The Comcast Holiday Spectacular is such an amazing attraction to check out for the whole family. It features a very high resolution LED video with beautiful holiday scenes and images which feature so many iconic areas in Philly. This free show is located at 1701 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19103, and you will be able to see it right as you walk into the Comcast Center.

The lobby area where you enter is a decent size, and even with a crowd, it should be fairly easy to find standing room. This year, in 2023, the show is about 15 minutes in length, and it runs every day at the top of the hour from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Thanksgiving to New Years Day. They will also have a sensory-friendly show which will run daily at 2:30 p.m.

As you walk up to the Comcast Center, you will see the side walk area is decorated very nicely for the season, and we were impressed with how the trees were glimmering right outside of it. Even though it is a corporate business building, it has a whimsical fairy like feel during the holidays. I think that this is a really great spot to check out for people of all ages, and the video truly captures all the emotions and celebrations of this time of year.

After you check out the Holiday Spectacular Show, a couple blocks away, at 1800 Arch Street, you will find The Universal Sphere at the Comcast Technology Center. The Universal Sphere is the creation of Steven Spielburg, DreamWorks Animation, Universal Parks & Resorts, and also the Comcast Labs. Their current feature “The Power of I” is presented in the dome theater, which is on the second level of the Comcast Lobby. (We just used the escalator to get to it.)

This unique experience is service-animal and wheelchair accessible. They also offer closed captioning and descriptive audio devices which are available in either English or Spanish. In addition to that, they also have audio listening devices that provide Mandarin Chinese and Spanish in full translations which is really amazing and inclusive. This facility is a Certified Autism Center, and they provide detailed information on various areas of the building before you visit. (I will link their page at the bottom of this post.)

For the Universal Sphere, it is a free show, however, please make a note that you will have to reserve your spot ahead of time before your visit. This is really easy to do, and the day we went, we made it several hours before going. You can expect to be there for about 15 minutes, and the show runs Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The last show of the day is at 7:45 p.m. These are the extended holiday times, and during other times of the year, it is usually open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

As my husband and I saw the Universal Sphere for the first time, we were really amazed at how big it is! It stands at 34 feet (about 10.4 meters) and is 39 feet wide (about 11.9 meters.) I thought is was super cool how the door opened to go inside of it too! (As a side note, video is not allowed inside of the sphere.) We were really impressed with the experience of watching the mini movie in this out of the world type object. Once you are seated in it, the seats do get tiled back a little to get a great perspective and immersive effect. The video they featured was very encouraging and motivational, and I believe this would be a great activity for people of all ages to check out and enjoy.

If you are traveling to, or live in the Philadelphia area, these are some really great places that you will want to check out during the holiday season! Let me know in the comments if you have ever traveled to these shows as well, and what you thought of them. I hope that you are having a wonderful day, and remember to click the like and subscribe button!

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NortheastAllie

For generations, my family has lived in the Philadelphia area, and my writing reflects these influences. This blog explores perspectives on life, encouragement, travel, health, and local living.

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