A Big Guide to Museums & Attractions in Greater Philadelphia

The Liberty Bell, originally cast in England and recast in 1753 in Philadelphia, originally hung atop the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall). It was soon adopted by abolitionists, suffragists and justice-seekers across the globe as an enduring symbol of freedom. The Bell was moved from Independence Hall to a pavilion across the street in 1976 and then to Liberty Bell Center two decades ago. Visitors can view the Bell and tour the center — which offers a number of exhibits — for free year-round.

Independence Hall is the centerpiece of the renowned Independence National Historical Park. In 1776, the Founding Fathers came together to sign the Declaration of Independence in this historic building. Eleven years later, representatives from a dozen states met here to lay the framework for the U.S. Constitution. Guided tours are available year-round, but visitors must reserve free timed tickets (with $1 service charge) online or by phone in advance for entrance.

Presidents George Washington and John Adams each lived at The President’s House during their time in office. While the original building has since been demolished, the foundation remains and now serves as a free outdoor exhibit, The President’s House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation, where looped videos give a special focus to the lives of the nine enslaved men and women who lived and worked here during Washington’s tenure.

In the heart of Old City and Society Hill — now known as Philadelphia’s Historic District — is where the country was born, as evidenced by the seminal locations that make up Independence National Historical Park. And while the Liberty Bell Center and Independence Hall are no doubt the most iconic things to do in the park, they’re far from the only ones. Congress Hall, Old City Hall, Carpenters’ Hall, the portrait gallery at the Second Bank of the U.S. and more make up this historic park, which is administered by the National Park Service.

Dedicated to the four most powerful pages in America’s history, the National Constitution Center examines “We the People.” Museum-goers can explore exhibits and artifacts, view an original copy of the Bill of Rights, walk among 42 life-size bronze statues of delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and learn more about Constitutional amendments that ended slavery (13th Amendment), and granted the right to vote to Black men (15th Amendment) and some women (19th Amendment).

The Museum of the American Revolution brings to life the world-changing War of Independence through an unmatched collection of artifacts, including weapons, documents, personal items, works of art and General George Washington’s headquarters tent. With powerful films, digital touchscreens and historical vignettes, the museum recreates the drama and the details of the country’s climactic birth.

Founded in 1976, The African American Museum in Philadelphia is the first institution built by a major U.S. city to preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage and culture of African Americans. The museum takes a fresh, bold look at the roles of African Americans in the founding of the nation through the core exhibit Audacious Freedom. Visiting exhibitions and rotating programs reveal the history, stories and cultures of those of African descent throughout the African diaspora.

America’s most famous flag maker greets guests at her 18th-century upholstery shop, part of the tiny dwelling which today is the Betsy Ross House museum where visitors learn about Ross’ life and legend, and enjoy programs, storytelling and activities. Tours are available either self-guided or with an audio guide with a general admission ticket.

Elfreth’s Alley boasts 300 years of history on its charming cobblestone street lined with quaint still-occupied row houses. While a modern city has sprung up around it, the residential alley preserves three centuries of evolution through its old-fashioned flower boxes, shutters, Flemish bond brickwork and other architectural details. Two adjacent houses, built in 1755, are now a museum open to the public.

Enjoy the outdoors at fun-filled Franklin Square park, named in honor of — who else? — Benjamin Franklin. Take a mini-tour of Philadelphia as you putt-putt your way through scale models of the city’s iconic sites at Philly Mini Golf, or enjoy a nostalgic ride on the Parx Liberty Carousel, a classic tribute to Philadelphia’s great heritage of carousel-making. There’s also a large fountain (featuring seasonal shows and nighttime light displays), SquareBurger food stand and lots of open space to lounge or run around. Summer visitors shouldn’t miss the annual Chinese Lantern Festival, while winter wanderers should earmark a visit for Winter in Franklin Square programming.

Take a journey through 360 years of Jewish history in the U.S. at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, which is filled with more than 1,200 artifacts and documents, 2,500 images, 30 original films and 13 state-of-the-art interactive media displays — all free to visit (with a suggested donation). The experience delivers a rich tale that traces the path of the nation’s Jewish diaspora from struggling immigrants to integral citizens. While you’re there, snap a picture of the cheeky OY/YO sculpture installed outside of the museum entrance.

Constructed in the early 1700s, Christ Church was a sacred gathering place for some of the most prominent early Americans, including George Washington, Betsy Ross and Benjamin Franklin, whose reserved family pew is a popular stop on the church’s guided 20-minute tour. A few blocks away lies Christ Church Burial Ground, home of the final resting place of many of the nation’s first history makers, including Franklin himself. Toss a penny onto his grave for good luck (which can be done with good aim from the sidewalk).

