Independence Hall Tickets

How the timed ticket works

Tickets for the guided tours are reserved on recreation.gov or by phone, up to 30 days before the tour, according to the NPS. The ticket itself is free; recreation.gov adds a small reservation fee per ticket, and the current amount is shown there. Each ticket is for a set time. The NPS states that “any tickets not booked will be available up until the time of the tour”, so a date that is not sold out can still be reserved close to the day.

The NPS hours page lists the day in three parts:

• 9 to 10:30 am: open house, no tickets.
• 10:40 am to 4 pm: guided tours every 20 minutes, with tickets.
• 4:20 pm: an expanded tour that includes the second floor.

Hours and procedures can change, and the NPS asks visitors to check nps.gov before visiting.

The morning open house

Between 9 and 10:30 am, per the NPS hours page, Independence Hall is open without tickets. This is the window for a visit without a reservation. The Liberty Bell Center opens at 9 am as well, so the two can be combined early in the day, though each has its own security screening. Congress Hall, beside Independence Hall, follows the same pattern: an open house from 9 to 10:30 am, then tours every 20 minutes to 4:40 pm, per the NPS hours page.

The 4:20 pm expanded tour

The last tour of the day, at 4:20 pm, is described by the NPS as an expanded tour that includes the second floor. The NPS notes that it is not wheelchair accessible. The first floor of Independence Hall is wheelchair accessible, per the NPS.

Screening and arrival

The screening entrance is on the south side of the building, according to the NPS, which gives the GPS address as 520 Chestnut Street. The NPS asks ticket holders to arrive 30 minutes before the tour time to go through screening. The nearest SEPTA station is 5th Street/Independence Hall on the L, the Market-Frankford Line; septa.org has the details. The getting there page covers the approach on foot.

What happened inside

Independence Hall was the Pennsylvania State House. The Declaration of Independence was adopted there on 4 July 1776, and the US Constitution was signed there on 17 September 1787. UNESCO inscribed the building as a World Heritage Site in 1979. The Liberty Bell was ordered in 1751 for the State House bell tower. The visiting Independence Hall page covers the building and Congress Hall next door.

The booked alternative: a tour with the tickets included

Of the six products on this site, one lists Independence Hall timed tickets among its inclusions. Philadelphia: Revolution and The Founders History Tour is a 2-hour walk with a historian guide that meets outside the Market Street doors of the Independence Visitor Center, at 6th and Market. Its listing includes Independence Hall timed tickets, the “interiors of NPS federal structures”, a free podcast and the guide. The description mentions the Liberty Bell, the home of George Washington and the site of the Continental Congress. It runs rain or shine and is listed as wheelchair accessible. Its listing states free cancellation up to 24 hours before for a full refund.

The difference from reserving directly is the guide and the planning: the recreation.gov ticket covers the guided tour of the building alone, while the founders tour wraps the building into a 2-hour walk. The founders tour close-up and the walking tours page have more.

Check dates for the founders tour

Two hours with a historian guide, with Independence Hall timed tickets included per the listing.

Frequently asked questions