Parking along the Schuylkill is organized by the PSRA as follows:

 

Parking Passes

Parking on Kelly Drive requires a parking pass provided by the PSRA. A portion of the parking passes will be allocated to regatta staff, referees, and permanent volunteers (those who agree to volunteer EVERY week).

 

The remaining passes have been allocated to the PSRA permanent and associate member schools in proportion to the size of each program. Each program has been notified of the number of passes available to them.

 

Parking Passes will be collected at the gate for one-time entrance. There is no longer in/out permission.

 

If you have a parking pass: 

 

- Diagonal Parking is permitted on the river side of the drive only. 

- Do not park on the grass. 
- Do not park on the opposite side of the drive. 
- Do not parallel park. 
- Do not leave your car parked on Kelly Drive beyond one hour after the last race.

 

All of these actions will result in parking tickets or towing of your vehicle.

 

Handicapped Parking:

Spaces are reserved for those cars with handicapped tags near the Grandstands. A handicapped vehicle must have BOTH a PSRA parking pass and a handicapped tag to enter the Drive.

 

Who does NOT need a pass:

- Boat trailers and the towing vehicle 
- School buses – must park south of the Columbia Bridge 
- School vans – must park south of the Columbia Bridge

 

Trailers towed to a race with food stuffs, tents etc will only be admitted to the event if pulled by a vehicle with a pass. Two parking passes will be needed for these food trailers and their towing vehicles because they take up two parking spaces.

Golf cart transports are available at the entrance to assist in the movement of items to parent tents.

 

Buses should drop rowers off and then proceed up to paid parking where they can park at no charge or park on the non-river side of the drive past Columbia Bridge. All boat trailers must be parked in the Gillin Boathouse lot near Strawberry Mansion Bridge. Volunteers will be there to assist in the parking.

 

Spectator parking

Kelly Drive will be closed at the point of Saint Joseph’s Boathouse during regatta weekends. You can drop your rower off at that point. You will immediately be detoured to the left before the start line of the racecourse. Just follow the detour signs - they will have you go through Fairmount Park and between athletic fields and historic mansions, and parking will be available there. In spring 2024 the parking fee was $20.00 (cash).

 

From there, you can either take the shuttle (ask the parking attendant where to pick up) or walk down the road or various pathways to the river. (Warning: the pathways can be a little treacherous, steep and slippery. Don't take the pathway unless you're a confident walker.) It is very rigorous terrain with steep hills and potentially slippery conditions.

 

PSRA has contracted with a bus company to provide a shuttle from the parking lots to the Canoe Club and the Grand Stands. Buses are anticipated to run every 15-25 minutes (depending on traffic) from approximately 8 a.m. until sometime after the last race.