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| Home > City Guide - Philadelphia - Sightseeing | ||
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Sightseeing Sightseeing Overview Attractions in Philadelphia range from historic sites to world-class museums and cultural institutions. Most of the main sights are within walking distance of one another, in the city centre, 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 and the new Liberty Museum (website: www.libertymuseum.org), Market Street continues on to the waterfront and Penn’s Landing. North of Market Street is the Old City Cultural District, with Christ Church, the US Mint 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 Schuykill 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 Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau 1515 Market Street, Suite 2020 Tel: (215) 636 3300. Fax: (215) 636 3327. Website: www.pcvb.org Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700 (winter); daily 0900-1800 (summer). The new visitor centre in Independence National Historical Park, Sixth Street and Market Street (see Key Attractions), 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. Passes The CityPass (website: www.citypass.com) allows free admission to four attractions – the Franklin Institute Science Museum, Academy of Natural Sciences, Independence Seaport Museum and the Philadelphia Zoo – as well as the Philadelphia Trolley Tour. It costs US$30 (concessions are available), is valid for nine days and can be purchased from the attractions on the day or online in advance. |
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