'Philadelphia icon': Boathouse Row to go dark for 8 months for lighting system upgrade

PHILADELPHIA - The lights on the iconic Boathouse Row in Philadelphia are set to go dark for eight months for lighting system renovations, according to the City of Philadelphia's Department of Parks and Recreation. 

The city says the lights will go dark on March 20 and will be out for several months while the lighting system upgrades. 

According to city officials, the Fairmount Park Conservancy is partnering with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation to replace the system for $2.1 million. 

The lighting, introduced in 1979, has become an iconic stable along the Schuylkill River. 

The lights were last upgraded in 2016 and the city says the rising maintenance costs sparked the need for a full replacement. 

"Boathouse Row is a Philadelphia icon. We are grateful to the Schuylkill Navy and Fairmount Park Conservancy for working tirelessly to maintain this historic stretch of parkland, which holds so much significance to the rowing community locally and nationally," Mayor Jim Kenney said. 

The lighting is intended to return at the end of 2023 and, once complete, will have more than 6,000 individual LED lights with 16 million color combinations.