First Bank of the United States: Inside Philly's Newest Attraction

Fast Facts

• The First Bank of the United States hasn’t been publicly accessible for 50 years.
• Don’t wait: Two temporary exhibits are on display right now.
• This is the first new attraction opened at Independence National Historical Park since 2010.
• The attraction is free and open to the public.

What can I expect to see at the First Bank of the United States?

Since the public hasn’t had access to the First Bank of the United States in 50 years, visitors can expect to see the building’s interior and exterior gussied up and looking finer than ever, with the marble façade having undergone a makeover and the interior structure and sculptures restored.

It’s hard not to be wowed by the building’s majesty. Originally designed by architect Samuel Blodgett Jr., it is a stunning example of Classical Revival architecture, and the 1700s-era structure features six Corinthian columns that rise 30 feet into the air, giving it the feel of a Greek temple. 

  — Photo courtesy Independence Historical Trust

Visitors to the refurbished space enter through a modern addition built in the rear of the iconic, temple-like building. This addition helped update the space with a heating and cooling system, bathrooms, stairs, and an elevator.

Look for the bald eagle, made of Jamaican mahogany, and carved by Claudius LeGrand. It sits on the triangular pediment above the columns, where it serves as the oldest architectural reference to the Great Seal of the United States.

Additionally, the First Bank’s main entrance reflects Philly’s 300-year-old architectural history with a carved marble allegory. The depiction features the fledgling nation as a baby in a winged helmet — a symbol meant to represent Mercury, the Roman god of commerce, finance and merchants — leaning against a globe and kneeling on a beehive while carrying a caduceus (staff). 

Allegory   — Photo by Gregory FCA for Independence Historical Trust

Inside, expect immersive, modern exhibits showcasing artifacts and works of art reflecting America’s history and diplomacy with other nations, including:

• Marks of Friendship: 250 Years of U.S. Diplomatic Treasures: Developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, this exhibit showcases items from U.S. embassies across the globe, including a gilded bronze clock from France, a cane-sword from Morocco, drinking vessels from Argentina and a mahogany desk from Peru.
• America’s National Anniversaries: Philadelphia on the World Stage: This exhibit puts the city’s historic Atwater Kent Collection on display, with objects commemorating the 1876 Centennial Exposition, as well as the 1926 Sesquicentennial and 1976 Bicentennial celebrations in Philadelphia.

Gilded bronze clock from France   — Photo by Visit Philadelphia

One highlight: The Grand Rotunda, featuring 240 scalloped glass panels around a central skylight and supported by 40 columns on the second floor, serves as an exhibition space with room for meetings, educational programs and special events.

This extravagant domed ceiling was added in 1902, opening up a three-story central room from which sunlight can beam down and illuminate the entire space through 240 hand-cleaned panes of glass.

  — Photo courtesy National Park Service

5 Revolutionary Things on View at the First Bank

Chartered in 1791, the First Bank of the United States was a way for the new nation to signal to the rest of the world that America was here to stay. A central banking system — a contentious debate eventually won by Alexander Hamilton (more on that later) — was key to absorbing Revolutionary War debts and unifying a federal currency. 

But this exhibit isn’t simply Colonial-era money or gold bricks. Instead, it focuses on diplomatic gifts and what those things mean to a country’s cultural identity. 

I’m a huge history nerd. Like, throw me in the deepest part of the ocean and let me sink in Thomas Jefferson’s Windsor chair.

So, it felt like I was breaching a time capsule when I walked into the First Bank of the United States after the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Inside this temporary exhibit, you see actual diplomatic gifts exchanged between foreign ambassadors and sitting presidents. 

Seeing these sterilized treasures under glass was one thing. Understanding them? Well, I needed some help. 

  — Photo by Visit Philadelphia

Luckily, I had the ultimate cheat code in the form of Joseph Angemi, Jr., who curated the Marks of Friendship: 250 Years of U.S. Diplomatic Treasures exhibit. As a native of South Jersey and former interpretative ranger for the National Park Service, Angemi now works in the Office of Cultural Heritage for the U.S. Department of State.

“This exhibit is about what cultural diplomacy means around the globe,” Angemi told me. “These 17 objects represent every bit of human history, stretching back to the dinosaurs and Indigenous Peoples, up to the Revolutionary War and today. Two questions you need to ask yourself: ‘What do these objects say? What do these objects mean?’”

Here are the most interesting artifacts — never-before-seen items, some with intriguing tales of loss and woe — that I came across during my visit: 

1. French Régence Aesop’s Fables armchair 

On loan from the U.S. Embassy in Prague, this chair traces its roots to 1725. Made of walnut mahogany and stitched tapestry, the Aesop’s Fables armchair survived World War II and the Cold War, unscathed even after the Germans and Soviets occupied the Petschek Villa in 1945. 

It depicts two tales: The Eagle and the Fox and The Fox and the Grapes — but, hey, no sour grapes here! 

• Angemi says: “The important thing to remember is, our objects get used versus those in museums, then they get returned to the host countries.” That means that the Aesop’s Fables armchair has been sat on!

