World City Guide

Sightseeing

Sightseeing Overview
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.

Tourist Information
Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation
30 South 17th Street
Suite 1710
Tel: (215) 599 0776.
Website: www.gophila.com

Independence Visitor Center
The visitor centre provides information on attractions and events throughout the region as well as computer stations to help in trip planning. Visitors can book tickets to exhibitions and events, make restaurant reservations and sign up for heritage tours.

Sixth and Markets Streets, in Independence National Historical Park
Tel: (800) 537 7676 or (215) 965 7676.
Website: www.independencevisitorcenter.com
Opening hours: 0830-1900 (Jul-Sep); 0830-1700 (Oct-Jun).

Passes
The CityPass (website: www.citypass.com) allows free admission to six attractions: the Franklin Institute Science Museum, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Independence Seaport Museum, the Philadelphia Zoo, the Philadelphia Trolley Tour Works and the National Constitution Center. It costs US$36 (concessions are available), is valid for nine days and can be purchased from the attractions on the day or online in advance. A one-day Philadelphia Pass (tel: (888) 567 PASS (7277); website: www.philadelphiapass.com) costs US$39 and offers free admissions to attractions plus discounts at shops and restaurants.