The rowing scene in Philadelphia
Philadelphia is the historic heart of American rowing. Fifteen boathouses line Kelly Drive on the east bank of the Schuylkill River just north of the Philadelphia Museum of Art - Boathouse Row - and behind almost every door sits a senior club, a university programme or a school crew. The Schuylkill Navy, founded here in 1858, is the oldest amateur athletic governing body in the United States and still runs the calendar from Bachelors Barge Club at #6 up to Sedgeleys Turtle Rock Lighthouse at #15.
Key numbers
The Schuylkill River from the Fairmount Water Works upstream past East Falls is the most concentrated stretch of rowing water in America. The 2,000m sprint course and the longer head-race lanes are home to the Schuylkill Navy Regatta, the Independence Day Regatta, the Dad Vail (the largest collegiate regatta in North America by entries since 1953) and the Stotesbury Cup (the worlds oldest and largest high-school regatta, since 1927). Above the Strawberry Mansion Bridge the river opens out for distance training; below it, the Boathouse Row reach hosts the racing.
All 30 rowing clubs in Philadelphia
Sorted by founding year. Every entry links to the club's own website; we verified all URLs in May 2026. If you spot an error or your club is missing, let us know.
| Club | Founded | Location | Reach | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bachelors Barge Club
Boathouse #6, founded 1853 - the oldest continuously operating boathouse in the United States. Olympic medals in 1924, 1928 and 1932. |
1853 | #6 Boathouse Row, Kelly Drive, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | Senior community |
|
University Barge Club
Boathouse #7, founded 1854 - one of the original Schuylkill Navy clubs. Built its current boathouse alongside the Philadelphia Barge Club at #7-8 in 1871. |
1854 | #7 Boathouse Row, Kelly Drive, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | Senior community |
|
Undine Barge Club
Boathouse #13, founded 1856; both the boathouse (1882-83) and the clubhouse Castle Ringstetten upstream were designed by Frank Furness. Founding member of the Schuylkill Navy. |
1856 | #13 Boathouse Row, Kelly Drive, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | Senior community |
|
Malta Boat Club
Boathouse #9, founded 1860 on the Delaware before relocating to the Schuylkill. The Hewitt-designed third storey added in 1901 makes Malta the tallest building on the Row. |
1860 | #9 Boathouse Row, Kelly Drive, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | Senior community |
|
Pennsylvania Barge Club
Boathouse #4 (Hollenback House), founded 1861. Sent crews to the 1920, 1924, 1928 and 1932 Olympic Games; painter Thomas Eakins was associated with the club. |
1861 | #4 Boathouse Row, Kelly Drive, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | Senior community |
|
Vesper Boat Club
Boathouse #10, founded 1865 as the Washington Barge Club. The only US club to win Olympic gold in the eight three times (1900, 1904, 1964). Home club of John B. Kelly Sr. |
1865 | #10 Boathouse Row, Kelly Drive, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | Senior community / high-performance |
|
Crescent Boat Club
Boathouse #5, organised 1867. Shares a double boathouse with Pennsylvania Barge Club; long affiliated with Holy Family University rowing. |
1867 | #5 Boathouse Row, Kelly Drive, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | Senior community |
|
Penn Athletic Club Rowing Association (Penn AC)
Boathouse #12, founded 1871 as the West Philadelphia Boat Club. A perennial USRowing National Team feeder since John B. Kelly Sr. switched here from Vesper. |
1871 | #12 Boathouse Row, Kelly Drive, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | Senior community / high-performance |
|
College Boat Club of the University of Pennsylvania
Boathouse #11, established 1872 - the on-water home of the University of Pennsylvania mens, lightweight and womens rowing programmes. Joined the Schuylkill Navy in 1875. |
1872 | #11 Boathouse Row, Kelly Drive, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | University (Penn) |
|
University of Pennsylvania Mens Heavyweight Rowing
Penn Quakers heavyweight squad - one of the historic IRA programmes, boating from College Boat Club at Boathouse #11. |
1872 | College Boat Club, #11 Boathouse Row, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | University (NCAA / IRA) |
|
Fairmount Rowing Association
Boathouses #2 and #3 (merged 1945 after absorbing Quaker City Barge Club). National Register of Historic Places listed; affiliated with Episcopal Academy. |
1877 | #2-3 Boathouse Row, Kelly Drive, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | Senior community |
|
Sedgeley Club
Boathouse #15, the upstream end of the Row, founded 1897 as a womens social and athletic club. Operates the historic Turtle Rock Lighthouse adjoining the boathouse. |
1897 | #15 Boathouse Row, Kelly Drive, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | Senior community (womens) |
|
University of Pennsylvania Mens Lightweight Rowing
Penn Quakers lightweight squad competing in the EARC (Eastern Sprints) and IRA championships from College Boat Club. |
1908 | College Boat Club, #11 Boathouse Row, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | University (EARC) |
|
William Penn Charter School Crew
Inter-Ac League crew long affiliated with Undine Barge Club at Boathouse #13; multiple-time Stotesbury Cup winner. |
1928 | William Penn Charter School / Undine Barge Club, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | School |
|
Temple University Mens Rowing
Temple Owls mens varsity heavyweight programme, a regular Dad Vail and IRA contender that boats from the East Park Canoe House. |