A fixture in Old City since 2000, the National Liberty Museum is a gallery dedicated to teaching visitors about the diversity of Americans and respect for all people and celebrating the stories of heroes across the globe. The museum’s eight galleries showcase nearly 80 imaginative and interactive exhibits and close to 200 works of contemporary art (including an expansive collection of glass art), surrounded by the stories of 2,000 difference-makers like Jackie Robinson, Nelson Mandela and Malala Yousafzai.

Spruce Street Harbor Park, the wildly popular spring-to-fall relaxation destination on the Delaware River, attracts impressive crowds with bocce and shuffleboard, tree-slung hammocks and colorful LED lights, floating barges with over-the-water seating, beer and food options, and a variety of events in a fun urban beach setting.

In both summer and winter, you can get your skate on at Independence Blue Cross RiverRink, where there’s roller skating during Summerfest and ice skating at Winterfest, along with a carousel, rides (including a Ferris wheel), an arcade, and plenty to eat and drink year-round. The site offers a beachy vibe during warm months, and plenty of holiday festivities during the winter season.

Floating on the Delaware River are two incongruous vessels that guests are encouraged to claim aboard and explore: the 130-year-old Navy Cruiser USS Olympia (the nation’s oldest steel warship) and World War II-era USS Becuna (a 300-foot Balao submarine). But those museum ships are just the tip of what the Independence Seaport Museum has to offer. The maritime history museum features over 25,000 artifacts across a half-dozen hands-on exhibits including a working boat shop and a collection of large-scale model ships.

Serene, park-like Race Street Pier features two levels for recreation; a multi-tiered seating area for picnics, yoga or watching the tide roll in; and — of course — absolutely transcendent views of the Delaware River and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Located just next door, Cherry Street Pier is a bustling indoor-outdoor mixed-use public space, home to artist studios, a marketplace, and food and beverages purveyors serving refreshments alfresco on the pier’s garden-style patio café.

Adventure Aquarium — located just across the Delaware River in Camden, New Jersey — delights visitors with scores of sea creatures including hippos to marvel at, a Shark Bridge to cross, penguins to meet, stingrays to feed, and horseshoe crabs, starfish and sharks to touch. The aquarium’s big wow exhibit: a massive tank of sea turtles, stingrays, schooling fish and sharks, including a great hammerhead.

Across the Delaware from Center City Philly, the Battleship New Jersey is a floating museum ship open to all who wish to explore America’s naval heritage aboard Admiral “Bull” Halsey’s flagship and the country’s most decorated combat ship. The 887-foot, 45,000-ton gunboat offers a guided tour and interactive exhibits displaying artifacts of the ship’s active past (from World War II to Korea to Vietnam to the Gulf War) and its impressive 16-inch turret, where 2,700-pound shells were fired at targets up to 23 miles away.

One of the nation’s largest art institutions, the Philadelphia Museum of Art rises majestically at the end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Inside are vast collections, including Renaissance, American and impressionist art, plus rotating special exhibitions. The one-acre Sculpture Garden extends the museum’s galleries to the outdoors, as do its famous steps (see below).

At home in the first American city to exhibit his works, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway’s Rodin Museum houses the largest public collection of Auguste Rodin’s works outside of Paris, including 20 of the French master’s sculptures, as well as exhibits of drawings, paintings and academic studies. The museum’s garden displays a bronze cast of The Thinker and the only original cast of The Gates of Hell in North America.

The Rocky Statue and the Rocky Steps — also known as the entrance staircase to the Philadelphia Museum of Art — are two of the most popular attractions in Philadelphia. Snagging a selfie with the statue and then running up the steps (just like Rocky himself) for a snapshot at the top (with that picture-perfect skyline in the background) is pretty much a must on your first visit to Philadelphia.

The Barnes Foundation is home to one of the world’s most important collections of impressionist, post-impressionist and early modernist paintings by renowned artists like Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso and van Gogh. The museum also showcases American paintings and decorative arts, metalwork, African sculpture and Native American textiles, jewelry and ceramics, all presented in philanthropist Albert C. Barnes’ distinctive arrangements.

