Best places for graduation photos in Allentown
Planning graduation photos in Allentown? These are the spots worth shortlisting, chosen for the light, the backdrop, and how easily a session comes together.
11 places to shoot graduation photos & videos in Allentown
Malcolm W. Gross Memorial Rose Garden
The paved paths through the rose garden run wide and flat enough to hold a whole crew of family trailing behind the cap and gown without anyone tripping over garden edging. Weekday mornings clear the tour groups out first, so the gazebo and the ponds stay free for whichever shot the group needs next.
For graduation photos: a campus-adjacent backdrop that reads academic.
West Park
The bandshell's symmetrical steps hold a whole extended family in one frame without anyone standing off to the side, and the walkways around it are wide enough for a group photo to actually line up straight. Weekday visits leave the lawn quiet enough that nobody has to wait for another family's turn at the steps.
For graduation photos: room for the cap toss and the reaction.
Muhlenberg College Campus
Once classes clear out for the weekend, the quad opens up enough to fit an entire extended family around the cap and gown without spilling onto a walkway. The stone buildings and the Haas College Center tower behind them put the actual campus in the frame, not just a generic lawn.
For graduation photos: a setting that suits regalia without competing with it.
Union Terrace
The lawns around the fountain give a group photo enough room to spread out in two full rows instead of squeezing into one. It sits close enough to downtown that a formal cap-and-gown portrait and a relaxed family shot both fit into the same short visit without driving between locations.
For graduation photos: space for family to gather after the solo frames.
Old Allentown Historic District
Ironwork and ornate cornices run along these rowhouse blocks in a way no campus lawn matches, real architectural detail to stand a cap and gown in front of without any extra styling. It suits a smaller group best, and weekday mornings before foot traffic starts keep the sidewalk clear enough to actually use it.
For graduation photos: clean architecture behind a gown and hood.
Lehigh Landing & America on Wheels Waterfront
The paved promenade runs flat and open the whole length of the plaza, room enough for a big graduating family to spread across it for a group shot with the river behind them. Weekday visits beat the queues that build for the America on Wheels museum next door, so the whole stretch stays available.
For graduation photos: somewhere the colours of the regalia stand out.
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Arts Walk & PPL Center District
The modern facades around the PPL Center put a cap and gown against glass and steel instead of another park lawn, though the alleys suit a smaller group better than a full extended family. Weekday mornings, before downtown fills in, keep the corridor open enough to actually use the space.
For graduation photos: room to move for the walking and turning shots.
Cedar Crest College & Curtis Arboretum
Brick academic buildings frame one end of campus and the sunken quarry garden anchors the other, so a group can move between a formal cap-and-gown shot and something looser without leaving campus. Commencement weekend itself books up fast here, so plan the actual photos for a quieter day before or after the ceremony.
For graduation photos: a backdrop that says where you studied.
Miller Symphony Hall
A sweeping staircase and plasterwork inside the restored lobby stand a cap and gown on marble instead of grass, though getting inside means arranging access around the performance calendar ahead of time. The street-side facade and marquee work as a fallback if the lobby is not available that day.
For graduation photos: open ground for a whole cohort of friends.
Allentown Art Museum
The plaza and facade outside put a cap and gown against clean downtown stone, and the atrium just inside is the fallback the moment weather threatens to cancel the outdoor half of the day. Weekday visits beat the queues that build on weekends, useful when a family is trying to fit photos around a ceremony schedule.
For graduation photos: light that holds up mid-ceremony-day timing.
Old Lehigh County Courthouse
Broad stone steps and a row of tall columns hold a cap and gown, and a whole family arranged around it, without needing any extra styling to make the shot look formal. Weekends and evenings run quieter than weekday court hours, better odds of working the steps without anyone heading in for actual court business.
For graduation photos: a spot close enough to reach between commitments.
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Shooting graduation photos in Allentown
It depends on the spot. Public streets and sidewalks usually don't, while many parks, gardens, and landmarks require a permit for professional sessions. Each location above notes what we found on permits — confirm the current rules and any fee with the venue or city before you book.
Golden hour — the hour after sunrise or before sunset — flatters almost every location, and each spot above lists the light that works best there. Early morning also means thinner crowds at the popular ones.
Snappr pricing is flat and set before you book, with no travel or editing surprises. Most sessions run one to two hours; you can see current rates and what each tier includes on the pricing page.
Pick your date and shoot type and we match you with a vetted local photographer who shoots in Allentown. Booking takes a couple of minutes, and you can reschedule for free if plans change.
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