amor

Among the many things couples can do to celebrate Valentine's Day in Philadelphia this week is visit the "AMOR" sculpture by Robert Indiana at the top of the steps to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. (Joe Warner | For NJ.com)

PHILADELPHIA -- Couples may pose for a shot in front of Robert Indiana's iconic "LOVE" statue or pass secrets to one another at the "Whispering Benches" in Fairmount Park to mark February 14 this year.

The list of things to do in Philadelphia on and around Valentine's Day, however, extends far beyond those two options.

Head to Laurel Hill Cemetery to find out how romance was done in the 19th century and pick up some Victorian flirting tips. Get in touch with your wild side by spending a night with a loved one at the Philadelphia Zoo for an adults-only program that includes an after-hours tour.

Learn to salsa or hit up a yoga class for couples.

Find a way to celebrate your love with any one of these 25 shows, tours, classes and other events being held throughout the city starting this week.

Head to Laurel Hill Cemetery for "Victorians After Dark: Love and Lust in the 19th Century," a Valentine's Day program that begins with a talk exploring the art of romance in the 1800s followed by a reception with cocktails and desserts. Call (215) 228-8200 for tickets or buy them online.

WHEN: Feb. 11 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.

WHERE: 3822 Ridge Avenue

COST: $20

Learn about 19th Century Love & Lust during our Valentine's Day Program: Victorians After Dark. Led by @AlexisJeanJ. https://t.co/qS3lYy1RAn — Laurel Hill Cemetery (@laurelhillcem) February 4, 2016

Kick off the weekend with a show featuring burlesque stars, drag queens and live music. Philadelphia drag queen Bev is hosting "Be Mine: A Valentine's Day Cabaret" at Pennsylvania 6 Philly. The show includes eight other performers and bottles of champagne will go for $15. Buy tickets online or at the door.

WHEN: Feb. 12; Doors open at 8 p.m. and show starts at 9 p.m.

WHERE: 114 South 12th Street

COST: $12 a ticket or $20 for couples

People keep messaging me, asking if I'm having a Valentine's Day event, and the answer is DUH. And this is a good one.... Posted by Josh Schonewolf on Sunday, February 7, 2016

Tongue & Groove hosts a special Valentine's Day show, "Secrets of the Heart: Lusted, Trusted and Busted," at the The PlayGround at The Adrienne Theater. During this performance, the ensemble creates scenes and monologues based on secrets about love and lust shared anonymously by audience members.

WHEN: Feb. 12 at 8 p.m.

WHERE: 2030 Sansom Street

COST: $6 to $15 in advance, $8 to $18 at the door

Secrets of the Heart: Busted, Lusted or TrustedInspired by true secrets anonymously submitted by the audience [the... Posted by Tongue & Groove on Saturday, February 6, 2016

Here's your chance to share your love on stage. The Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre is holding "Shakespeare in Love: Open Mic Poetry Night" where guests are invited to share a famous love poem or perform a monologue or scene. Got stage fright? Don't fret. Simply come and enjoy the show.

WHEN: Feb. 12 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

WHERE: 2111 Sansom Street

COST: $10 for public, $5 for performers

#Shakespeare's in Love: Join us for an #OpenMic Poetry Night on Feb 12. Featuring #love poems from all the greats! https://t.co/3QqzTlmUFk — Philly Shakespeare (@PhillyShakes) January 27, 2016

Start the afternoon at the Philadelphia Museum of Art with the "Cupid Strikes: Love and Marriage in the Art of the Renaissance" tour, visit Robert Indiana's "AMOR" statue on top of the museum's steps and return in the evening when The Calabash Quartet fills the building with classic love songs.

WHEN: Feb. 12; Tour starts at 12 p.m., music starts at 5 p.m.

WHERE: 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

COST: Free after admission, which costs $14 to $20

Bring in Valentine's Day weekend with some jazz at the Woodmere Art Museum. "Friday Night Jazz: Different Kinds of Love Stories" will pay tribute to "those who've loved and lost and found love again." Expect to hear "Walk on By" and "You Don't Know What Love Is," among other tunes.