Once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, the massive Eastern State Penitentiary operated from 1829 to 1970 and introduced Americans to the concept of prison as a reform (penitentiary for “penance”) tool. Today, the site — which once housed notorious criminals like Al Capone and Willie Sutton — offers self-guided tours that explore the attraction’s history, along with modern social justice issues that surround incarceration. If your visit brings you in October, be sure to experience the site’s popular Halloween Nights immersive haunted house experience.

The Franklin Institute, one of the leading science museums in the country, showcases how science affects every aspect of life. In addition to beloved hands-on permanent exhibits like the highly interactive Your Brain, the iconic Giant Heart and the mesmerizing four-story Foucault’s Pendulum, a rotating roster of special exhibitions adds to the museum’s appeal.

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is America’s oldest natural history museum. Visitors can wander through a tropical garden filled with live butterflies, meet live animals, see three continents of wildlife in their natural habitats and get face to face with towering dinosaurs.

Center City’s iconic railway-terminal-turned-epicurean-haven, Reading Terminal Market is a one-stop shop for local produce, meats, artisanal cheeses, desserts and more. The indoor public market, one of the oldest in the nation, also provides open seating where customers can enjoy meals from dozens of diverse merchants, including popular Amish vendors (and, of course, cheesesteaks). Want to know what to eat and where to get it? We can help with that.

Philadelphia’s City Hall — once the tallest building in the world — has been the city’s government headquarters for more than 100 years. The elaborate 14.5-acre masonry structure remains the country’s largest municipal building, and its exterior features more than 250 sculptures, including the 37-foot-tall, 27-ton bronze statue of William Penn above the iconic clock tower — the tallest statue atop any building on earth. And Dilworth Park — City Hall’s popular western-facing front yard — is a modern and welcoming outdoor space with tree groves, benches, two cafes, and a large programmable fountain that transforms into an ice rink in the winter and a roller rink in the summer.

The Mütter Museum is one of America’s finest museums of medical history. Its “disturbingly informative” displays (many not for the faint of heart) help the public understand the mysteries of the human body and appreciate the diagnosis and treatment of disease. One of the most popular exhibits: actual slides of Albert Einstein’s brain.

The first art museum and school in the nation, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts features elaborate Frank Furness architecture that’s as compelling as the American art on display within. A Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington is a highlight, as are other well-known paintings by both classic and contemporary artists like Winslow Homer, Kehinde Wiley, John Singer Sargent, Jacob Lawrence, Edward Hopper and Cecilia Beaux.

A favorite destination for tourists and locals alike, John F. Kennedy Plaza gets its nickname — LOVE Park — from Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE sculpture that sits within the public space and serves as the grand entrance to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Just a short walk away stands the equally grand AMOR sculpture, the Spanish version of the LOVE sculpture, on display at Sister Cities Park.

Rittenhouse Square, the one-block commons that gives the surrounding neighborhood its name, is more popular with sunbathers, readers, families, artists, craft and produce vendors, people-watchers and even dogs than city founder William Penn ever could have imagined. One of Penn’s five original squares, Rittenhouse is the city’s best-known, and perhaps most-beloved, park.

The Schuylkill River Trail — a 30-mile recreational path running along the Schuylkill River from Center City Philadelphia to Parker Ford in Chester County — is a favorite for bicyclists, runners, hikers, amblers and families. One of the most beautiful portions of the Trail is the Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk, a 15-foot-wide, 2,000-foot-long, ADA-compliant concrete path that juts out over the Schuylkill River, providing runners, bikers and pedestrians with a connection between Locust Street and the South Street Bridge.

Towering and majestic, the Masonic Temple has stood tall across from City Hall since 1873, serving as headquarters of the Freemason fraternity with 14th-century roots and a membership that included Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, whose statues pose outside its entrance. The temple’s Freemasonry artifacts, stunning architecture (Victorian inside, medieval Norman on the exterior) and opulent décor continue to wow visitors on guided tours to this day.

Italian immigrants established this open-air spot in the late 19th century, which lays claim to being America’s oldest outdoor street market. Though still called the Italian Market, the historic strip along South 9th Street in South Philadelphia now reflects the neighborhood’s multicultural makeup, offering Mexican, Vietnamese and Korean eats alongside Italian restaurants, bakeries and markets selling cheeses, meats, produce and more.

Eating a cheesesteak is essential when visiting Philly. Pat’s King of Steaks founder Pat Olivieri invented the city’s signature sandwich back in 1930. The popular shop on Ninth Street and Passyunk Avenue grills 24 hours a day, as does Geno’s Steaks, the rival across the street that opened in 1966. For more than half a century, Pat’s and Geno’s have waged a (mostly) friendly competition, with visitors often ordering from both shops to decide which steak they deem best.

