Philadelphia attractions

There’s nowhere else quite like South Street—located at the southern border of Center City, this thoroughfare is known for its countercultural cool. Alternative shops, tattoo parlors, and dive bars attract the young and edgy, while performance venues, art spaces, and popular cheesesteak slingers draw Philadelphians of all ages.

Set within Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park, the Second Bank of the United States was the country’s national bank from 1816 to 1833. An architectural inspiration for later American banks, the Greek Revival building now houses a “People of Independence” collection of portraits and sculptures of leading 18th-and 19th-century Americans.

One of the starts of Philadelphia’s museum scene, the Barnes Foundation is home to an enviable collection of Impressionist and modern art masterworks. Located next to the Rodin Museum and minutes from the blockbuster Philadelphia Museum of Art, it has been a must-see cultural destination since relocating to the city in 2012.

Located where the residence of the country’s first presidents once stood, The President’s House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation exhibition area is a highlight of Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park. Erected in 2010, the open-air gallery explores how slavery tainted the country’s struggle for freedom.

From a disc of precious metal to a shiny new coin, you can watch the entire process of creating money at the United States Mint in Philadelphia. Glass-lined hallways set above the operating floor let you view coins as they are cut to size, rolled across conveyor belts, stamped with designs, and popped out looking like the change in your pocket.

Pennsylvania’s largest Catholic church, the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul makes a striking impression on the east side of Philadelphia’s Logan Square. One of Philadelphia’s most notable buildings, built between 1846 and 1864, the cathedral has been the site of two papal Masses. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Sandwiched between Columbus Boulevard and the Delaware River on the east side of Philadelphia, Penn's Landing is skinny in shape but important in stature. The waterfront area served as the 1682 landing spot for William Penn, founder of the Pennsylvania colony, making it a must-see spot for any American history buff.

Philadelphia’s grandest public square, Rittenhouse Square—and its surrounding neighborhood, which goes by the same name—is a popular destination for shoppers, sightseers, and foodies. Located in the heart of Center City, the leafy park is a popular public oasis, and the high-end stores and restaurants are their own draw.

Located in Independence National Historical Park, Independence Visitor Center is Philadelphia's official visitor center and a helpful introduction to its Revolutionary War landmarks. Visit the center to access tourism resources, get tickets to select landmarks—including Independence Hall—and stop by its gift shop and cafe.

Families traveling with young kids won’t want to skip the Please Touch Museum, which has been the children’s museum of Philadelphia since 1976. The guiding principle of the museum is teaching through play, and it offers a multitude of engaging hands-on activities, especially geared toward infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and early elementary-age children.

After winning the Revolutionary War, America’s founding fathers established their original government in Philadelphia—among their goals was creating a single currency and founding a national bank to help build the nation. Today, the First Bank of the United States still stands on Independence Mall. Proposed by Alexander Hamilton, the bank was built in a Roman style to make the institution intentionally imposing.

The Philadelphia Zoo is perfect for families with kids looking for a break from the historical sites, though it has some historical significance as well—it was the nation’s first zoo. It’s home to over 1,300 different animals, many of them rare and endangered, and renowned for successfully breeding animals that are difficult to breed in captivity.

Originally settled in the mid-19th century by Cantonese immigrants, Philadelphia's Chinatown is a vibrant and eclectic neighborhood known for its fresh-food markets, authentic restaurants, and diverse crowds. Its streets and alleyways are jam-packed with shops, including those selling gifts and souvenirs, novelty items, and artisan crafts.

At the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, you can learn about Jewish heritage while browsing exhibits curated to showcase the culture and traditions of Jews in America. The Smithsonian-affiliated museum hosts special events and houses more than 30,000 objects, organized according to themes such as American-Jewish immigration, art, charity, sports, and religion.

This popular museum showcases the unique stories of African-Americans and the African Diaspora through fine art, multimedia displays, historical artifacts, and exhibits. Founded in 1976, the African American Museum in Philadelphia is the first institution built by a major US city to explore this heritage and culture. An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum is home to artifacts from the Civil Rights movement, the Negro baseball league, and more.

