Murals of the Main Line

Spring is a special time on the Main Line. From elegant equestrian events to lively outdoor festivals and public gardens in bloom, this area beckons us to step outside and savor the season. Luckily enough, it’s also the perfect time to explore the Main Line’s flourishing art scene.

Beyond the galleries and exhibitions (see “Spring Art Gallery Roundup” in this issue), a growing collection of vibrant murals is transforming streets and public spaces into open-air exhibits. So, head out into the sunshine and make a day of it. We’ve mapped out a mural tour to guide you — from Malvern to Berwyn and Devon, ending in Ardmore — plus a preview of what’s coming next for your return trip.

indicates a photo is displayed

Malvern

Let’s start our mural tour in Malvern. Thanks to the Malvern Community Arts Project, the borough is home to six public art displays, including several murals around King Street.

• 

  Find the Art Project’s first mural on the side of Malvern Pizza & Beer (19 E. King St.). Painted by Carrie Kingsbury (2) of Promiseland Murals in 2013, the vivid mural depicts Victorian-era Malvern, featuring local landmarks like the First Baptist Church of Malvern and the Malvern train station, complete with a bright-red steam locomotive.

• Head next to the train station to see the second mural, painted by local artist Dennis Goldsborough (1) in 2013. Located on the back of Gallagher’s Auto Service (31 W. King St.), facing Warren Avenue, this massive mural juxtaposes Revolutionary soldiers marching into battle at Paoli with patriotic paradegoers at the Malvern Memorial Parade, plus the star-spangled banner as a backdrop.

• 

  The final mural is on the Warren Avenue side of Malvern Saddlery (1 E. King St.). This 2015 mural was also created by Carrie Kingsbury (3). This sepia-toned mural recreates a historic photo from the Malvern Historical Commission archives, featuring a horse and buggy traveling through the Warren Avenue tunnel. At the top of the mural, catch a glimpse of President Lincoln’s funeral train passing through — an imaginative addition to the original scene.

• Explore town for even more public art installations. On the side of the Bridge Street bridge, near the Flying Pig Saloon (121 E. King St.), look for “Malvern Today,” a series of vignettes depicting the iconic Burke Park gazebo throughout the seasons, painted by Great Valley High School students in 2014.
• Head to Malvern’s Borough Hall and the Public Library (1 E. 1st Ave.) for your last two stops. In the lobby, find a series of paintings celebrating Malvern’s 125th anniversary by local artist Randall Graham, anchored by two large scenes of King Street in 1889 and 2014.
• Then step inside the library’s kids’ room for a whimsical woodland mural. Painted by Terri Flint in 2013, this enchanted forest spans 360 degrees, inhabited by birds, owls, rabbits, squirrels and even a dragon with his nose — or, rather, snout — stuck in a book.

Berwyn & Devon

Next, head east to Berwyn and Devon, where a budding mural scene burst into full bloom last year — and continues to grow. Berwyn’s history of public art dates back to 2005, when Ernest and Leslie Eadeh, founders of property management company Eadeh Enterprises, commissioned a mural across from Clay’s Creative Corner Bakery. Painted by Philadelphia artist Carl Yoder, “Berwyn: A Historic Crossroad, Then and Now” depicted a turn-of-the-century parade scene, featuring both notable residents and historic Berwyn buildings.

By 2020, time had taken its toll on Yoder’s mural, so the Eadeh family chose Carrie Kingsbury (4) to create a new mural at the site (682 Lancaster Ave.). Kingsbury’s mural captures much of the same spirit as the original: 35 Berwyn residents watch a parade, a large American flag draped behind them, while Ernest Eadeh, who passed in 2010, looks on from above.

A year later, Carrie Kingsbury painted another mural in Berwyn, a sprawling scene featuring local businesses like Casey’s Pour House, KSM Architects and Jim Miller Inc. Located on the back of the Bronze Building (511 Old Lancaster Rd.), this massive mural runs alongside the Paoli-Thorndale line — and you’ll have to book a train ticket to see it in its entirety.

Inspired to do more, the Eadeh Enterprises team spearheaded Main Line Mural Arts (MLMA) and put out a call for art in April 2025. In the year since, MLMA has brought seven murals to life in Berwyn and Devon.

• 

  Heading east along Lancaster Avenue in Berwyn, the first mural you’ll see is a whimsical scene on the western wall of the Medi-Weightloss building (901 Lancaster Ave. #100). Painted by Phoenixville artist Laura Stockdale (5), the mural is inspired by the 1993 film “The Secret Garden.”

• 

  At the corner of Lancaster and Bridge Avenues, mixed-media artist Matina Shakir (6) is revamping the Town of Berwyn sign (742 Lancaster Ave.). Finishing this spring, Shakir is currently adorning the sign with a mosaic mural created with found objects from Berwyn.

