SCA members and guests traveled to the Philadelphia area for a terrifyingly terrific 2018 tour! We joined the crowd at Blobfest, an annual festival commemorating the original 1958 camp classic, THE BLOB. We then headed west along the historic Lincoln Highway through Amish Country to the quirky Haines Shoe House. Our weekend wrapped up with a special SCA-exclusive tour of Philly’s best commercial architecture.
SCA @ BLOBFEST ORIGINAL PROMOTION
Friday, July 13, 6:15 – 10:30 p.m.
OPENING RECEPTION / THE BLOB ATTACKS!
We welcome you to Phoenixville, where the start of Blobfest festivities will begin! Enjoy an Irish dinner accompanied by adult beverages. Following our opening reception, we will join the Blobfest activities with a reenactment of the famous “running out” scene at the Colonial Theatre. There are other filming location nearby that we will try to see as well. We will meet at host hotel and load bus to arrive at the restaurant at 6:30.
SCA Member: $70 | Non-member: $115
Saturday, July 14, 9:00 – 10:30 p.m.
MOVIE SCREENING and LINCOLN HIGHWAY TOUR
Check out the tour guide here!
Today’s tour will start by re-joining Blobfest to see the titular film, “The Blob,” followed by lunch on your own in charming Phoenixville. We will then break from the festival to head west along the Lincoln Highway to the adorable Shoe House and top it off with an authentic Pennsylvania Dutch dinner in Lancaster County before heading back to King of Prussia. Don’t miss the shoofly pie!
SCA Member: $175 | Non-member: $220
Sunday July 15, 8:30 – 8:30 p.m.
PHILADELPHIA TOUR
We will head into Center City, stopping in West Philly for the new Neon Museum Display on Market Street. Lunch will be on your own at the famous Reading Terminal Market. We will do some short walking tours to include the PSFS building and the Hard Rock Cafe and later Termini Bakery and the 9th Street Italian Market area. Our closing reception will be at McGillin’s Olde Ale House, the oldest continuously operating pub in the city, first opened in 1860.
For those who wish to return earlier, thee King of Prussia 125 bus leaves from 13th and Market every hour and takes an hour.
SCA Member: $175 | Non-member: $220
LODGING
The SCA has reserved a block of rooms at the Best Western Plus The Inn at King of Prussia, located at 127 Gulph Road, King of Prussia. Double Queen rooms are offered at a special price of $119 plus tax. To secure your reservation at the special rate, call the hotel at (610) 265-4500 and identify yourself by the group name, Society for Commercial Archeology by June 15, 2018. Breakfast is included in the room rate (for up to 4 people).
TRAVEL
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is 23 miles away from the Best Western Plus, The Inn at King of Prussia. The hotel does not provide shuttle service but airport transportation is available. Mass transit info is at http://www.septa.org/service/bus/
CLIMATE
Summer is expected to be hotter and rainfall below normal this year in the Northeast. Average temperatures for July are 88/66 degrees. Please wear comfortable shoes, appropriate rain gear, sunscreen, and consider carrying a hat and water bottle on tour days.
THE SOCIETY FOR COMMERCIAL ARCHEOLOGY
is the nation’s oldest organization devoted to the buildings, artifacts, structures, signs, and symbols of the 20th-century commercial landscape. The SCA recognizes the historical significance the automobile has had in shaping our landscape and culture.
Please Note:
SPECIAL NEEDS/ACCESSIBILITY
If you have dietary, mobility or other special needs of which we need to be aware, please let us know as soon as possible. We will make every effort to accommodate there, however some event locations may not be fully accessible.
PROGRAM CHANGES
SCA reserves the right to alter the program as necessary in the event of unforeseen circumstances. Tour and bus seating are limited and offered on a first come-first served basis.