East Coast Getaways: Historic Philadelphia

Independence National Park, home of the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were signed), is located in Philadephia. A visit to the park is a great day trip (I prefer a weekend which has more parking options), but there are many other historic (tours, buildings and homes, such as the Betsy Ross House), cultural (exhibits, shows, theater, art, sports) and educational (museums, zoo, dinasaur exibit) places to see and events to experience that require a longer stay or more follow up visits. Many of the local hotels offer special weekend getaway packages.

Here are some links to help in getting the most out of your trip to Philadelphia:
Independence National Park
Independence Visitors Center
Philadelphia Vacation and Travel Planning Guide
City of Philadelphia Visitors Information
Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Center
City Search: Historic Philadelphia
City Search: Philadelphia 101
Philadelphia Insider

Note about visiting Independence Hall: Tours of the hall are conducted in groups by park personnel and require a FREE timed ticket for admission into the hall, it's immediate grounds and assignment to a tour group. Even infants need a ticket. We suggest getting your ticket in advance (there is a $1.50 reservation fee) or for free on the day of your visit - just go to the ticket booth first before you do/see anything else. Keep in mind that only 6 tickets can be picked up per person. (So if your family or group needs 7 tickets, you will need to have at least 2 people pick up tickets.) Make sure you allow yourself enough time to get through the security checkpoint lines at the entrance onto the Independence Hall grounds.

Confirm Visitor Hours In Advance: Make sure you check the 'open' hours for the places you are interested in visiting as some are only open 9-5 and many are closed one or two days a week. For example the Betsy Ross House is usually closed on Mondays.

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