WHEN: Feb. 12 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

WHERE: 9201 Germantown Avenue

COST: $22 for non-members; $12 members

Get a little dirty this Valentine's Day weekend. The Clay Studio is holding Valentine's Day Date Nights where couples will learn four-handed throwing by candlelight. The evening also includes light fare, chocolate, champagne, wine and mood music.

WHEN: Feb. 12 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

WHERE: 137-139 North Second Street

COST: $135 per couple

Our Date Nights were recently featured by Mynewphilly! Check out what Resident Artist and Instructor Daniel Ricardo Teran had to tell them about our Valentine's Day offerings! Posted by The Clay Studio on Monday, February 8, 2016

Catch a live performance by Joilet Harris at the 100-seat Studio Theatre at the Arden's Hamilton Family Arts Center. Harris plans to perform love-themed songs from the 1920's to today in "From Me to You With Love" and will ask audience members to read quotes above love that will help guide her song selection through the evening.

WHEN: Feb. 12 and Feb. 13 at 8 p.m.

WHERE: 40 North 2nd Street

COST: $30

Making plans for Valentine's Day? Don't miss FROM ME TO YOU WITH LOVE, featuring Joilet F. Harris! Learn more: https://t.co/4bZGIUNWzW — Arden Theatre Co (@ArdenTheatreCo) February 1, 2016

Head to the Academy of Music for Opera Philadelphia's performance of Cold Mountain, a story about a Confederate soldier who abandons his post during the Civil War and starts an arduous journey home to his wife.

WHEN: Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m.

WHERE: 240 South Broad Street

COST: Prices vary

Embrace your wild side at the Philadelphia Zoo. "Lovin' on the Wild Side" is an overnight, adults-only adventure that includes up-close encounters with live animals and an after-hours tour of the zoo. Happy hour and a light dinner are also part of the deal, as is sleeping on the floor of exhibit areas of the zoo.

WHEN: Feb. 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 a.m.

WHERE: 3400 West Girard Avenue

COST: $185 per person or $350 per couple

Join us for Lovin’ on the Wild Side Valentine’s, an adults-only overnight adventure perfect for adventurous couples! https://t.co/MJloNybAcY — Philadelphia Zoo (@phillyzoo) February 7, 2016

Jack McDavid, chef and owner of Down Home Diner, serves up a romantic meal at this Valentine's Day Chef Experience at Reading Terminal Market. For starters, you'll have strawberries with caviar, quail breast wrapped in bacon, sausage balls and poached oyster shooters. Three more courses and a dessert follow. Bring your own beer or wine.

WHEN: Feb. 13 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

WHERE: 51 North 12th St

COST: $175 per couple

Lay down some moves on the dance floor for Valentine's Day. The Painted Bride Art Center's "Salsa Caliente: Valentine's Day Edition 2016" includes Salsa lessons for beginners and intermediates followed by an evening of live music.

WHEN: Feb. 13 at 8 p.m.

WHERE: 230 Vine Street

COST: $20 in advance, $25 at the door

Valentine's Day is next weekend! Make it a great night with your lover or your friends at Salsa Caliente! https://t.co/ihzDEgaNnB — Painted Bride (@paintedbride) February 1, 2016

Amitayus Kadampa Buddhist Center holds "Urban Retreat: Meditations on Love," in which participants will learn meditations that should allow them to deepen their wish for "others to experience lasting happiness." Four sessions are held throughout the day but you can drop into any one.

WHEN: Feb. 13 from 11 a.m. to noon, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

WHERE: 1102 Pine Street

COST: $5 per session or $15 for four sessions

Find out if love really does never die during the Valentine's Ghost Tour. The 75-minute candlelight walking tour, which includes stops at burial grounds and historic sites, explores "the amorous secrets of Philly's lovelorn past."

WHEN: Feb. 13 at 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. and Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.

WHERE: 244 South 3rd Street

COST: $22

Love, scandal, heartbreak, ghosts: the 7th annual "Love Never Dies" Valentine's Ghost Tour of Philadelphia 2/13 & 14 https://t.co/lXGs10fuq2 — Ghost Tours (@ghosttours) February 4, 2016

Hop on a train to view the 50 murals created by artist Stephen Powers in collaboration with the Mural Arts Program that serve as a love letter from a guy to a girl. Each Love Letters tour is led by a trained guide who tells the stories behind the murals at stops along the elevated train ride.

