Top 5 Commencement Photo Spots on Drexel’s Campus

You’ve got your cap and gown, you’re going to get your degree, and you’re likely spending your last moments on campus as a Drexel University student. How do you share that experience with the people you’ve met along the way and the ones who cheered you on from afar?

If you’re looking to take photos of yourself on the University City Campus — with or without your cap and gown — there are a lot of places to go. Some are more obvious than others. Some are places you’ll probably see other people posing and posting from. And some may have more meaning for you than anywhere else on campus — for example, if you have photos from your early days at Drexel, try revisiting those places for a before-and-after shot.

Need inspiration? Want help with whittling down choices based on location and accessibility? Here’s a list of some of the most photogenic spots on Drexel’s campus to commemorate the end of your University experience.

The greenery inside the Rush Alumni Garden.

5. Rush Alumni Garden

3301 Lancaster Ave.

The private urban oasis hidden outside the Center for Black Culture on Lancaster Walk is one of the greenest, and quietest, spots on campus. There’s a fountain behind a polished stainless steel and black granite statue of a book (“Drexel Book,” created by Harold Kimmelman in 1986), as well as lots of greenery to pose in front of.

The view of the Philadelphia skyline from Drexel Park.

4. Drexel Park

3301 Powelton Ave.

It’s a little bit farther away from campus, but the views are unbeatable, It’s the best spot to get the Philly skyline in the background of your pictures!

Views from the Gateway Garden on 32nd and Market streets have flowers, the FMC and Cira Green and patio space.

3. Gateway Garden

Corner of 32^nd and Market streets

Look east and you have the heart of Drexel’s campus (and some Drexel flags). Look west and you have the Philadelphia skyline and a place-marking Drexel blue and gold bridge (if you angle it right). Look around the corner, to the farthest west part of the garden, and there’s a lovely neon blue accent wall for a plain backdrop.

Exterior and interior shots of Main Building.

2. Main Building

3141 Chestnut St.

The view from the grassy knoll outside the Gerri C. Lebow Hall on Market Street adds in little bit of everything from Perelman Plaza. If you want a more aerial shot with other Drexel buildings you might have spent time in, the patio on the second floor of Bossone Research Enterprise Center (accessible through staircases on Market Street and near its Perelman Plaza entrance, as well as indoors) shows in more of the surrounding area (facing away from Main Building has some big Drexel signage — just look at this story’s first image). Bonus: it’s likely less crowded.

Enter Main Building from Perelman Plaza and there’s an entranceway with Drexel’s name and logo that could make for a quick, clean background. Keep going, and there’s the grandeur of the marble staircase and the Great Court — complete with a newly decorated ceiling that probably wasn’t there for most of your Drexel experience — for interior shots.

The view of Mario the Magnificent with University Crossings in the background and an image of the 33rd Street SEPTA trolley portal.

1. Mario the Magnificent

Corner of 33^rd and Market streets

Of course, the #1 spot was going to be the Mario statue! It’s already a popular photo destination, and it’s going to be even busier around commencement. Time your visit to come during less foot-heavy times around various school and college ceremonies on campus — or even beforehand, since you have your regalia — and you should be able to get your shot.

Waiting for someone else to take their pictures before you can step in? The view from the side beautifully captures the Drexel logo on University Crossings, for a different look at Mario. And the SEPTA trolley stations bookending the statue have the Drexel logo and signage, plus beautiful flowers and trees.

Bonus photo spots that didn’t make the cut or aren’t on campus:

Korman Family Quad (pros: green, accessible. Cons: construction, heavy foot traffic).
Cira Green (pros: city skyline, green. Cons: off-campus, very windy).
Walnut Street Bridge (pros: city skyline. Cons: off-campus, situated with a populated sidewalk).
That shot of City Hall from Broad Street (pros: iconic backdrop. Cons: off-campus, in the middle of the street).
Make this more about you! What space has meaning to you on campus? Go back to the first place you lived or the building you took the most classes in.