The annual November National Dog Show Weekend in Philadelphia is the least expensive major family attraction in the Delaware Valley, according to research by Temple University Sports Industry Research Center and the Kennel Club of Philadelphia.
A comparison with other popular events and venues such as the Philadelphia Flower Show, the Franklin Institute, Longwood Gardens and the Philadelphia Zoo establishes the Kennel Club of Philadelphia’s canine extravaganza as easily the most affordable. Tickets for the Saturday and Sunday November 16 – 17 event at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks are $20 for adults, $10 for kids 4-11 years old with children three-and-under admitted free. Parking at the Expo Center is also free.
For comparison, in 2024 the Philadelphia Flower Show charged $49.99 for adults, $35 for students ages 18-24, and $25 for children ages 5-17. At the Franklin Institute, tickets are $25 for adults and $21 for children ages 3-11. Longwood Gardens charges $32 for adults, $28 for seniors and college students and $17 for children ages 5-18. For admission to the Philadelphia Zoo, consumers pay $25 for ages 12 and up and $20 for ages 2-11.
The National Dog Show boasts the best family entertainment value in the region because the Kennel Club of Philadelphia is a nonprofit with the mission of educating the public about responsible pet parenting and the wonderfulness of dogs. That educational mission includes maintaining affordable price points, for consumers.
In two years of research commissioned by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia (KCP), Temple University students and members of its Sport Industry Research Center found that the average stay for a family at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center event was 3.5 hours, comparable to the time spent at other attractions or sports events.
“More and more, visitors come to Montgomery County from around the country because of the Thanksgiving Day broadcast on NBC. Montgomery County is the ultimate dog-friendly destination with 49 hotels, 44 restaurants and 11 parks,” said Mike Bowman, Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board President and CEO. “The Kennel Club of Philadelphia produces a great weekend of dog shows mid-November, and the hotels fill up every year, proving that dogs are great and dogs create tourism too!”
The dog show has been held in Philadelphia since 1879 and it has run continuously since 1933, moving to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks in 2009. Attendance reached over 15,000 in 2023 as the attraction emerged from the COVID constrained years.
“As a non-profit with the mission of educating the public about dogs, we take very seriously the need to maintain family-friendly ticket prices,” offered Wayne Ferguson, President of the KCP, “Our attraction is wonderfully unique since the dogs are on hand all weekend long at benches for people to meet them and interact with their owners, handlers and breeders so they can learn what kind of canine might be best-suited for their family.”
The National Dog Show is the only show in America this year that is a “benched” show, meaning that each of the 2,000-plus dogs are located on the Expo Center floor. It is one of the most prominent in the world, with its history dating back to the 1800s. Saturday’s show is broadcast nationally on Thanksgiving Day following the Macy’s Parade viewed by a total audience of over 20 million people every year from noon – 2 p.m. (NBC 10 regionally) in all time zones.
Photo – Stache, the Sealyham Terrier from the Philadelphia suburb of Cochranville in Chester County, strikes a pose after winning The National Dog Show Presented by Purina Best In Show last year at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks. (Steve Donahue/See Spot Run photo)
