Philadelphia Disney Travel Agents Near Me

Overview

Introduction

Old City, a hip neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is today much as it was when Benjamin Franklin walked its streets. One of the most progressive citizens of his time, city-father Franklin would surely approve of the many art galleries, trendy shops and vibrant restaurants that dot the downtown Philadelphia landscape.

Philadelphia's rich history is still visible today in the superb Historic District: That is where you'll find Independence Hall, where the nation's Constitution was hotly debated, and the Liberty Bell, which became a symbol of the new government. The city's museums—more than a dozen, including the excellent Franklin Institute and the Philadelphia Museum of Art—are world-class institutions that mix old and new in surprising ways.

Must See or Do

Sights—Independence Hall; the Liberty Bell; the Betsy Ross House and Elfreth's Alley in Old City; the Fairmount Water Works and Victorian boathouses in Fairmount Park; Franklin Square; Rittenhouse Square; Robert Indiana's LOVE sculpture by City Hall; the Mikveh Israel Synagogue, with the oldest congregation in Philadelphia and the second-oldest in the country.

Museums—Asian, European and contemporary American art and furniture at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the remarkable impressionist collection at The Barnes Foundation; sculpture at the Rodin Museum; science and learning at The Franklin; Grover Cleveland's tumor at the Mutter Museum in the College of Physicians; an interactive learning experience at the National Museum of American Jewish History.

Memorable Meals—Fresh seafood at Vernick Fish; anything on the menu at Amada; the Philly cheesesteak experience at Jim's Steaks; modern Israeli fare at Zahav; soft pretzels topped with mustard, a street tradition dating from the 1820s.

Late Night—Upscale alternative rock at the World Cafe Live; blues at Warmdaddy's; the Phildelphia Orchestra and other world-class performances at The Kimmel Center.

Walks—Through Independence National Historical Park to see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and the National Constitution Center; Penn's Landing (along the Delaware waterfront); through the Italian Market below South Street along Ninth; along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to some of the city's best museums; in and around Rittenhouse and Washington squares for a step back in time; the Society Hill District to see Pennsylvania Hospital's majestic 19th-century operating-room amphitheater; taking in public art along the Schuylkill on the River Trail and down Kelly Drive.

Especially for Kids—The Philadelphia Zoo; interactive exhibits at the Please Touch Museum for Children; touching a shark at the Adventure Aquarium; the USS New Jersey, the most decorated battleship in the U.S., along the Camden Waterfront; Camden Children's Garden; a visit to "Cockroach Kitchen" at the Insectarium.

Geography

Among the largest cities in the U.S., Philadelphia lies 100 mi/160 km south of New York City and 55 mi/90 km inland from the Atlantic Ocean. Its eastern boundary, the Delaware River, separates Pennsylvania from New Jersey and provides access to the Atlantic, making Philadelphia one of the most important commercial ports in the country. The city's western boundary is the Schuylkill (pronounced SCHOOL-kill) River. Compact and easy to navigate, Center City (downtown) is surrounded by the Avenue of the Arts, Old City, the Parkway and Museum area, Fairmount Park, University City, the Convention Center and Chinatown.

Thanks to William Penn's decision to plan Philadelphia as a grid, it's one of the easiest cities to navigate in the eastern U.S. You do have to understand the numbering and naming system, though. In Center City, all numbered streets are one-way. East of Broad Street (also known as "14th Street" and the "Avenue of the Arts"), odd-numbered streets run south to north, even-numbered streets north to south. West of Broad Street, odd-numbered streets run north to south, even-numbered streets south to north. Market Street is the dividing line between north and south addresses.

In the downtown area, most major streets running east to west are named after trees (Chestnut, Walnut, Locust, Spruce). They, too, alternate directions as one-way streets. (Locating an address is simple: 1918 Locust, for instance, would be between 19th and 20th streets.)

History

William Penn established Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, in 1682—his "holy experiment," demonstrating the Quaker ideal of religious tolerance, creating a city without walls or neighborhood borders. Because of its excellent location near the Atlantic coast and accessible port facilities, Philadelphia grew rapidly in the 1700s until it was the second-largest English-speaking city in the world. It was called the "Athens of the Americas" and the cultural center of the New World.

The U.S.'s heritage began in Philadelphia with a concentration of key events in the area that is now Independence National Historical Park. The U.S. Constitution was written there, and the Declaration of Independence was signed and presented to the citizenry on that historic plaza. Following the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788, the city served as the nation's capital from 1790 until 1800, while Washington D.C. was under construction, and the infant U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court all met on that block.

During the 19th century, the city grew, annexing parts of the countryside, including Fairmount Park—where wealthy Philadelphians built beautiful mansions to escape yellow fever.

The city also became an industrial force in the early 1900s, but its industrial growth began to decline after World War II. Philadelphia experienced a cultural resurgence in the 1970s, spurred in part by the country's 1976 bicentennial celebration. The city still pursues its renewal programs in neighborhoods such as Old City, which booms with burgeoning residential property, shops and cultural venues.

Philadelphia's historical legacy continues to attract tourists even as it benefits from an infusion of new business and economic energy, thanks to the tech and pharmaceutical industries. The local economy holds its own among the nation's major cities.

Potpourri

Philadelphian M. Night Shyamalan has set many of his films—The Sixth Sense, Signs, Unbreakable, The Village, Lady in the Water and The Happening—in and around the city and region.

A city of firsts, Philadelphia is home to the nation's first grammar school, public library, volunteer fire department, hospital, insurance company, university and zoo.

Philadelphia's "Get your history straight and your nightlife gay" was the first tourism campaign to promote a U.S. city to the gay market. The campaign won national accolades.

Famous Philadelphians include actors Kevin Bacon, Bradley Cooper, Kat Dennings, Grace Kelly and Will Smith, comedians Tina Fey and Kevin Hart, basketball legends Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant, and musicians Boyz II Men, Patti LaBelle and John Coltrane, to name a few.

Although the Liberty Bell was cast in 1753, it wasn't called the Liberty Bell until 1853. Abolitionists gave it that name after adopting it as their symbol. The inscription on the bell is taken from the Bible: "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof."

In 1946, the world's first computer, ENIAC, designed to calculate artillery tables for the Army, was switched on at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. It was said that whenever it was turned on, lights around the city dimmed.

Elfreth's Alley is the oldest continually occupied street in the U.S.