Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Dripping in American history, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a city unlike any other in the United States. It is known by many names: Philly, the City of Brotherly Love, the Birthplace of the Nation… and has been the site for many firsts, from educational to culinary. This is one city where a visitor can gaze upon the site where the Declaration of Independence was signed while eating a Philly Cheesesteak.

The original capital city of the country, Philadelphia is one of the most important cities in the history of the United States. There is so much to see in Philadelphia that there is no way everything can be seen and done in a day. From interactive light shows of the American Revolution to Benjamin Franklin's inventions, the historic sites of Philadelphia are a vacation on their own.

CLIMATE

Philadelphia experiences every season. Summers are hot and rather humid, and winters can get cold. The average summer temperature is about 75 ° F (24 ° C), and the winter average is approximately 33°F (0° C). The average rainfall for the city is around 41 in. (104 cm), and snowfall is 21 in. (53 cm).

TRANSPORTATION

Getting to Philadelphia poses few problems. Being a major center, visitors have a variety of choices for getting to and fro. The Philadelphia International Airport offers domestic and international flights, and is located only seven miles (11 kilometers) from downtown. Amtrak also runs to Philadelphia, and there are a number of lines from Philly to other cities, such as Pittsburgh, New York City, and Washington, DC. New Jersey Transit also offers a direct line from Atlantic City to Philadelphia.

Once in Philadelphia there are numerous options for getting around. SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) serves the area with trolleys, busses, a subway, and other forms of public transit. Many of the downtown attractions are within walking distance, so just packing comfortable shoes could be the easiest method of hitting all the sites.

Historic building in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA HISTORY

The first Philadelphia residents were the Algonquin Native tribes of the Delaware and the Shawnee. They resided along the creeks and rivers in villages, which they frequently relocated in order to accommodate growing populations. During the late 16th and early 17th centuries European settlers began arriving. By the mid-17th century a treaty was signed with the Native tribes, allowing the purchase of their land. The Europeans came to the area in droves.

In March of 1681, King Charles II of England granted William Penn a charter to the parcel of land that would evolve into Philadelphia. Penn was a Quaker and he felt his colony would be a "holy experiment", with the local liberal government respecting the religious freedom of the residents. This area was named Pennsylvania, with Penn for William Penn senior, and Sylvania, meaning woodlands. In 1682, the Greek expression for brotherly love provided Philadelphia with its name, and Pennsylvania with its capital city. The city grew to become the second largest city in the British Empire (following London), but that honor was eventually usurped by New York City. It was, however, the main center of the thirteen colonies in the late 18th century. Opposition to the British Empire was strongest in Philadelphia, making it the best place for leaders to plan a course of action. This produced the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, and in 1790, Philadelphia was pronounced the nation's capital. This honor would only be held by Philadelphia for ten years, as Washington, DC, took over the duties.

There are dozens of attractions that highlight the vibrant history of Philadelphia, but the ideal starting point is Independence National Historic Park. It is filled with numerous landmarks. A potentially overwhelming attraction, the Visitor's Center provides guests with maps for self-guided walking tours of the park. They also show a 30-minute John Huston film, 'Philadelphia', throughout the course of the day. The first place of interest in the park, and by far the most popular, is the Liberty Bell Pavilion, the home of the Liberty Bell. It is the top tourist attraction in the city. The bell was ordered in 1751 to commemorate the 50 year anniversary of William Penn's Charter of Privileges. The bell's inscription reads "Proclaim LIBERTY throughout the land unto all the Inhabitants thereof" from Leviticus 25:10, and "By Order of the Assembly of the Province of Pensylvania for the State House in Philada". The first quote denotes liberty (hence Liberty Bell), and the second was chosen by Quaker Isaac Norris, speaker of the Assembly. The bell has a crack in it, the cause of which is unknown. It is believed that it stems from either a flaw in the casting, or the bell being too brittle. It was re-cast several times, and finally rendered unringable when the crack escalated after being rung in 1846 during the celebration of Washington's birthday. The Liberty Bell Pavilion is set against the backdrop of Independence Hall, and cannot be touched, only photographed. It is symbolically rung by being tapped on the 4th of July.

	Liberty Bell

Independence Hall was constructed from 1732 to 1756, and originally served as the State House of the Province of Pennsylvania. It was also the meeting place for the Second Continental Congress. In the Assembly Room, the Declaration of Independence was adopted. Both the interior and exterior of the Hall have been restored to their original state, complete with period furniture. Visitors can see the Hall free of charge, but are required to do so in an accompanied tour. These run throughout the course of the day, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Also in Independence National Historic Park is Franklin Court, which is named for Benjamin Franklin, an important figure in the history of both the United States and Philadelphia. In many of the city's scientific and artistic movements, Franklin was a leader. Franklin Court, situated on the site that was once his home, is a conglomerate of smaller attractions that examine the life and work of Franklin, as well as his contemporaries. The Underground Museum is located beneath the Court, and is filled with numerous artifacts relating to Franklin's life. Among these items are some of his inventions, including the swim fin, a Franklin Stove, and the Franklin Armonica. The Armonica is a unique musical instrument, featuring a set of bowls placed on a rotating shaft. The main room has a phone bank that plays various recordings about Ben, and these are based on the words of such people as Mozart, D.H. Lawrence, and George Washington. A short film is also shown.

