Category: Misc.

A Guide to Historic Philadelphia - For the Visitor Who Has Only A Day

By libertyplace
updated 5 months ago

This guide is ideal for the first-time visitor to Philadelphia, or even for someone from Greater Philadelphia, who hasn't ventured downtown for a while. It is also designed for someone who has only a short time to enjoy the city, and so the most famous attractions are included - if you only have one day, these sights are among the must-sees, while you are in Philadelphia. All are conveniently located within the "most historic square mile in America" in Old City. In addition, with the exception of the National Constitution Center, all of these sights can be enjoyed relatively quickly, thus permitting you to maximize your finite time.

A One-Day Tour of Historic Philadelphia

Philadelphia has enough attractions to keep even a lifelong resident busy, finding new and fascinating places to explore. But if you only have a single day, here’s how to make the most of it… This is a concise list of the best sequence for you to follow, in order to maximize your experiences. To learn why it would be helpful to do them in this particular order, as well as what to expect, just read the description under each attraction’s entry.

Begin your day at the Independence Visitors Center, which occupies the block on 6th Street between Market and Arch Streets. It is important to begin there, for two reasons – see the entry on the Visitors Center to learn why.
Head over to Independence National Historical Park, and get checked in to take the tour of Independence Hall.
Walk across Chestnut Street to the Liberty Bell Center, and get in line (and if you’re lucky, there won’t be one).
Go past the Visitors Center, and buy tickets for the National Constitution Center. This is the only attraction which is not free on this particular tour, but it is well worth the $12 (and sometimes less) cost of admission. You’ll probably spend the most significant part of your day, here.
To learn about Benjamin Franklin’s life, continue down 5th Street until you reach Market, and then go east on Market Street to Franklin Court.
You can conclude your tour by heading north on 3rd Street, until you reach Elfreth’s Alley. This was saved for last – since of all of the attractions on this list, it doesn’t close. The reason: it’s still the oldest continuously inhabited residential street in America. It’s worth a walk down its cobblestone streets.

Enjoy your trip to Philadelphia! And hopefully return, when you’ll have more time to spend seeing its many attractions and sights…

Independence Visitors Center

600 ARCH ST PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106

The Independence Visitors Center is truly “The Gateway to Philadelphia.” Any visit to Philadelphia should start here, particularly if it is your first time. The knowledgable and courteous staff will provide you with bountiful knowledge of all that there is to see and do in Philadelphia. Some will be portraying 18th-century Philadelphians. Which is only fitting, because a visit to Old City is an eclectic experience, in which you’ll feel as if you have entered into a intriguing world, where there are many bridges between the 18th and 21st centuries… Also, in order to enter Independence Hall, you need to pick up free timed tickets at the Visitor Center. The best-case scenario, is that you could arrive at the Visitor Center about half an hour prior to the time you plan to enter Independence Hall. However, the first thing you should do, upon arriving in Philadelphia is to obtain tickets for Independence Hall that day. To ensure that you’ll see it, get there as early as possible, regardless of season or day of the week. But this caution is especially warranted, if you are coming on a weekend and/or during the summer. At peak times, it is not uncommon for all tickets for a given day to have been claimed by mid-morning. So get there early!... By the way, tickets are not required for the Liberty Bell Center – just Independence Hall…

Independence Hall

550 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Built in the mid-1700s, Independence Hall has hosted a bevy of historic happenings inside its walls, including the ap...

Built in the mid-1700s, Independence Hall has hosted a bevy of historic happenings inside its walls, including the appointment of George Washington to Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, and the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Visitors can tour the Hall, observing the Assembly Room where much of its action took place, as well as stunning examples of Georgian architecture and period furnishings. Independence Hall is located in the heart of Philadelphia, on the north end of Independence National Historical Park.

National Constitution Center

525 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Opened in 2003, the National Constitution Center is a relatively new museum devoted to furthering the nation's unders...

Opened in 2003, the National Constitution Center is a relatively new museum devoted to furthering the nation's understanding of the Constitution. Attractions include historical reenactments with live actors, exhibits on the history of voting in America, and contemporary displays about current issues such as the death penalty. The Center occupies a 160,000-square-foot building in the historic district, near the Liberty Bell Center.

Franklin Court (part of Independence National Historical Park)

318 MARKET ST PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106

Franklin Court – the block where Benjamin Franklin lived while in Philadelphia – is often an overlooked treasure, due to the higher profile attractions within INHP.

However, it is crammed with cool stuff, occupying the block on Market Street between 3rd and 4th Streets. The B. Free Franklin Post Office (Franklin was once Postmaster General of the American Colonies) is still a working Post Office. It is also noteworthy that it is the only U.S. Post Office that does not fly an American flag – since one did not exist in 1775.

There are many more attractions, though. You can visit a recreation of Franklin’s print shop (he made his fortune as a newspaper publisher), and see the incredibly complex process needed to put an 18th-century newspaper out on the streets.

You can stop by the “Fragments of Franklin Court”, and see some of the Franklin artifacts which were yielded by the archaeological dig of the property.

However, by far the coolest part of Franklin Court is the underground museum. (It is the coolest part, both literally and figuratively, due to the warm, humid Philadelphia weather at the height of visitor season).

Constructed in 1976 to observe the Bicentennial of the nation’s founding, it is an incredible journey back into Franklin’s world. A remarkable, rotating diorama illuminates Franklin’s mastery of three worlds – America, Britain, and France, in all of which he lived for significant periods.

(One unintended aspect of American history has also been preserved at Franklin Court. Namely, the Barry Gibb-era anteroom when one first enters, giving one the initial impression that one is entering 1976 – the year of its construction – instead of 1776. You can see it on this page.)

Elfreth's Alley

126 Elfreths Alley, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Established in the early 1700s, Elfreth's Alley is the oldest active residential street in the United States. Today, ...

Established in the early 1700s, Elfreth's Alley is the oldest active residential street in the United States. Today, the Alley is both a private neighborhood and a popular tourist attraction; visitors are allowed inside attractions such as the Chairmaker's House and the museum house. Each year in June, the private residences open their doors as well, to celebrate Fete Day, which also includes historical reenactments in the streets, and other festivities. Elfreth's Alley is located in Philadelphia's Old City neighborhood, a few blocks east of the National Constitution Center.