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The charm of Philadelphia is that it is a charming, walkable big city with a small-town feel. Sited between two glorious rivers—the Delaware and the Schuylkill—two miles apart in center city, Philadelphia offers an incredible array of antiques shops and art galleries.

Visitors might wish to start in the historic district, on Philadelphia’s east end, with its inspiring, historic landmarks, which include Independence Hall, the new Liberty Bell Pavilion and the new National Constitution Center.

While here, don’t miss Old City, where many industrial buildings have been converted to residential apartments and artists’ lofts. This area is enjoying a renaissance with restaurants, cultural attractions and more than 40 art galleries all within close proximity of one another. Old City is bounded by Chestnut and Vine streets, and Front and Fifth streets. On the first Friday of every month, most galleries host a variety of receptions and openings—events that usually draw thousands of visitors.

One of the city’s art-scene pioneers was Robert Aibel, who opened his Moderne Gallery, 111 North Third Street, in 1984. “We specialize in vintage work from the American craft/studio furniture movement, including Nakashima, Esherick, Maloof, Castle, Roth, among others,” Aibel says. His 16,000-square-foot warehouse-like building is filled with a stunning variety of French and American Art Deco, French 1940’s and ’50’s furniture, lighting and decorative arts. Of note is a handsome pedestal by George Nakashima for $11,500 and a Wharton Esherick chair for $19,500.

The Snyderman Gallery/The Works Gallery, at 303 Cherry Street, specialize in contemporary visual arts, paintings, jewelry, ceramics, glass, fiber arts and studio furniture. “This month, we’re featuring ‘Works on/Works of Paper,’ with artists such as Mary Prince, Pat Boyer, Inez Storer and Tsuguo Tanai,” notes co-owner Rick Snyderman. Downstairs in The Works Gallery, explore distinctive ceramic sculpture by Karen Shapiro, whose pieces range from $200 to $2,000.

Wexler Gallery, 201 North Third Street, is a glorious two-story space filled with creative, imaginative and distinctive objects, merging the worlds of studio art, furniture and art glass, such as Dale Chihuly’s “Iris Gold Seafoam Set with Black Walnut Lip Wraps” ($28,000). This month, owner Lewis Wexler features “The Academy Timbers Project” by Thomas Hucker and Kalle Fauset. The premise of this exhibition is to display furniture built from the roof beams of Philadelphia’s famed Academy of Music, which underwent restoration last year. The timbers, now 150 years old, show their age with a rare patina and stability.

A few blocks to the southwest stretches Antiques Row. Philadelphians and art lovers have long raved about this antiques heaven on Pine Street, where blocks of antiques shops mix with upscale, smart art galleries. Among the long-established shops is M. Finkel & Daughter, 936 Pine Street, which was founded in 1947 by Morris Finkel who specialized in American and English period furniture. Daughter Amy joined him in 1975 with her special interest: historic sampling and needlework. Today, the Finkels are among the preeminent quilt dealers in America. Representative of their quality quilts is a silk-on-linen Philadelphia sampler, created by 9-year-old Sarah Taylor and dated 1807—a splendid example of this genre.