At the time of its construction in 1829, Eastern State Penitentiary was the most expensive public structure ever built, housing notorious criminals such as gangster boss Al Capone and bank robber Willie Sutton. No longer a functioning prison, the structure is now open to the public as a National Historic Landmark.

One of the five original squares drawn up by Philadelphia’s founder William Penn in the 18th century, today Logan Square is one of the city’s most vibrant and cultural districts. With Logan Circle—a public park and fountain—at its heart, the neighborhood also encompasses many leading museums along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

While visiting one of America’s most historic cities, take an opportunity to shop for unique antiques along Philadelphia’s Antique Row. The heart of this downtown district stretches along Pine Street, from Ninth and Eleventh Streets, where collectors can find shops packed with colonial-era wares and hard-to-find antique furniture.

Surely one of the strangest museums in the United States, the Mütter Museum houses one of the world’s largest collections of medical oddities. Affiliated with The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, it’s named for Thomas Dent Mütter, a 17th-century pioneer of reconstructive surgery and medical education who was fascinated by human anomalies and collected them in a wide variety of forms.

Formerly the Philadelphia Maritime Museum, the Independence Seaport Museum spotlights the maritime past of the city and the Delaware River. Centered on a two-story exhibition space, its attractions also span two National Historic Landmark vessels—the cruiser Olympia and submarine Becuna—alongside model ships and historical displays.

Open since 1857, Philadelphia’s Academy of Music is the oldest active opera house in the United States. “The Grand Old Lady of Locust Street” is today host to the Opera Company of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Ballet, as well as touring Broadway at the Academy performances, and is considered one of the city’s top cultural venues.

Since 1998, the Hard Rock Cafe in Philadelphia has been offering travelers a true taste of classic Americana in the City of Brotherly Love. Visitors can tuck into juicy burgers and sip on chocolatey milkshakes in a lively environment that pays homage to tons of musical greats. Relax in a cozy booth and gaze out at memorabilia from Elton John, the Beatles, and Jim Morrison.

You can find the final resting place of American founding father Benjamin Franklin on the northwest corner of the Christ Church Burial Ground, which houses the graves of many other founding fathers—including four other signatories of the Declaration of Independence. Franklin’s grave is shared with his wife Deborah, and the simple stone merely says their names and 1790, the year of his death.

Located in South Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Italian Market is one of the oldest and continuously operating outdoor markets in the United States. Stretching for more than 20 city blocks, you can find everything here from fresh produce, meat, seafood, and cheese to prepared foods across a wide variety of cuisines.

Spanning half a city block on South Street, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens (PMG showcases the work of mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar. Featuring both an outdoor sculpture garden and an indoor gallery, PMG is a unique, urban art space constructed from glass and ceramic fragments, handmade tiles, and all manner of discarded and found items.

Old City Hall was used by the first US Supreme Court from 1791 to 1800, when Philadelphia was briefly the nation’s capital. After the federal government moved to Washington DC, the building was occupied by Philadelphia’s city hall and mayor’s office. Today it’s maintained as a historic site, and visitors can see the restored courtroom.

The largest park in Philadelphia—and one of the biggest swaths of urban green space in the country—Fairmount Park is also home to public artworks, museums, and historic highlights. With east and west sections divided by the Schuylkill River, Fairmount Park stretches across 2,052 acres (830 hectares).

Old City is a neighborhood in Central City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, known for its antiquated charm and many historic sites important to the birth of the United States. Wander down its narrow cobblestone streets and you'll feel like you're stepping through a time warp into 18th-century colonial America.

This park was one of five green squares in Philadelphia planned by William Penn, the founder of the colony of Pennsylvania. Having served as a site for cattle grazing as well as a burial plot, the park now fulfills its original purpose as a recreational space, with people coming here to sunbathe, stroll, and picnic.

Situated in the heart of historical Philadelphia, the Dolley Todd House was the 18th-century home of Dolley Madison—future First Lady of the United States. Built in 1775, it offers an authentic glimpse into Dolley’s and middle-class life in Philadelphia at the time.