• On the side of Lift Strength & Wellness (704 Lancaster Ave.), look for a striking mural by Berwyn’s own Casey Saccomanno (7). The mural transports you to a nighttime botanical garden, where jasmine, spotted orchids and ranunculus bloom under a starry sky.
• Then make your way to the parking garage next to Handel’s Ice Cream (573 E. Lancaster Ave.). David Gerbstadt, another Berwyn native, has brightened the garage with fun, vibrantly colored characters and a message of love.

• 

  Continue down the road to Smart Cents Cleaners (521 Lancaster Ave.). Inspired by a famous mural in Key West, Dan Scott Forreal’s (8) larger-than-life postcard is filled with Berwyn imagery and figurative Easter eggs — see if you can spot them all!

• 

  Last on Lancaster Avenue, head to Devon for your final stop. Across from the Devon Horse Show (105 Lancaster Ave.) is an equestrian mural by Philadelphia artist Alloyius Mcilwaine (9). The mural features a colorful, stained glass-like horse set on a background reminiscent of Devon blue. Look for hidden local imagery, positive messages and Mcilwaine’s signature “kudoglyphs” — abstract symbols representing promise and hope.

• 

  For more, keep your eyes peeled for painted electrical boxes by Girl Scout and Conestoga student Sarah Bernholdt (10). Find her painting of Pennsylvania artist Mary Cassatt at the Berwyn Shopping Center (564 Lancaster Ave.) and an American flag next to the Berwyn Veterans Monument (654 E. Lancaster Ave.).

Plus, stay tuned for more exciting projects from MLMA. A surrealist mural at Sage Catering (1000 Lancaster Ave.) by Philadelphia artist Ali M. Williams is being installed this spring. And artists are being selected for four new murals: a speakeasy-inspired mural on the side of Midtown Social (660 Lancaster Ave.), an interactive mural on the front of the Bronze Building (511 Old Lancaster Rd.), a mural honoring America’s 250th anniversary and veterans near the Devon Horse Show (105 Lancaster Ave.) and a mural on the side of New Republic Realty (1024 Lancaster Ave.).

Plans are also underway for MLMA’s biggest mural yet. MLMA is teaming up with the Tredyffrin-Easttown School District to bring a mural to the south-facing wall of 19 Waterloo Ave. The mural will tell the story of the Berwyn School Fight, a 1930s fight against school segregation, 20 years before Brown v. Board of Education banned segregation nationwide. Follow @MainLineMurals on Instagram for updates.

Ardmore

The last leg of our tour is in Ardmore, where a walk through downtown reveals a public art scene on the rise — with more on the horizon.

• 

  Start with a quick stop at Wawa (195 W. Lancaster Ave.). From the front, it looks like any other Wawa store. But check around the corner, along the wall facing Woodside Road, to find two murals depicting the Ardmore Train Station. Painted by local artist Alice Dustin (11), they were first installed at the old Ardmore Hobby Shop in 2001, then carefully preserved and reinstalled in 2017 as part of Wawa’s expansion.

• 

  Next, drop by Schauffele Plaza on the corner of Lancaster and Cricket Avenues. Then look down to find your next mural. “Birdsong” by Lehigh University professor Deirdre Murphy is a colorful sidewalk mural covering the entire plaza. Painted last fall as part of a revitalization project by the Friends of Schauffele Plaza, the mural illustrates the migration patterns of songbirds traversing the Atlantic Flyway.

• Just down the street (39 E. Lancaster Ave.), find “Daydream Garden,” a colorful floral mural painted by local artist Erica Harney (12) in 2024.

• 

  On the other side of the parking lot, check out large mural panels installed last year by DayDream Kreative Studios.

• Our final stop is Matus Windows (49 Lancaster Ave.). On the side of the building, across from Penny Wise Thrift Shop, find a mosaic mural by artist Jessica Gorlin Liddell (13). Completed in 2012, this whimsical depiction of Ardmore, with homes and businesses separated by the train line, is made of handmade tile pieces fired at Liddell’s Mt. Airy studio.

And more murals are in the works! The Downtown Ardmore District has teamed up with Sherry Tillman, owner of Past*Present*Future gift shop, to bring more public art to Ardmore. The Ardmore Mural Project will transform the alleyway connecting the SEPTA station to the historic commercial district, decorating the walls with 11 10’x10’ murals. A panel of judges is in the process of selecting artists for the first five murals from over 50 applicants from around the world. Stay tuned for updates.

In nearby Haverford, the Main Line Art Center is planning a mural for the front of their building to celebrate America’s Semiquincentennial. The theme is “A Celebration of Pennsylvania Artists: Past, Present and Future.” Expect to see inspiration from both historical and contemporary artists — and maybe even Pennsylvania Dutch and Lenape influences. The Art Center is currently selecting the artist, and the mural should be completed by this fall. Check their website and socials for updates.

The Main Line’s murals offer a fresh way to see familiar places, each one reflecting the people, history and stories that shape these communities. As new works appear and older ones are thoughtfully preserved, they’re a vibrant reminder that public art brings us together and thrives with our support. This spring, make time to seek them out — and keep an eye out for even more on the way.