Best Tattoo Shops in Philadelphia (Checked 2026)
This list was written in 2016 and has been checked shop by shop in September 2026. Philadelphia has one of the deepest tattoo histories in the country - the oldest shop on this page opened in 1952 - and the trade here is concentrated in a few walkable neighbourhoods: Old City, Fishtown, Northern Liberties and Chinatown.
Chinatown
Philadelphia Eddie's Chinatown Tattoo
904 Arch St. 11am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, to 6pm Sunday. Walk-ins welcome.
The oldest tattoo parlour in Philadelphia, open since 1952, and a piece of American tattoo history in its own right. Traditional work, and worth going to for that reason alone.
Old City
Olde City Tattoo
44 S 2nd St. Noon to 8pm Monday to Thursday, to 10pm Friday and Saturday, to 7pm Sunday. Seven days.
Founded by Jason Goldberg in 1999, with something over a hundred years of tattooing between the crew - the most experienced roster in the city. Walk-ins and appointments.
Fishtown
Black Vulture Gallery
208 E Girard Ave. Noon to 9pm Monday to Saturday, closed Sunday. Appointment only.
Opened by Hoode in 2010 and now a destination shop, with people travelling internationally for it. Neo-traditional, Japanese and traditional. Book well ahead.
Art Machine Productions
1345 Frankford Ave. Noon to 8pm, seven days. Walk-ins and appointments.
A 2,700 square foot studio and gallery with a large full-time crew, voted best studio in the city four years running in the early 2010s. Strong on cover-ups, traditional, portraits, neo-traditional and new school.
Northern Liberties
Northern Liberty Tattoo
823 N 2nd St. Noon to 9pm Monday to Thursday, to midnight Friday and Saturday, to 6pm Sunday. Walk-ins always welcome.
Open since 2009, covering traditional through black and grey, portraits and geometric work. The late weekend hours make it one of the more practical options in the city.
Just outside the city
Tru Blu Tattoo - Bristol
247 Mill St, Bristol. 1pm to 9pm Monday to Saturday, closed Sunday.
Note the location: Bristol is in Lower Bucks County, about forty minutes out, not Philadelphia proper. Custom work, cover-ups and portraits.
Seven Stars Tattoo and Art Gallery - Phoenixville
19 S Main St, Phoenixville. Walk-ins Friday to Sunday 11am to 9pm, larger work by appointment Monday to Thursday.
Also not Philadelphia - Phoenixville is in Chester County, about an hour west. Serving the town since 1994 as its original walk-in shop. Included because the original version of this page listed it as a Philadelphia shop, which it never was.
Uncertain, and not listed
Deep Six Laboratory Tattoo, 2483 Grant Ave in Northeast Philadelphia, gives conflicting signals - listed as closed in one place and showing current hours in another. Phone (215) 332-4803 before travelling.
The following were on the 2016 list and could not be confirmed as still trading: Frequency Tattoo Co., Cosmic Primate, Bone Daddy's, Grace Tattoo, Under the Gun, High Rollers, Raw Power, Local Color, Into the Sun Living Arts, Mean Street, Integrity Tattoo and Liberty Tattoo. Rather than send you to an address that may be empty they have been left out, which is not a statement that they have closed.
Before you book
Philadelphia licenses body art facilities through the Department of Public Health, and shops must be inspected and permitted. Ask to see it if you want to.
Then the ordinary checks: sterile needles opened in front of you, fresh gloves, single-use ink caps, an autoclave, surfaces covered and wiped between clients.
Given how much of the city's work is appointment-only and booked weeks out, the practical approach here is to pick the artist first and be flexible about timing. The walk-in shops are genuinely good, but the best work in Philadelphia is not walk-in work.
Details change. Phone before travelling.