PHILADELPHIA - ATTRACTIONS

There is so much to see in Philadelphia, and most of it is unique and fascinating. We only had two days here, but we felt that the following things are worth taking the time to enjoy.

1. Independence National Historical Park - Want to see where the U.S. began? Visit Independence Hall, the most interesting site in this National Park that is situated right in the middle of a busy downtown city. The best place to start is the Visitor Center on 3rd Street at Chestnut. Pick up a map and take the time to see the free movie entitled "Independence". It gives you a good overview of the events that shaped the nation.

The first place to stop is Independence Hall, three short blocks west of the Visitor Center. Built between 1732 and 1756, it was originally the Pennsylvania State House and was the scene of the drafting of the Declaration of the Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Behind the Hall lies Independence Square; you must line up there to see a tour of the Hall. The wait was about 30 minutes, but it was worth it, Make sure to stop in the Congress Hall next door as well, most tourists skip this but it also has some interesting history behind it - it was where Congress met from 1790-1800 while Philadelphia was the national capital.

After seeing that, move one block north to see the Liberty Bell. Certainly the most famous bell in the world, the Liberty Bell has an interesting story that is explained by a ranger. Outside the hall, there is a small area where the story is told in other languages, as well as English, so if you want to avoid the crowds, this is a good option.

Obviously those are the key areas of the park and if your time is limited, that should be enough. But if you want to see more, walk north on 5th Street to Arch Street. You can see Ben Franklin's Grave across the Street from the Mint. Walk east on Arch where you will see Betsy Ross House, former home of the first seamstress of Old Glory. Continue east to 2nd, turn north, and walk down Elfreth's Alley. Not really part of the park, the Alley is still very interesting as it preserves an 18th-century street perfectly. These historical houses are still inhabited but the residents don't mind a quiet tourist or two. If you use your imagination, you can actually believe that you have traveled back in time.

One final building to see is on 2nd street, south of Arch. Christ Church was the house of worship for George Washington and other founding fathers; and you can actually sit in the pew that Washington used. Amazingly, the church is still being used today.

Elfreth's Alley

2. City Hall - At the center of Philadelphia lies what must be the most spectacular seat of municipal government in the nation. Bounded by Penn Square, the building took 30 years to complete. When begun, it was intended to be the tallest building in the world upon completion, but by the time construction was finished, both the Washington Monument and Eiffel Tower were completed. There are two tours available - one is a tour of the city hall itself, which we declined to take, because we wanted to take the other tour - the tour of the tower. At 548 feet tall, the tower provides fantastic views of the surrounding city. There is only one elevator to the top, so you need to stop in to get a timed ticket, but once you get to the top, you can stay as long as you like.

Above the tower is the statue of William Penn. It is the largest statue to decorate any building in the world, and it is intriguing to view it from below. 

City Hall undergoing renovations - Penn's statue is atop the tower

Of course, there is plenty more to see, but these are the two things that we recommend. We also visited the Atwater Kent Museum, which wasn't worth the time; as well as the Balch Institute of Ethnic Studies, which was undergoing renovations and had only one exhibit.