Map all locations History in Philadelphia
The paths to understanding American history all converge in Philadelphia and its historic countryside. Even before William Penn founded the city and built his estate in Bucks County, Native Americans and Swedish colonists recognized the region as an attractive place for trade and settlement.
Known as the birthplace of American democracy, Historic Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park (INHP) is located on the site of many of the seminal events that carried the nation through its founding as a global leader of democratic ideals. But this site hasn’t remained static in the nearly two-and-a-half centuries since the Declaration of Independence was adopted there on July 4, 1776. Instead, it has grown and progressed with the times, emerging in the early 21st century as a National Historical Park, providing a living model of history for the generations who come to experience it.
Don’t miss these hotspots
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The Liberty Bell Center
Dramatic new home of the internationally known symbol of freedom
The Liberty Bell has a new home, and it is as powerful and dramatic as the Bell itself. Throughout the expansive, light-filled Center, larger-than-life historic documents and graphic images explore the facts and the myths surrounding the Bell.
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Independence Hall
Birthplace of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
They risked everything — “their lives, their fortune and their sacred honor.” During the blistering summer of 1776, 56 courageous men gathered at the Pennsylvania State House and defied the King of England. Eleven years later, representatives from 12 states gathered to shape the U.S. Constitution, finally creating one unified nation.
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Valley Forge National Historical Park
Where the spirit of the Revolution received its sternest test
With more than 3,600 acres of rolling hills and well-worn trails, Valley Forge is now a magnet for runners, bicyclists and picnickers as well as history buffs.
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The Betsy Ross House
The birthplace of the American flag
Did she or didn’t she? While historians debate Betsy Ross’ role in making the first American flag, the home of the nation’s best known seamstress is among the region’s most popular attractions.
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National Constitution Center
The world’s only museum dedicated to the U.S. Constitution
The 160,000-square-foot National Constitution Center explores and explains this amazing document through high-tech exhibits, artifacts, and interactive displays. In the star-shaped Kimmel Theater, powerful music, a live actor and 360 degrees multi-media images tell the story of We the People.
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Independence Seaport Museum
An interactive museum exploring Philadelphia’s maritime heritage
With historic vessels to board, a ship’s hull to rivet, and cargo to unload with miniature cranes, Philadelphia’s maritime museum conveys what the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers have meant to the city over the years. Along with displays that chronicle the city’s contributions to naval and commercial maritime history, there are exhibits about what makes boats float, the China trade and local small craft.
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Elfreth’s Alley
The nation’s oldest continuously inhabited street
Butchers. Bakers. Candlestick-makers. Named for blacksmith and property-owner Jeremiah Elfreth, Elfreth’s Alley was home to the 18th century artisans and trades-people who were the backbone of colonial Philadelphia.
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Eastern State Penitentiary
Radical 19th century prison designed to create social change
Eastern State Penitentiary set the standard for penal reform, with its soaring, castle-like Gothic architecture and its founders’ Quaker-inspired belief that solitary confinement could reform criminals.
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Tides of Freedom
African Presence on the Delaware RiverCompelling new exhibition at the Independence Seaport Museum
Uncover 300-years of history and the African experience along in Philadelphia during Tides of Freedom: African Presence on the Delaware River, a new exhibition at the Independence Seaport Museum.
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Paul Robeson House Museum
Historic home of local Civil Rights leader
Honoring the life, legacy, philosophy and historical significance of Philadelphian Paul Robeson.
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Penn Treaty Park
Historic spot of peace along the Delaware River
According to legend, Pennsylvania founder William Penn signed his treaty of peace with the local Lenape tribe under an elm tree just off the Delaware River in 1683.
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The Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent
New and improved history near Independence Hall
History renews itself this fall at the reopened and renovated Philadelphia History Museum. The historic 1826 building, located just around the corner from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, has been an exciting gateway into Philadelphia History for nearly 70 years.
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Cathedral Basilica of
Saints Peter and PaulThe largest Catholic church in Pennsylvania
Opened in 1864, the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter of Paul serves as the principal or Mother Church of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as it houses the chair or “cathedra” of the Archbishop.
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Revolutionary Germantown Festival
A special day to discover America’s history along Germantown Avenue
You are never far from history when in Germantown, one of Philadelphia’s most historic neighborhoods. However, it is on full display during the Revolutionary Germantown Festival, a day-long festival that celebrates the rich history of Germantown and features the annual reenactment of the Battle of Germantown, the only military battle ever fought within the borders of Philadelphia.
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Pennypacker Mills
Get a glimpse of Pennsylvania’s past
A tour of this colonial-revival mansion brings back early 20th-century middle-class living, but harkens to America’s glorious colonial past.
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The President’s House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation
Honoring the memory of George Washington’s nine slaves
President’s House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation explores the paradox of slavery and freedom at the nation’s first executive mansion, in which Presidents George Washington and John Adams lived during their terms and where nine enslaved people served the first president.
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Bastille Day Festival at Eastern State Penitentiary
Eastern State Penitentiary celebrates with a day-long party
Grab a pitchfork and storm the walls! Whether you’re a revolutionary or a royalist, there’s something for you in this celebration of all things French at Bastille Day at the Eastern State Penitentiary.
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The Liberty 360 3-D Show
at the PECO TheaterLet history surround you in this revolutionary, new 3-D show
See Philadelphia’s history in a very new way! Liberty 360 in the state-of-the-art PECO Theater is Philadelphia’s first indoor, 360-degree, 3-D panoramic show, designed to the immerse viewers in the symbols of freedom.
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Parc Restaurant
Square 1682
Amada
Geno’s Steaks
