Reading Terminal Market Celebrates 133 Years in Philly
133 years later, Reading Terminal Market remains a central, historic public market in Philadelphia, occupying approximately 78,000 square feet. Today, the it remains an indelible part of Philadelphia’s cityscape. The…
133 years later, Reading Terminal Market remains a central, historic public market in Philadelphia, occupying approximately 78,000 square feet. Today, the it remains an indelible part of Philadelphia's cityscape.
The market differentiates itself from generic food halls by prioritizing owner-operators over franchises and maintaining high-quality purveyors. They include butchers, fishmongers, produce vendors, and ethnic offerings, numbering about 80 family-owned businesses today.
Beyond food, the market offers crafts, jewelry, books, clothing, and beverages, illustrating its role as a broad, community-focused marketplace.
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"We've been feeding Philadelphia for that entire time," said Annie Allman, the general manager and CEO of the Reading Terminal Market Corp, in a statement shared with CBS Philadelphia. "If you look at history, it's everything from going through the Depression, going through World Wars, the market has always been there."
CBS Philadelphia spoke with Yvonne Brown-Whyatt, who grew up in the city and recalls hearing about the Reading Terminal Market. Today, Brown-Whyatt works at the market.
"When I was a kid, we grew up knowing about the Reading Terminal. My mother couldn't afford it back in the day. We went to the Italian Market," Brown-Whyatt said. "When I got older, I promised myself I would start coming here shopping. Now I work here. … This is a great place to be, to work, and you meet people in here from all around the world."
Its central location near Jefferson Station, City Hall, and major transit lines keeps the market deeply integrated into the fabric of the city.
"Reading Terminal is unique compared to a lot of other places that do similar things like this, just because of the history that was here," said Matthew Moskovitz, who lives in Fairmount, in a statement shared with CBS Philadelphia. "This was the Reading Terminal of the Reading Railroad. This is almost a relic of a different era, from where trains were on top and farmers, they would ship their produce into here. And it wasn't just farmers. This was almost like 30th Street Station before it was really 30th Street."
The Reading Terminal Market is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
