Philadelphia - Where Have You Been All My Life?
We decided to stay in the historic district down near Penn's Landing. We rented a wonderful apartment off of 3rd Street that I would highly recommend to anyone who is visiting. The apartment was on the third floor, but had a washer and dryer, and had a coffee house on the ground floor. We were also no more than 3-4 blocks from all the major Revolutionary War attractions in the city. One of the aspects that made Philadelphia wonderful for me was the cost. We have a national park pass, so that got us into any of the parks that did charge an admission, but many of them, like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, are free. We are also members of several local Atlanta museums, and because of reciprocal memberships, you can get into many of the private museums in the city for free as well. Our memberships to the Atlanta History Center, Atlanta Botanical Gardens, and High Museum, got us into everywhere we needed to go for free. If you are a member of a museum, check the ROAM and NARM museum lists to see what museums you can get into in other towns for free. We set out the first day and went somewhere that I believe many people overlook when they visit Philadelphia, the National Constitution Center. This very cool museum had exhibits on Alexander Hamilton, and a circular museum that might have done the best job I've ever seen in telling the history of the United States in a chronological order. They also had an exhibit that showed the stages the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights went through during their creations. Considering all of them were written in Philadelphia, this is the perfect home for understanding this remarkable documents. Just a couple hundred yards away you will come to the Liberty Bell. This historic artifact is well-known around the world as a symbol for freedom and democracy. Contrary to popular belief, the inch wide gap in the bell is not the crack of liberty, but instead was an attempt to repair the bell by cutting out the broken metal. The razor thin crack that remains can be seen as you circle the bell and read the inscription on the top, "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof, Leviticus XXV X." The museum for the Liberty Bell, which ironically used to be shipped around the nation for centennial celebrations despite its growing crack, is quite small.
Across the street from the Liberty Bell is probably the reason everyone comes to Philadelphia, Independence Hall. In this building in 1775, George Washington was selected to lead the colonial army. In this same building on July 2nd (yes, 2nd), 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted to separate from our British rulers. It wasn't until July 4th that it was actually sent to print, so this day has become our day of independence, even though John Adams believed July 2nd would be the day Americans would, "be the most memorable epoch in the history of America." This former Pennsylvania State House would act as a temporary government until the British took the city in December, 1776. After victory was won, and after the short time that New York City served as capitol of the nation, the capitol was moved to Philadelphia in 1790. Across from Independence Hall is Congress Hall, where Congress crafted the Bill of Rights in 1791. Both of these buildings have wonderful tours that are conducted by park rangers. The Independence Hall tour was so moving it brought several people to tears. When you are done there walk to the other side of the square and visit the American Philosophical Society museum, which was created by Benjamin Franklin, and houses books, maps, and letters from the time of the Revolutionary War. The last place to visit is the Second Bank of the United States. I won't go into a long lesson about what the Bank of the United States was, but this grand building that housed it is now one of the greatest art museums in the United States. Home to paintings by famous American portrait painters like Charles Willson Peale, Gilbert Stuart, and others, this free museum is home to some of the most iconic paintings you have ever seen in books and on documentaries. Being able to walk to within inches of paintings of Washington, Adams, and dozens of other founders is genuinely moving. After you are done there, go visit the lesser known Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Located in Washington Square, the tomb is graced with a statue of Washington standing over soldiers whose names have been lost, but died fighting for their country.
The next day we headed out to another museum that can rival any of the world's, the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Another art museum that is equally a history museum, this massive Federal style building looks like it was pulled from the streets of Paris or London. Famously home to the steps Rocky ran up, and you will see dozens of people recreating that moment, the real treats are inside. The museum is enormous, and like the Boston Museum of Fine Arts it feels like it is the size of a small town. They too have many works by European masters like Monet and Cezanne, but also house works by American painters like Mary Cassatt, Charles Willson Peale, and others. Like Boston, they too have purchased entire cathedrals or homes to reconstruct within their museum. One awesome piece that everyone needs to find it called, "The Battle of the Kearsarge and the Alabama." the painting by Manet is of a American Civil War battle that happened off the coast of France on June 19th, 1864. Another unique item is a collection of the Presidential china from most of the Presidents of the United States beginning with the very primitive plates of George Washington. When you are done, and have taken you obligatory run up the steps to jump like Rocky, take the mile walk over to the second part of the museum, the Rodin Museum. Auguste Rodin is arguably one of the most famous sculptors to ever live, and many of his most famous works are housed in Philadelphia. The most famous is The Thinker, which originally was not intended to be an independent statue, but was intended to be the center piece for his epic set of set of doors called The Gates of Hell. The doors stare down at you as you enter the small museum. Inside you will see other pieces of work including busts of famous 19th Century Parisians, and other artistic pieces. Like the Boston Museum, you could spend 4-5 hours inside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and still need to go back the next day. One cool thing the museum does is let you come back the next day. Your tickets are good for two consecutive days, so take advantage of that. The Rodin Museum can be seen in 30 minutes, but is worth the walk.
There is so much more that I could discuss about Philadelphia, but I think this is a good base of ideas for anyone traveling there. If you are hungry, make your way down to the Reading Terminal Market for a food experience like nothing else. This century year old building is wall to wall with stands of food from around the world. While you are downtown, go to McGillin's Old Ale House, the oldest restaurant in town, and home to some outstanding wings. Also, make your way over to the Wanamaker Building on Penn Square near City Hall. This grand old building is home to a Macy's today, but is also home to the largest pipe organ in the world, which we discovered on accident while looking for a new suitcase. Finally, go take a tour of City Hall. I have never seen a city hall with as much grandeur in the United States as this one, and it rivals any of the ornate city halls of Europe.
I hope you have enjoyed our series on this historic trip through some of America's most influential early cities. No matter how often I travel throughout the United States I am blown away by the kindness of my fellow Americans, and the beauty of this nation. I hope that some day each of you will be able to visit this sites and realize the importance they have not just to us as Americans, but to every person who loves liberty throughout our nation. If you would like to see more pictures, please follow us on Instagram, our handle is theworldtowander. We hope you enjoy.
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