Independence Hall. The birthplace of American democracy, where both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were debated and signed. Guided tours run every 20 minutes and bring the founding era vividly to life inside the original Assembly Room.
Liberty Bell Center. Free and open daily, the Liberty Bell Center houses America's most famous symbol of freedom — a 2,080-pound bell that has inspired abolitionists and civil-rights leaders for over two centuries. The exhibits surrounding it trace the bell's full political and cultural history.
Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Rocky Steps. One of the nation's premier encyclopedic art museums, housing masterworks spanning more than 2,000 years. The 72 stone steps at its east entrance — made world-famous by the 1976 film Rocky — draw up to four million climbers a year and are free to visit any time.
Barnes Foundation. One of the world's greatest collections of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and early modern painting — Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso — displayed in Dr. Albert Barnes' idiosyncratic ensemble arrangements rather than conventional gallery labels. The experience is unlike any other art museum.
Reading Terminal Market. Voted the No. 1 Best Public Market in America by USA Today 10Best, this 1893 train-shed market hosts 80 vendors selling everything from Amish baked goods and Pennsylvania Dutch scrapple to Philly cheesesteaks, fresh produce, and international street food. Tommy DiNic's roast pork sandwich — crowned Best Sandwich in…
Eastern State Penitentiary. Once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, this crumbling gothic fortress held 80,000 inmates over 142 years of operation — including Al Capone and Willie Sutton. Narrated by actor Steve Buscemi, the audio tour is one of the most gripping historic site experiences in the country.
Elfreth's Alley. Dating to 1703, this narrow cobblestone lane in Old City is the nation's oldest continuously inhabited residential street. Twenty-nine of its 32 meticulously preserved Federal and Georgian-style houses are still private homes; two serve as a museum open to visitors.
Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Philadelphia's mile-long answer to the Champs-Élysées, stretching from City Hall to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and flanked by world-class institutions including the Barnes Foundation, the Franklin Institute, and the Rodin Museum. LOVE Park anchors the southern end with Robert Indiana's iconic sculpture.
Top-rated tours & activities in Philadelphia
Classic Philadelphia City Bike Tour — 5.0★ (340 reviews)
Yo! A Private Rocky Balboa Driving Tour of Philadelphia — 5.0★ (67 reviews)
Dark Philly Adult Night Tour — 4.9★ (4,474 reviews)
Center City Philadelphia Food Tour with Reading Market — 4.9★ (1,018 reviews)
Explore Philadelphia via Vintage Car or Electric cart — 4.7★ (86 reviews)
Penn Museum Admission Ticket — 4.6★ (46 reviews)
Philadelphia's Italian Market Food Tour — 5.0★ (326 reviews)
Historic Philly for Kids Ages 5 to 12 — 5.0★ (38 reviews)
Classic Philadelphia City Bike Tour — 5.0★ (340 reviews)
Yo! A Private Rocky Balboa Driving Tour of Philadelphia — 5.0★ (67 reviews)
Dark Philly Adult Night Tour — 4.9★ (4,474 reviews)
Center City Philadelphia Food Tour with Reading Market — 4.9★ (1,018 reviews)
Explore Philadelphia via Vintage Car or Electric cart — 4.7★ (86 reviews)
Penn Museum Admission Ticket — 4.6★ (46 reviews)
Philadelphia's Italian Market Food Tour — 5.0★ (326 reviews)
Historic Philly for Kids Ages 5 to 12 — 5.0★ (38 reviews)