Philadelphia

Description

Philadelphia was planned, founded and developed by William Penn, a Quaker in 1682. Penn based his design on a perpendicular grid of streets, a model since copied throughout the USA. Under British rule, the city quickly grew in size and importance. But anti-British feeling grew amongst the strongly-minded colonists, and Philadelphia became the center of revolutionary activity, and the birthplace of an independent United States.

So the Independence National Historic Park is on the top of many tourist’s ‘things-to-do’ list when then visit Philadelphia. Within the park are several buildings with iconic status. These include:

Carpenters Hall. Here in 1774 delegates from the 13 British Colonies met at the First Continental Congress to discuss their grievances against King George III.

Independence Hall. From 1775 the meeting place of the Second Continental Congress. In 1776 the delegates drew up the Declaration of Independence, which was read publicly in the square next to the hall. The imposing bell tower housed the famous Liberty Bell, now on display with a distinctive crack. In 1777 the British army arrived, causing the nascent government to flee, later returning in 1778 at the end of the occupation.

Congress Hall. From 1790 this served as the first home to the Congress of the new United States with the House of Representatives meeting on the first floor (‘The Lower House’) and the Senate meeting of the second floor (‘The Upper House’).

For more history, visit the leafy streets off Washington and Rittenhouse squares, some of the oldest continuously lived-in streets in the US (Rittenhouse square also has a thriving artists' market).

If you’re fond of museums, Philadelphia’s Museum of Art has a strong collection, featuring star-quality works from artists such as Van Gogh, Monet and Renoir. Science lovers will love the impressive Franklin Institute. Here a favorite exhibit is the recreation of several of the great man’s experiments.

Beyond the Museum of Art lies Fairmount Park, a large and beautiful green spacing edging the Schuylkill River.

There’s a myriad of top-quality restaurants and bars to dine in, but special mention must go to the City Tavern, where you can taste authentic 18th century American cooking, and drink a brew created by Benjamin Franklin himself.