Visiting Independence Hall

Where it is

Independence Hall stands on Chestnut Street between 5th and 6th Streets, with the screening entrance on the south side. The NPS gives 520 Chestnut Street as the GPS address. The Liberty Bell Center faces it from Independence Mall to the north, and Congress Hall stands beside it. The nearest SEPTA station is 5th Street/Independence Hall on the L, the Market-Frankford Line.

Hours and tours

The NPS hours page splits the day in three:

• 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. The NPS notes it is not wheelchair accessible.

Hours can change, and the Independence Hall page on nps.gov has the current schedule.

Tickets

The tickets are free and reserved on recreation.gov or by phone, up to 30 days ahead. A small reservation fee per ticket applies and is shown on recreation.gov. According to the NPS, "any tickets not booked will be available up until the time of the tour", so a same-day visitor may still find a slot. Visitors who arrive without a ticket can also use the 9 to 10:30 am open house, which the NPS runs with no tickets. The Independence Hall tickets page covers the booking step by step.

Of the six products on this site, one includes the ticket in a wider walk. The Revolution and Founders History Tour lists a 2-hour walk with a historian guide, and its listing includes "Independence Hall timed tickets" and "interiors of NPS federal structures". It meets outside the Market Street doors of the Independence Visitor Center, per the listing.

Screening and accessibility

The NPS asks visitors to arrive 30 minutes before their tour for security screening at the south-side entrance. The first floor is wheelchair accessible, according to the NPS; the 4:20 pm expanded tour, which goes to the second floor, is not.

What happened here

The building began as the Pennsylvania State House, in a city founded by William Penn in 1682. The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in it on 4 July 1776, and the US Constitution was signed there on 17 September 1787. The UNESCO World Heritage listing records both documents as signed in the building, which was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1979. The Liberty Bell was ordered in 1751 for its bell tower; the history page follows the bell from there.

Congress Hall and the Liberty Bell

Congress Hall stands beside Independence Hall. The NPS hours page lists an open house there from 9 to 10:30 am, then tours every 20 minutes to 4:40 pm; check before visiting. The Liberty Bell Center, across Chestnut Street at 526 Market Street, is free with no tickets and open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, per the NPS. Its exit at the south end, near Chestnut Street, leads toward the hall. The Liberty Bell Center page covers that visit.

Frequently asked questions