First Time in Philadelphia

What Philadelphia is known for

William Penn founded the city in 1682. On 4 July 1776 the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in the Pennsylvania State House, now Independence Hall, and the Constitution was signed in the same building on 17 September 1787. UNESCO inscribed Independence Hall as a World Heritage Site in 1979. Philadelphia also served as the national capital from 1790 to 1800. Outside the history books, the city is known for the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, known from the Rocky film and called the “Rocky Steps”, with the Rocky statue nearby, and for Reading Terminal Market at 12th and Arch.

The Liberty Bell

The Liberty Bell Center at 526 Market Street is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, according to the NPS. “Admission is FREE” and “NO tickets are required” (NPS): entry is first come, first served, through a security screening. The bell has been silent since February 1846, when a second crack ended its ringing. A few points often surprise first-time visitors: historians have found no evidence that the bell rang on 4 July 1776; the name “Liberty Bell” came from abolitionists in 1835; and the bell cannot be touched, although a casting of the inscription inside can. The do you need tickets page explains why a search for Liberty Bell tickets usually leads somewhere else, and the history page tells the bell’s story in order.

Independence Hall

Independence Hall is the building nearby that needs a ticket for its guided tours. The NPS runs an open house from 9 to 10:30 am without tickets, then tours every 20 minutes from 10:40 am to 4 pm with a free timed ticket reserved on recreation.gov up to 30 days ahead. A small reservation fee per ticket applies, and unbooked tickets are available until the time of the tour. The NPS asks visitors to arrive 30 minutes early for screening. The Independence Hall tickets page covers the booking.

Practical points for a first visit

• Getting there: the nearest station is 5th Street/Independence Hall on SEPTA’s L, the Market-Frankford Line.
• Restrooms: there are none inside the Liberty Bell Center (NPS); the Independence Visitor Center at 6th and Market has them.
• Security: the NPS screens every visitor and bag, and open containers of food or drink are not allowed inside.
• Weather: the NPS describes hot, muggy summers, mild spring and autumn, and cold winters. The bell line waits outside in an uncovered area.
• Seeing the bell out of hours: it stays visible through the large windows on Chestnut Street at any time of day or night.

With a guide or without

A first visit to Independence Mall needs no booked tour. For visitors who want one, the Revolution and Founders history tour is a 2-hour walk with a historian guide, meeting at the Independence Visitor Center, and its listing includes Independence Hall timed tickets. Candice, from the US, mentioned a guide passionate about history and stories well told. The 2.5-hour history walk covers the bell as a stop and continues into Old City. The which tour page sets out the options by time and interest.

Frequently asked questions