Philadelphia

Attractions in Philadelphia range from historic sites to world-class museums and cultural institutions. Most of the main sights are in the city centre, within walking distance of one another, giving visitors an opportunity for great variety in any one day. At the heart of downtown is City Hall. Directly east, on Market Street, is Independence National Historical Park, with the famous Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and the new National Constitution Center; Market Street continues on to the waterfront and Penn’s Landing. North of Market Street is the Old City Cultural District, with Christ Church and Elfreth’s Alley, the oldest residential street in America – the first house was built in 1713. To the south is Society Hill, with more historic buildings, and the trendy South Street neighbourhood of shops, restaurants and nightlife.

Circling clockwise around the City Hall hub are the Convention Center District, where Chinatown, the business district and many fine shops and department stores are located; the colourful Washington Square and upmarket Rittenhouse Square neighbourhoods; and the Parkway/Museums district. The diagonal Benjamin Franklin Parkway leads to the grande dame of this area, the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Beyond, leafy Fairmount Park spreads along the Schuylkill River. Broad Street, the ‘Avenue of the Arts’, runs south past many performing arts venues. Nearby is South Philadelphia, home of the cheesesteak and the famous Italian Market.

Independence National Historical Park
The Independence National Historical Park encompasses several historic attractions that date from the era of the American Revolution, most of which are free to visit. Independence Visitor Center provides a good introduction to the sights and there are video presentations about the park and the entire region. Among the highlights at the park are the National Constitution Center and Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was issued in 1776 and the Constitution announced in 1787. Park rangers lead free tours of the hall and grounds. The Liberty Bell Centre houses the cracked bell that was sounded after first public reading of the Declaration. It was later adopted by the anti-slavery movement.

The park covers about 15 hectares (45 acres) and comprises about 20 public buildings, which include Old City Hall, early home of the US Supreme Court, Carpenters’ Hall, site of the First Continental Congress, and the Second Bank of the United States, an outstanding Greek Revival building that houses a portrait gallery.

Sixth Street and Market Street
Tel: (215) 965 7676.
Opening hours: Daily 0830-1700, although times vary for each building.
Free admission.

Christ Church
George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and other patriots worshipped at Christ Church, built as the first Protestant Episcopal church in the country. Franklin is buried nearby, in the church’s cemetery. The handsome Georgian building, begun in 1727, features a simple but elegant interior with arched windows, fluted columns and wooden pews. The narrow white steeple was added in 1754.

Second Street, north of Market Street
Tel: (215) 922 1695.
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700; services Mon-Thu 0800, Wed 1200, Sun 0900 and 1100.
Free admission; donations welcome.

Elfreth’s Alley
Tucked away off Second Street, between Arch and Race Streets, Elfreth’s Alley is reputed to be the oldest residential street in America. The 33 tiny brick rowhouses were built in the early 18th century, by a blacksmith, Jeremiah Elfreth, who rented them to artisans and seamen. Although the quaint buildings look like a movie set, all are private homes – except the one that houses the Elfreth Alley Museum, which depicts early history and 18th-century life.

Second Street, between Arch and Race Streets.
Tel: (215) 574 0560.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1200-1700 (Mar-Oct); Thurs-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1200-1700 (Nov-Feb).
Free admission, charge for the museum.

Betsy Ross House
The widow Ross, a staunch patriot, is credited with sewing the first American flag. Although scholars now dispute this, the small 1740s house where she lived is now a museum that provides an insight into the lives of working-class people in the Colonial era, as well as the history of the flag.

239 Arch Street
Tel: (215) 686 1252.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700, winter hours Tue-Sun 1000-1700.
Free admission; suggested donation.

Franklin Court
Part of the National Historical Park, Franklin Court was the site of Benjamin Franklin’s last home. The house was demolished long ago but in its place stands the striking steel ‘ghost house’, designed by Robert Venturi, which outlines the structure. The Underground Museum here has displays on Franklin’s life as a statesman, scientist and printer, as well as replicas of his inventions and a portrait gallery. Facing Market Street are a row of houses, also built by Franklin, which now house the Franklin Court Printing Office (a working 18th-century print shop) and the B Free Franklin Post Office. Mail sent from here bears this postmark.

Behind Chestnut Street and Market Street, between Third Street and Fourth Street
Tel: (215) 965 2305.
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700 (winter); daily 1000-1800 (summer).
Free admission.

National Constitution Center
The US constitution is brought to life with interactive exhibits and a dazzling show, The Story of We the People. The aim of the museum is to revisit important events in the US History in order to demonstrate that the constitution still works after almost 220 years. One of the more popular exhibits allows visitors to be sworn in as the president of the United States.

