Philadelphia Attractions
Type
Access: Open to visitors
Price
Independence National Historical Park
Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and the surrounding blocks. The Hall itself needs a timed ticket in peak season; the rest is walk-in and free.
National Constitution Center
The companion to the Hall, and the place to go if the arguments behind the document interest you more than the room.
Philadelphia Museum of Art
The third-largest art museum in the country, at the top of the steps everybody runs up. The Rodin Museum sits a few blocks below it.
Eastern State Penitentiary
An 1829 prison, the first of its kind anywhere, left as a stabilised ruin. Al Capone's cell is restored.
The Franklin Institute and the Academy of Natural Sciences
Two long-established science museums on the Parkway, both strong with children.
The Mütter Museum
The College of Physicians' medical collection — anatomical specimens and instruments, and not for everyone.
Penn Museum
Archaeology and anthropology in West Philadelphia, with a serious Egyptian and Near Eastern collection.
Day trips
Valley Forge, where the Continental Army wintered in 1777-78, and Longwood Gardens, one of the great display gardens in America, are each about an hour out of the city and both warrant a half or full day.
