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Welcome to the City of Brotherly Love! Explore the city of Philadelphia before stepping foot on a single cobblestone on this virtual tour. Highlights include the 72 Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and The Franklin Institute’s rotunda, featuring the 20-foot Benjamin Franklin National Memorial.
Benjamin Franklin Bridge
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Originally named the Delaware River Bridge when it was opened in 1926, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge welcomes around 100,000 vehicles per day between Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey; carries the PATCO High Speed Line trains; and contains pedestrian walkways along both sides — making it popular with the running community. Each of the suspension bridge’s two towers rise more than 380 feet above the Delaware River, and the bridge was orignially constructed with more than 70,000 tons of steel.
Race Street Pier
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Race Street Pier on the Delaware River is a relaxing respite in the heart of the city. Located in the shadow of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, the pier features two levels available for riverside recreation. The upper terrace rises 12 feet toward the bridge. The promenade is connected to the lower terrace by a multi-tiered seating area, perfect for watching the tide roll in.
Elfreth's Alley
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Elfreth’s Alley, known as our nation’s oldest continuously occupied residential street, was founded in 1702 as a cartway from 2nd Street to the Delaware River waterfront. The street was eventually named for blacksmith Jeremiah Elfreth and here, residents of many faiths, races and countries learned to live with one another. Today, the current residents of these architectural treasures welcome visitors from around the world.
Independence Hall Exterior
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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 (now known as Independence Hall) and defied the King of England. Eleven years later, representatives gathered here at Independence Hall to shape the U.S. Constitution, finally creating one unified nation.
Independence Mall
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Known as the birthplace of American democracy, 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.
Liberty Bell Center
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The Liberty Bell’s home on Independence Mall 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. The Liberty Bell Center is part of the U.S. National Park Service and Independence National Historical Park.
Carpenters' Hall
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In 1774, delegates from 12 colonies convened at Carpenters’ Hall for the First Continental Congress, where they voted for a trade embargo as part of one of the first acts of defiance against the Kingdom of Great Britain. While the building is now part of Independence National Historical Park, it is still owned and operated by the Carpenters’ Company of the City and County of Philadelphia, the oldest trade guild in the United States.
Betsy Ross House
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Thousands of visitors arrive year round to tour the birthplace of the first Stars and Stripes, the 18th-century Betsy Ross House. Ross' former dwelling is alive with the sights and sounds of the times. Visitors here learn about the famous upholsterer and rare female business owner.
National Constitution Center
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Dedicated to the four most powerful pages in American history, the National Constitution Center examines "We the People." As many as 350,000 museum-goers per year come to explore exhibits and artifacts surrounding this theme, including the theatrical production of "Freedom Rising" and 42 life-size bronze statues of the Founding Fathers.
African American Museum in Philadelphia
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The African American Museum in Philadelphia, founded in 1976, is the first institution built by a major U.S. city to preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage and culture of African Americans. The museum takes a fresh look at the stories of African Americans and their role in the founding of the nation through the core permanent exhibit "Audacious Freedom: African Americans in Philadelphia 1776-1876," allowing Octavius Catto, Richard Allen and other trailblazers to tell their stories via technology, photographs, videos and artifacts on display.
National Museum of American Jewish History
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Rising five stories above Independence Mall in the heart of Philadelphia's Historic District, the National Museum of American Jewish History brings to life the more than 360-year history of Jews in America. Through the use of evocative objects, telling moments and state-of-the-art interactive technologies, the 100,000-square-foot museum traces the stories of how Jewish immigrants became Jewish Americans and invites visitors of all backgrounds to share their own stories, too.
Second Bank of the United States
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Filled with an extraordinary collection of 18th-century portraits, the Second Bank of the United States packs a large punch in a relatively small space. It’s modeled on the Parthenon and has acted as the standard-bearer for many subsequent American bank buildings. Inside, it holds a repository of portraits depicting many of the men vital to 18th-century America’s development. Included in that list are Declaration of Independence signers Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Mifflin and Robert Morris, alongside paintings of Marquis de Lafayette, Patrick Henry and Casimir Pulaski.
Washington Square
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In contrast to today’s beautiful park setting, Washington Square was claimed as a burial ground and pasture during its early years. By 1815, however, the installation of a public walk and tree-planting program initiated what would become the modern-day scenic square — renamed Washington Square in 1825. Washington Square is one of the five original squares William Penn set aside to establish parks for the public.
