Here’s How to Get to “Sea Monsters HERE” at the Navy Yard

Sea Monsters HERE is on display through November 16th. | Photo courtesy of Group X

There’s a brand-new, unbelievably huge and enchantingly bizarre exhibit at the Navy Yard — and you should go see it as soon as possible.

The installation, Sea Monsters HERE, brings massive purple, green and blue inflatable tentacles to a rusting industrial building in the South Philly waterfront business campus. The tentacles crawl out of the structure’s windows and reach from the roof to the sky — and when the wind blows, it looks like they’re actually alive.

The installation, which is on display through November 16th, is the result of a collaboration between the Navy Yard, international artists Filthy Luker and Pedro Estrellas, and the anonymous Philly-based artist and curator coalition Group X.

It’s the largest scale art installation that I can remember in Philly (I mean, even people flying in and out of the PHL airport can see it), and it’s definitely worth a quick ride, drive or walk to check it out. (Be honest: You’re dying to put a photo on Instagram.)

Photo courtesy of Group X

Sea Monsters HERE is free and open to the public for viewing during the Navy Yard’s public hours: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. If you’re wondering how to get there (never been to the Navy Yard?), we’ve got you covered. (Plus, while you’re there, consider checking out the rest of what the Navy Yard has to offer. Tall ships! River views! Cafes! Here’s a visitors’ guide.)

By Car

Sea Monsters HERE is located at Building 611 in the Navy Yard. Unfortunately, “Building 611” doesn’t come up on Google Maps (yet). But you can have your GPS take you to the entrance of the Navy Yard, located at the intersection of South Broad Street and League Island Boulevard. (It’s basically as far south as you can go on Broad Street.)

From there, head past the gate and continue south on Broad Street until you hit Flagship Avenue (the second-to-last street before the Delaware River). Make a left on Flagship Avenue, and you’ll see the giant exhibit about a block away, at the corner of Flagship Avenue and 13th Street.

The best part? You can park right there! Street parking nearby is free.

Here are coordinates for the exhibit, if you want to put them in your GPS and it make the whole process easier.

By Subway, Bus or Shuttle

You have a few options for taking public transportation to Sea Monsters HERE.

First, the Broad Street Line will get you pretty close to the Navy Yard via its southernmost stop, NRG Station (formerly known as AT&T Station, formerly formerly known as Pattison Avenue Station). From there, you’ve got about a 10-minute walk to the Navy Yard and then a 15-minute walk to the exhibit. Just head south on Broad Street — preferably on the west side of the street (the southbound direction), where the sidewalk is much safer, and then turn left on Flagship Avenue.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to walk that far, you can take the Navy Yard shuttle from the Navy Yard gate at Broad Street to get you a lot closer to Building 611. Just get off at either 12th Street and Kitty Hawk Avenue or Broad Street and Kitty Hawk Avenue. Here’s a schedule.

Last but not least, if you’re looking to go to Sea Monsters HERE from Center City, you can take a Navy Yard shuttle from a stop at 10th Street between Market and Filbert streets. It’ll take you south on I-95, then into the Navy Yard, where you can get off at either of the stops mentioned above. (Here’s the schedule for that shuttle.)

Photo by Claire Sasko

By Bike

By now, you can probably see where this is going. If you’re biking to Sea Monsters HERE, make your way to the entrance of the Navy Yard, cruise on through, continue south on Broad, then turn left on Flagship Avenue, and you’ll find the installation at 13th and Flagship Avenue. Tada!

Photo by Claire Sasko