1929 | East Park Canoe House, north of Boathouse Row, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (East Falls reach) | University (IRA / Dad Vail) |
|
Philadelphia Girls Rowing Club
Boathouse #14, founded 1938 - the oldest all-female rowing club in the world. The 1860 building (originally the Philadelphia Skating Club) is the oldest structure on the Row. |
1938 | #14 Boathouse Row, Kelly Drive, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | Senior community (womens) |
|
Drexel University Mens Rowing
Drexel Dragons mens varsity programme, long associated with Bachelors Barge Club. Multiple-time Dad Vail champion. |
1956 | Bachelors Barge Club, #6 Boathouse Row, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | University (CAA / Dad Vail) |
|
Saint Josephs University Mens Rowing
St Joes Hawks mens varsity rowing programme, a regular Dad Vail contender on the Schuylkill. |
1957 | Saint Josephs University Boathouse, near Boathouse Row, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | University (MAAC / Dad Vail) |
|
Villanova University Mens Rowing
Villanova Wildcats mens varsity rowing programme, a long-running Dad Vail contender from a Schuylkill base just outside Philadelphia. |
1958 | Boathouse Row area, Philadelphia (training out of Schuylkill) | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | University (MAAC / Dad Vail) |
|
La Salle University Mens Rowing
La Salle Explorers mens varsity rowing programme on the Schuylkill, racing in the MAAC and Dad Vail. |
1962 | East Park Canoe House, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (East Falls reach) | University (MAAC / Dad Vail) |
|
Episcopal Academy Crew
Inter-Ac League boys and girls crew, affiliated with Fairmount Rowing Association and a regular Stotesbury Cup contender. |
1971 | Episcopal Academy / Fairmount Rowing Association, #2-3 Boathouse Row, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | School |
|
Temple University Womens Rowing
Temple Owls womens varsity programme, the AAC member NCAA Division I squad on the Schuylkill, training from the East Park Canoe House upstream of Boathouse Row. |
1973 | East Park Canoe House, 1 Boathouse Row Drive (north of Boathouse Row), Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (East Falls reach) | University (American Athletic Conference / NCAA Division I) |
|
University of Pennsylvania Womens Rowing
Ivy League womens varsity programme rowing from College Boat Club at Boathouse #11; competes in the EAWRC Sprints and NCAA Championships. |
1976 | College Boat Club, #11 Boathouse Row, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | University (NCAA Division I) |
|
Villanova University Womens Rowing
Villanova Wildcats womens varsity programme in the Big East and NCAA Division I, training on the Schuylkill. |
1976 | Boathouse Row area, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | University (Big East / NCAA Division I) |
|
Lower Merion High School Crew
Lower Merion School District public high-school crew affiliated with Bachelors Barge Club, a regular Stotesbury Cup entrant. |
1980 | Bachelors Barge Club, #6 Boathouse Row, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | High school |
|
Saint Josephs University Womens Rowing
St Joes Hawks womens varsity programme; competes in the Atlantic 10 and Dad Vail Regatta from a Schuylkill base near Boathouse Row. |
1981 | Saint Josephs University Boathouse, near Boathouse Row, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | University (Atlantic 10 / NCAA Division I) |
|
Drexel University Womens Rowing
Drexel Dragons womens varsity programme competing in CAA and NCAA Division I, boating from Bachelors Barge Club. |
1985 | Bachelors Barge Club, #6 Boathouse Row, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | University (CAA / NCAA Division I) |
|
Conestoga High School Crew
Tredyffrin/Easttown public high-school crew based at Bachelors Barge Club; one of the largest Pennsylvania scholastic programmes. |
1985 | Bachelors Barge Club, #6 Boathouse Row, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | High school |
|
Haverford School Crew
Inter-Ac League boys school crew based at a Boathouse Row club; competes at Stotesbury and SRAA Nationals. |
1986 | The Haverford School, Haverford / Boathouse Row, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (Boathouse Row) | School (boys) |
|
La Salle University Womens Rowing
La Salle Explorers womens varsity programme competing in the Atlantic 10 and NCAA Division I; boats from the East Park Canoe House on the Schuylkill. |
1995 | East Park Canoe House, Philadelphia | Schuylkill River (East Falls reach) | University (Atlantic 10 / NCAA Division I) |
Major regattas in or near Philadelphia
Mid-May
Mid-May (worlds largest high-school regatta)
Early July
Mid-May
Selected years
Software for Philadelphia rowing clubs
Most of the 30 clubs above still run their boat booking, member admin, session attendance and crew lineups on a combination of spreadsheets, WhatsApp groups and printed sheets on the boathouse wall. Row HQ is rowing-club management software built specifically for clubs like these.
If your committee is hitting the predictable problems - lineups in the wrong file, fees uncollected, attendance unrecorded, captain on holiday with the password - book a 30-minute demo. We've ported clubs from spreadsheets in a weekend.
See Row HQ for your club
Free forever for clubs of up to 20 active members. No card needed.
Other rowing-club cities
Looking at the wider regional scene? Here are the other cities we have full directories for.
From the blog
If you're researching the rowing scene in Philadelphia as a club admin or captain, these are the most useful pieces we've written.