Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Midas Tümülüsü (Tumulus MM)
The Devil's Column
Weightlifting Hall of Fame
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Customize your bowl with sliced pork, pork balls, fish cake, and offal.
Rung Rueang
Pasties are an Upper Michigan tradition dating back to mining days.
Lehto’s Pasties
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
3 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
4 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
5 days ago
Cely’s map is not only accurate, but captures the unique characteristics of Congaree’s trees and waterways.
How One Biologist Drew a Hyper-Accurate, Ranger-Approved Map of Congaree National Park
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Pennsylvania Philadelphia 'We the Youth'

'We the Youth'

South Philadelphia is home to Keith Haring's only surviving in situ collaborative public mural.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Added By
Jordan St. Stier
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
“We the Youth.”   Rgs25/cc by-sa 3.0
“We the Youth.”   Rgs25/cc by-sa 3.0
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
“We the Youth.”   chrisinphilly5448/cc by-sa 2.0
‘We The Youth’   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
“We the Youth.”   chrisinphilly5448/cc by-sa 2.0
“We the Youth.”   chrisinphilly5448/cc by-sa 2.0
“We the Youth.”   chrisinphilly5448/cc by-sa 2.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Located in South Philly's Point Breeze Neighborhood, "We the Youth" is a mural created by 14 high school students (six from New York City, eight from Philadelphia) and the famous New York-based artist Keith Haring. It remains the only one of Haring's collaborative public murals still in situ, as well as the only collaborative mural by Haring that’s still intact.

“We the Youth” was created in 1987 to coincide with the bicentennial of the United States Constitution, and was Haring’s only artistic endeavor in Philadelphia. The location, a rowhome in what was a low-income neighborhood facing a vacant lot, was chosen in an effort to encourage development in the neighborhood.

The mural was never meant to be permanent. Thus, it has been restored multiple times, most notably in 2013, when the wall was repaired and the mural conserved in a process that took several months.

The mural, which is quite typical of Haring's style, features the artist’s trademark cartoon-like figures and bright colors. It is one of nearly 4,000 murals in Philadelphia (which has been dubbed the "Mural Capital of the World") and one of the most historically significant murals in the city. However, few mainstream Philadelphia tourism websites mention it, nor do many guidebooks.

Related Tags

Art Art History Public Art Street Art Murals Keith Haring Parks

Know Before You Go

"We the Youth" is located at the corner of 22nd and Ellsworth, facing westward. There is a public park in front of the mural where you can sit and observe the mural up close. However, the mural itself is private property, so please be careful and respectful. You can take as many pictures of the mural as you want, but do not disturb the residents or other park patrons.

Community Contributors

Added By

Brady Santoro

Edited By

Collector of Experiences, blimpcaptain

  • Collector of Experiences
  • blimpcaptain

Published

July 16, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-30-year-old-keith-haring-mural-meant
  • https://www.muralarts.org/artworks/we-the-youth/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_the_Youth_(Keith_Haring)
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Haring
'We the Youth'
Keith Haring Garden
2149 Ellsworth St
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19146
United States
39.938646, -75.180222
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Rosenbach of the Free Library of Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

The 'Dowager Empress' Crystal Ball

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

Penn Museum's Collection of Ancient Tweezers

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Places 75
Stories 40

Nearby Places

Rosenbach of the Free Library of Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

The 'Dowager Empress' Crystal Ball

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

Penn Museum's Collection of Ancient Tweezers

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Places 75
Stories 40

Related Places

  • San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

    Barrio de Guadalupe Street Art

    Colonial architecture meets urban art in this sprawling open-air gallery.

  • View from the cafe.

    Pisa, Italy

    'Tuttomondo'

    A local student's chance encounter with Keith Haring led to the creation of one of Europe's largest murals.

  • Detail of a mural.

    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Bukit Bintang Street Art Alleys

    Cartoon clouds and nature-inspired murals have transformed the streets of Kuala Lumpur.

  • May you rest in peace.

    Birmingham, England

    'A Life in the Year of the Chinchillas'

    The ceiling of this shopping arcade is adorned with six trompe-l’œil artworks, including a grim funeral scene.

  • Keith Haring’s ‘Crack is Wack’ mural

    New York, New York

    'Crack is Wack'

    In 1986, Keith Haring was arrested for painting this anti-drug mural on a Harlem handball court.

  • Hundreds of artists have painted on this wall.

    St. Louis, Missouri

    The Mural Mile (Floodwall)

    Hundreds of graffiti artists have decorated this flood-wall on the west bank of the Mississippi River.

  • The statue at the entrance.

    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Kwai Chai Hong

    An interactive back-alley mural project remembers the golden age of Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown.

  • View from southwestern corner.

    Cataño, Puerto Rico

    Pirámide de Cataño

    A former pyramid-shaped library with colorful murals lies just across the bay from Old San Juan.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.