummers groups book. The bus picks up in the morning, drops at 17th and Market for the parade, waits during the day, repositions to the Two Street area in the evening, and brings everyone home after the Strut. A block-of-hours booking covers the full arc.

We set the pickup windows at both ends when you book so there's no guessing about where the bus is or when it's coming — your group just watches the parade, celebrates on Two Street, and walks out to a waiting bus.

Book Your Mummers Parade Bus Rental Today

The Mummers Parade is a genuinely singular Philadelphia experience — a 10-hour, 125-year-old tradition that runs rain or shine every New Year's Day, capped by one of the best block parties in the city. Getting your group there together, positioned well for the String Bands, fed during the afternoon lull, and home after the Two Street Strut is a logistics job that a Philadelphia charter bus rental handles cleanly from one call.

Party Bus In Philadelphia gives your group access to the right vehicle for the size of your crew — from 14-passenger Sprinter limos to 56-passenger charter buses — with all-inclusive pricing in under 30 seconds. You will know the exact cost before you ever book. Call 267-521-1350 any time to get your Mummers Parade transportation locked in, or use our online tool for instant availability.

The best vehicles for January 1st go early. Don't let New Year's Day scheduling sort itself out at the last minute.

Sources & Last Verified

Road closure schedules, parking restrictions, SEPTA service changes, and venue details verified against official city and transit sources in June 2026. Parade logistics and event-specific figures may shift year to year — always confirm against the current official sources before January 1st.

• City of Philadelphia — 2026 Mummers Parade Road Closures and Parking Restrictions
• Philadelphia Mummers Parade — Visitor Transportation Information
• Philadelphia Mummers Parade — History of the Mummers
• SEPTA — New Year's Day Service and Mummers Bus Detours
• Philadelphia Visitor Center — Fancy Brigade Finale Tickets
• Mummers Museum — 1100 S. 2nd Street, Philadelphia
• Visit Philadelphia — Mummers Parade Guide