WHEN: Feb. 13 at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. and Feb. 14 at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

WHERE: 128 North Broad Street

COST: $22

See Philadelphia's Magic Gardens in a different light this Valentine's Day weekend. Special private candlelit tours of the galleries will focus on the romantic aspects of Isaiah Zagar's work, as well as how Zagar's love for his wife, Julia, influenced his art.

WHEN: Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 14 at 8 p.m.

WHERE: 1020 South Street

COST: $20

Try your hand at printmaking at Fleisher, which is holding its 16th annual Print Love-In this weekend. Create your own Valentine's Day cards while learning different forms of printmaking and enjoying seasonal cocktails and beer.

WHEN: Feb. 13 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

WHERE: 705 Christian Street

COST: $35

Looking for a hot date? Join us at Print Love-In, featuring @yardsbrew beers and @coeurphilly apps https://t.co/8YozsGNTQq — Fleisher (@FleisherArt) January 27, 2016

At Amrita Yoga & Wellness Studio, you and your loved one can enjoy a romantic Couples Yoga session that starts with a guided meditation and ends with loving massages.

WHEN: Feb. 13 & 14 at 8 p.m.

WHERE: 1204 Frankford Avenue

COST: $50, preregistration required

As you go through the motions together, you and your partner can expect a closer, more romantic and more soulful relationship than ever with each other through giggles, movement and massage. Posted by Synergy by Jasmine on Friday, February 5, 2016

Whether you want to learn to tango or swing dance, Philly Dance Fitness has the class to make you a star on the dance floor this Valentine's Day. Check out Two to Tango in South Philadelphia or Swing with Your Sweetheart in Rittenhouse on Sunday.

WHEN: Feb. 13 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Feb. 14 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: 1170 S. Broad Street on Feb. 13 and 1624 South Street on Feb. 14

COST: $60 per couple or $35 per person

So dancers, are you looking for the most memorable Valentine's Day ever?! Well, we have 2 fabulous events to help you... Posted by Philly Dance Fitness on Tuesday, February 2, 2016

First Person Arts holds an "anti-Valentine's Day" event at Underground Arts in Callowhill. The 6th Annual "Ex-Files" StorySlam will feature people telling true stories about love lost "ranging from the sweet to the sad, the hilarious to the ridiculous."

WHEN: Feb. 14 at 8:30 p.m.

WHERE: 1200 Callowhill Street

COST: $14 in advance, $18 at door

{{JUST ANNOUNCED!}} Due to popular demand, we've added a second #ExFiles #StorySlam this #ValentinesDay! What better way... Posted by First Person Arts on Friday, February 5, 2016

Put on your dancing shoes and head to Take the Lead on Pine for an evening of ballroom and Latin dancing. A beginner's lesson will kick off the evening and the dancing lasts until midnight.

WHEN: Feb. 14 from 7 p.m. to midnight

WHERE: 4701 Pine Street

COST: $10

Hit the ice this Valentine's Day. Sweetheart Skate sessions at the RiverRink at Penn's Landing also include chocolates, flowers, photo booth and a DJ spinning tunes.

WHEN: Feb. 14 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

WHERE: 101 South Columbus Boulevard

COST: $25

Grab a loved one and head to the Valentine's Partner's Yoga & Thai Massage Workshop at Mama's Wellness Joint. The workshop is lit by candlelight and chocolates are included.

WHEN: Feb. 14 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: 1100 Pine Street

COST: $60

Meet at Eakin's Oval for the Spring Garden Street Greenway Valentine Ride, which will end at Winterfest at Penn's Landing.

WHEN: Feb. 14 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

WHERE: Eakin's Oval

COST: Free

Don't have a special someone to spend Valentine's Day with this year? Consider joining up with other people flying solo in the area at the Valentine's Day Singles Run that starts with a three-mile run and ends with an after-party at Raven Lounge.

WHEN: Feb. 14 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

WHERE: 1601 Sansom Street

COST: $30

Erin O'Neill may be reached at eoneill@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LedgerErin. Find NJ.com on Faceboo