Reading Terminal Market
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Reading Terminal Market, established in 1892, is one of the oldest and largest continuously operating public markets in the country. When you visit the market, you can enjoy eating virtually every type of cuisine, from sublime soul food and exquisite Asian and Middle Eastern dishes to authentic Philly cheesesteaks and traditional Pennsylvania Dutch fare — all available from more than six dozen independently owned mom-and-pop shops.
Pat's and Geno's Cheesesteaks
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The intersection of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia is the epicenter of Philadelphia cheesesteak lore. On the south side of this corner, Pat Olivieri first invented the sandwich in 1930. Today, the corner is home to the two most famous cheesesteak vendors in the world: Mr. Olivieri’s eponymous Pat’s King of Steaks and, on the north side of the corner, the always-illuminated Geno’s Steaks.
Avenue of the Arts
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Although technically named South Broad Street, the stretch from City Hall to Lombard Street has earned the nickname Avenue of the Arts — and for good reason. Philadelphia’s performing arts community thrives here in the more than half a dozen theaters lining the street. Orchestra fans, opera lovers, theatergoers, dance aficionados and artists spill onto the sidewalks to mix with the locals who live, work and dine on the storied thoroughfare.
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
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A jewel nestled in the heart of Center City, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) boasts a vast collection of American art and treasures by local and national luminaries such as Charles Willson Peale (founder of the academy), Thomas Eakins (who taught here) and Violet Oakley.
Penn Museum
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If you called its 15-ton Egyptian sphinx “one in a million,” you’d be right: It is just one in a collection of about a million objects at the Penn Museum, one of the world’s finest archaeological and anthropological museums and home to more than 150,000 visitors per year.
The Franklin Institute
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The Franklin Institute, the region’s premier science museum, features a full city block of fun exhibitions, including the walk-through "Giant Heart", an 8,500-square-foot space to explore the brain, "Space Command", "SportsZone" and the Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion, a massive 53,000-square-foot area for permanent and traveling exhibitions. It's also home to the Tuttleman IMAX Theater and the renowned Fels Planetarium. All of these features and more attract over 800,000 visitors per year.
The Barnes Foundation
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The Barnes Foundation inspires discovery with a world-renowned collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and early Modern paintings, as well as important African sculpture, Pennsylvania German decorative arts, old master paintings and more. The 93,000-square-foot, two-story building features 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes, 59 Matisses, and 46 Picassos, along with works by Manet, Degas, Seurat, Prendergast and Titian.
Schuylkill River Banks
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Spanning miles of riverfront winding through the heart of Philadelphia, Schuylkill Banks is open year round for walking, jogging, cycling, picnics and dog walking. The Center City trail segment stretches along the east bank of the Schuylkill River from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to Locust Street. Schuylkill Banks is part of the Schuylkill River Trail, a 23-mile link from Philadelphia to Valley Forge National Historical Park, and is also a part of the nationally designated Schuylkill River National Heritage Area.
Boathouse Row
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Local boating club members take great pride in their 19th-century boathouses, which line the Schuylkill River just west of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. At night, lights outline the 12 boathouses, making Boathouse Row one of the city’s loveliest views.
Fairmount Water Works
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Fairmount Park’s famed Water Works — onetime home to the engine room for Philadelphia’s cutting-edge water department — is a National Historic Landmark with breathtaking views of Boathouse Row and the Center City skyline from its waterfront location at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Formerly a restaurant and lounge, the Water Works now serves as an interpretive center and a majestic setting for events.
Philadelphia Museum of Art
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Completed in 1928, the Philadelphia Museum of Art covers 10 acres and houses more than 240,000 works spanning 2,000 years. The Great Stair Hall at the heart of the museum is not only home to the "Diana" sculpture, but the hall also frequently houses live music and gives way to after-hours gallery access as part of the museum's Friday Nights series. Visitors can also enjoy extended hours on Wednesday nights.
"Rocky" Steps at Philadelphia Museum of Art
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One of Philadelphia’s most famous pieces of public art is a bigger-than-life boxer… literally. Originally created for "Rocky III," the sculpture is now a real-life monument to a celluloid hero. The fictional Rocky Balboa of Sylvester Stallone’s "Rocky" movies was immortalized in bronze in 1980. After filming for the movie completed, Stallone donated the statue to Philadelphia. The statue is located at the bottom of the stairs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art — be sure to get a photo.