Ben Franklin was once the postmaster general, and at his court, visitors can see the Postal Service Museum and Post Office. The museum features such items as pouches from the Pony Express, as well as original copies of Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette. At the Post Office, visitors can have letters postmarked. Of note, this post office is the only one in the United States that does not fly an American flag. This is because when the post office opened in 1775, the flag had not yet been created.

The Printing Office and Bindery, and the General Advertiser are two small museum buildings located next door to one another. The Printing Office and Bindery is home to an 18th century printing press, as well as other binding and printing equipment. Park rangers offer demonstrations on how these items were used. Next door, the General Advertiser has been restored to its original state. This newspaper was run by Franklin's grandson, Benjamin Franklin Bache. 318 Market Street is an architectural exhibit that showcases Franklin's interest in fire resistant buildings. The walls are fully exposed so the insides, with all their layers, can be seen. Inside the cellar are displays of ceramics and glassworks belonging to Franklin.

Street in Philadelphia

One of the most satisfying parts of Independence National Historic Park is the Lights of Liberty interactive audiovisual show. This gives the visitors a unique recreation of the American Revolution. Visitors are given wireless headsets, and five story projection videos are shown on the historic buildings. Guides lead groups throughout the park to show the full event.

In addition to having such a rich political history, Philadelphia also boasts the first liberal arts college in the country. Up to 1749, universities in the states focused on educating the clergy. Spurred by Ben Franklin, the University of Pennsylvania was developed with a different mandate. The purpose of this university was to prep students for careers in business and public service. It first opened its doors in 1751 and went on to have the first medical school and university teaching hospital in the US. As with so many attractions in the City of Brotherly Love, the Quaker influence is recognizable, particularly in their motto: Leges sine moribus vanae, laws without morals are useless.

	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania has a massive campus. It is known as University City, and is 262 acres. The setting is green and park-like, and the buildings here, some of which are on the National Historic Registry, show off beautiful architecture. Built in 1873, College Hall was the first building to be constructed on the University's present site. At one point, this building served all the functions of the University. Today, it contains some classrooms, as well as undergraduate admissions and the President's office. College Hall is also rumored to be the inspiration for the house TV's The Addams Family lived in. The Fisher Fine Arts Library was completed in 1891. It was designed by well-known Philadelphia architect Frank Furness, and is sometimes referred to as the Furness Library. It was one of the first libraries to feature a specialized reading room, featuring clerestory windows and large skylights. To keep books stored in a fireproof manner, a detached book stack was installed. The Library is known as the quietest place on campus to study.

A more notorious piece of Philadelphia's history is Eastern State Penitentiary. This prison was created after more than thirty years of lobbying by the Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons. The Penitentiary was formed on Quaker principles, and was intended to hold only 250 inmates. The belief was that crimes were committed as a result of environment, and inmates would best be reformed through solitude. The prison was designed with small, solitary confinement cells and individual outdoor yards. In addition, to limit the amount of human contact the prisoners received, the cells had feed doors installed, and the men were forced to wear masks and not speak when they were around others. The feeling was that these men would be rehabilitated through solitude, and the time to reflect would make them penitent, hence, penitentiary.

Fountain in Philadelphia

When it finally opened (as the largest and most expensive building in the United States at the time) in 1829, it did so with the best of intentions. The experiment, however, went drastically awry. Numerous investigations were conducted into the prison's finances and punishment practices. The solitary confinement, rather than provoking penitence, instead caused the inmates pain and misery, with many of them succumbing to mental illness. By the early 20th century, the solitary confinement practice was completely abandoned, and a prison that was meant to hold 250 inmates suddenly held close to 2, 000. One of the most famous inmates was Al Capone, who was incarcerated for eight months in 1926. His cell was decorated with fine art, a beautiful desk and lamp, and had classical music playing.

In 1965, the penitentiary was declared a National Historic Landmark, and five years later was closed. The building narrowly escaped being demolished in the 1970s, and was purchased by the city of Philadelphia from the state. Restoration procedures began, and the penitentiary soon evolved into a tourist attraction. The exhibits here change regularly, and are quite powerful. One example is an exhibit that focuses on the lives of two actual prisoners at specific times in the prison. Both cells were meticulously recreated to appear as they did at the time. Tours go throughout the prison, and Capone's cell has also been refurbished in the finely decorated manner it was at the time when he resided there. Art exhibits are also held here.