  — Photo courtesy Independence Historical Trust

2. Indonesian batik 

This hand-colored batik garment — made from a centuries-old technique in which hot wax dyes the cotton — was created by famed Indonesian fashion designer Iwan Tirta, who used the same pattern and process to design batik shirts for Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. 

It features the Great Seal of the United States against a starry blue background, and lives in the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. 

• Angemi says: “I love that it expresses Indonesian culture as well as American culture. Cultural diplomacy is at its best when these things mesh together in one harmonious swoop.”

3. Qing Dynasty imperial Chinese dragon robe 

On loan from the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau, this robe looks like a costume from a movie set. It’s not. 

The design dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912 C.E.), and the right to wear it was conferred by rank. It features nine dragons embroidered on blue silk, representing the universe, interwoven by curled designs that depict clouds and waves. Minor details, like the claws on the dragon’s feet, signify your relationship with the Emperor. 

• Angemi says: “When someone gives you something that represents their culture, that’s the highest honor. We’re going to be care-taking something that represents their country.”

4. Washington at Princeton by Charles Willson Peale 

This replica, painted by Charles Willson Peale in 1779, was supposed to entice the Dutch to join the Revolutionary War effort, but the gift never arrived after the British captured the ship carrying it. 

The painting survived the war, funneling through various English families for more than 160 years until an American heiress named Caroline Ryan Foulke bequeathed it to the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Paris — where it is slated to return at the end of the exhibit. 

5. 1876 Centennial Exposition, ode to the Atwater Kent Collection 

While the Philadelphia History Museum shuttered its doors in 2018, its collections remain under the stewardship of Drexel University. You can view rare items from the 1876 Centennial, 1926 Sesquicentennial and 1976 Bicentennial at the First Bank’s first floor. 

Highlights include a pair of Chinese armchairs (made of wood and mother of pearl), along with onyx marbles from Mexico and stereograph cards from the Netherlands, among more modern treasures like tortoiseshell Liberty Bell earrings. 

  — Photo by Visit Philadelphia

How can I see the First Bank of the United States?

The First Bank of the United States officially opened at a public ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

The attraction is free and open to the public, and Independence National Historical Park invites visitors to view the park’s newest tourist attraction Thursday through Sunday, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

Footnote to history: The First Bank of the United States marks the first new attraction opened at Independence National Historical Park since The President’s House debuted in 2010. 

  — Photo by Visit Philadelphia

What’s the history of the building?

Mired in debt after emerging triumphant from the Revolutionary War, the country looked to Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton to come up with ways to pay up while continuing to grow economically. A lawyer by trade, Hamilton looked to the U.S. Constitution for ideas.

Hamilton believed that the document’s Necessary and Proper Clause gave the country the implied power to establish a national bank, but several Founding Fathers disagreed. 

Remember, the bank’s mere existence was a very controversial topic in the late 1790s as Hamilton (Federalist) and Jefferson (Democratic-Republican) fought bitterly over its establishment.

Ever the orator, Hamilton delivered a 15,000-word rebuttal, successfully selling the idea to President George Washington and Congress.

Originally housed in nearby Carpenters’ Hall, the First Bank of the United States opened in 1791, later moving to its permanent home at 120 South 3rd Street in 1797. Architect Samuel Blodgett Jr. designed the building after Greek temples to signify America’s power and strength, with banks nationwide following suit for the next 150 years.

Congress originally granted the First Bank a 20-year charter. When it expired, prominent Philadelphia financier Stephen Girard jumped at the chance to purchase the building, adding the rotunda and opening his own private bank there in 1812.

The building served Philadelphians as a bank through 1930, changing hands a few times before the National Park Service (NPS) acquired it in 1955, adding it to Independence National Historic Park. NPS used the space first as a visitor center and more recently as office space. 

Restoration and planning to convert the space to a museum began back in 2018.

What did it take to reopen the First Bank?

Built from Pennsylvania blue marble acquired in nearby Montgomery County, the stone façade — featuring six towering Corinthian-style columns — needed some TLC after standing strong through centuries of weathering.

The entire exterior underwent repointing, with workers repairing or replacing any damaged features, including the eagle sculpture (carved out of mahogany) standing watch above the columns and the marble allegory above the doors.

After preserving the structure, builders then had to ensure that the walls would be protected when installing interactive exhibits. The cost for the rehabilitation — including planning, preservation, construction and installation of exhibits — totaled more than $43 million.

“The First Bank of the United States reflects an effort to establish national trust in abstract ideals at a tempestuous time in American history,” said Steven Sims, superintendent of the National Park Service in Philadelphia. “This was a site of great experimentation, and we’re fortunate that the government continues to invest in the places where great American stories are told.”

What else is happening at Independence National Historical Park in 2026?

Plenty! Take your pick of family-friendly programming, from yoga behind the Second Bank and outdoor movie screenings to Declaration of Independence readings and nightly Twilight Tours of the park — all for free.

Plus, the West Wing of Independence Hall was renovated in June 2026, featuring new interactive installations and artifacts like the 1787 final version of the United States Constitution and the Syng Inkstand — the silver inkstand used to sign the Declaration of Independence. 

For more on the opening of the First Bank of the United States — and related events — visit the official Independence National Historic Park webpage below.

Visit Official Webpage