525 Arch Street
Tel: (866) 917 1787, tickets (215) 409 6700.
Opening hours: Sun-Fri 0930-1700, Sat 0930-1800.
Admission charge.

Penn’s Landing
This waterfront stretch along the Delaware River marks the spot where Philadelphia’s founder, William Penn, stepped ashore in 1682. A host of music festivals and cultural events take place here, including a spectacular Fourth of July fireworks show. There are restaurants, live music clubs for night-time entertainment and a marina. The Independence Seaport Museum is a maritime museum with interactive displays and demonstrations. Visitors can also tour the 1892 cruiser, USS Olympia, as well as the World War II submarine Becuna. Penn's Landing is also the departure point for ferries to the New Jersey State Aquarium, in Camden,  on the opposite side of the river, where the Campell's Baseball Stadium is located.

Columbus Boulevard at Spring Garden Street
Tel: (215) 928 8801.

Independence Seaport Museum
Tel: (215) 925 5439.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700.
Admission charge.

New Jersey State Aquarium
Tel: (800) 616 JAWS or 5297.
Opening hours: Closed until May 2005.
Admission charge.

City Hall
Philadelphia boasts the largest and most elaborate city hall in America. Designed in Second Empire style, by John McArthur and Thomas U Walter, it took 30 years to build and was the city’s tallest building until 1987. Completed in 1901, City Hall's massive central tower rises 167m (548ft) high and is the hub of downtown, with an open courtyard forming a walkway that connects Broad Street and Market Street. The tower is topped by an 11m (37ft) bronze statue of the city’s founder, William Penn, designed by Alexander Milne Calder. The observation deck, at the base of the statue, has superb panoramic views. A one-hour guided tour offers a look at the richly decorated public rooms, such as Conservation Hall and the Mayor’s Reception Room.

Broad Street and Market Street
Tel: (215) 686 2840.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1630 (tower and observation deck)
Free admission.

National Liberty Museum
Highlighting intangible ideas like diversity, bigotry, heroism and liberty, the museum aims to make them more concrete through interactive exhibits and art. Many of the exhibits are glass sculptures including Dale Chihuly’s six-metre (20-foot) ‘Flame of Liberty’. Harvey Littleton’s ‘Shattered Lives’, a bullet through glass, illustrates both literally and figuratively what one bullet can do. The Jelly Bean People are a reminder that everyone is the same no matter what colour they are.

321 Chestnut Street
Tel: (215) 925 2800.
Admission charge.

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Founded in 1805, by portrait painter Charles Willson Peale and other contemporary artists, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts was America’s first art school and museum. The ornate Victorian Gothic building (designed by Frank Furness and now a National Historic Landmark) was opened in 1876, in honour of the Centennial. It houses three centuries of American paintings and sculpture by the country’s finest artists, including Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Eakins, William Morris Hunt and Mary Cassatt. There are also exhibitions of contemporary work by the students and faculty staff.

Broad Street and Cherry Street
Tel: (215) 972 7600.
Opening hours: Tue-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1100-1700.
Admission charge.

Philadelphia Museum of Art
This stately neo-classical building sits at the top of a hill, just west of Center City, with splendid views down the length of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to City Hall. The steps leading to its entrance are famous for being those climbed by Rocky, in the 1976 film of the same name. The museum’s collection is one of the most important in the country, with more than half a million paintings, sculptures and artefacts spanning 2000 years of art from Asia, Europe and America. Among the highlights are the American collection, with Pennsylvania Dutch and Shaker furniture, as well as works by leading artists, such as Thomas Eakins. There is also a large European collection (from medieval works to a fine collection of French impressionists) and a 16th-century Hindu temple. Free gallery tours, which pinpoint the highlights, are given hourly.

26th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Tel: (215) 763 8100.
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 1000-1700 (Fri until 2045).
Admission charge; free Sun (donations).

Rodin Museum
A branch of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the nearby Rodin Museum features the largest collection of the great sculptor’s work outside Paris. It includes numerous casts of the Thinker and The Kiss as well as The Burghers of Calais and the Gates of Hell.

22nd Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Tel: (215) 763 8100.
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 1000-1700.
Free admission; donations suggested.

Institute of Contemporary Art
Located at the University of Pennsylvania, the Institute of Contemporary Art is the city’s main venue for presenting the latest developments in the visual arts. Both new and established artists are represented in changing exhibitions of contemporary and often controversial works.

118 South 36th Street at Sansom Street
Tel: (215) 898 7108/5911.
Opening hours: Wed-Fri 1200-2000, Sat-Sun 1100-1700.