Mosaics bloom at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, a fantasy-like art showplace on South Street, presenting and preserving the work of artist Isaiah Zagar. Visitors can take a tour and snap selfies throughout the half-city-block wonderland constructed from bicycle spokes, broken mirrors, reclaimed glass, tiles, and an assortment of found items and urban waste.

Ferraris, Alfa Romeos, Bugattis, Mercedes, Mustangs and more of the sportiest of sports cars are on display at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, part of a collection of over 75 historic, fast, sleek and just plain cool rides. The Southwest Philly museum hosts rotating exhibits showcasing the history of sports cars and racing machines, plus regularly takes vehicles from the collection out for a spin during scheduled demonstration days.

America’s first public zoo and a foremost conservation organization, the Philadelphia Zoo is home to nearly 1,700 animals, many rare and endangered. Zoo360, a first-in-the-world animal travel and exploration train system, enables primates and big cats to move above and across the main visitor pathway. The 42-acre campus features a variety of exhibits, including Big Cat Falls (with lions and tigers and pumas, oh my) and Water Is Life, home to the zoo’s popular red panda display.

The renowned Penn Museum is known for its collection of art and artifacts from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Greco-Roman World, Asia, Africa and the Americas (including a Native American exhibit). Items on display include Sumerian cuneiform clay tablets (some of the world’s oldest writing), 4,500-year-old jewelry of a Mesopotamian queen and the massive, 3,000-year-old Sphinx of Ramses II. Gardens, fountains and a koi pond make the outside quite impressive as well.

Open to the public free of charge, the Institute of Contemporary Art has been instrumental in showcasing the work of emerging and under-recognized artists since 1963. It led the way with first-ever museum shows from Andy Warhol, Laurie Anderson and Robert Indiana, as well as early exhibits from Robert Mapplethorpe and Cy Twombly. Presented in kunsthalle style, the Institute houses no permanent collections — so every visit is a new experience.

North America’s oldest botanical garden, Bartram’s Garden (dating back to 1728) first belonged to Quaker John Bartram, Sr., self-taught botanist to King George III, who collected, cultivated and sold plant specimens from North America to European aristocrats. Originally seasonal fishing grounds for the indigenous Lenape, today the site includes the 18th-century Bartram family house and outbuildings, a 17-acre meadow, a bike path, public access to the Schuylkill River, and an array of naturalistic, woodland and formal gardens. Garden admission is free.

Recognized as one of the nation’s top children’s attractions, the Please Touch Museum includes two full floors of interactive exhibit zones, plus a fully restored 115 year-old carousel. Kids can play and pretend amid Alice’s Wonderland, the Rocket Room and other hands-on fun, all inside Fairmount Park’s National Historic Landmark Memorial Hall, built for 1876 Centennial World’s Fair.

An unexpected gem deep inside Fairmount Park is the Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center, a post-war gift from Japan to the U.S. modeled on a traditional early 17th-century Japanese temple complex with guest house, teahouse and bathhouse. Participate in an authentic tea ceremony, explore the authentic architecture and living history, or find Zen while feeding the fish in the koi pond. The center is surrounded by century-old cherry trees which also host spring’s Cherry Blossom Festival.

Rising two stories off the ground, The Rail Park is the city’s expansive planned overhead greenway built atop the former Reading Viaduct railway. Eventually stretching three miles from Northern Liberties to Brewerytown when complete, the currently-open quarter-mile Phase One portion boasts a simple meandering pathway, rustic plantings, comfy swings, and plenty of places to relax and take in the stellar views over the city’s Callowhill neighborhood.

Note: As of March 20, 2023, Boathouse Row’s iconic lights are undergoing maintenance, and will remain dark through the end of 2023. Read more here.

Boathouse Row, a National Historic Landmark, consists of 10 charming boathouses on the banks of the Schuylkill River. At night, the glittering lights that frame the buildings make for idyllic scenery as they reflect off of the river’s surface. Boathouse Row sits on scenic Kelly Drive, a prime spot for outdoor recreation that runs along the east side of the Schuylkill River from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to Lincoln Drive.

Endless trails, historic houses, Laurel Hill Cemetery, the Horticulture Center, Smith Memorial Playground and Treetop Quest Philly are among the many pleasant surprises that await explorers at Fairmount Park, one of the nation’s largest urban parks stretching from Boathouse Row to West Philadelphia, Strawberry Mansion, Chestnut Hill and Northeast Philadelphia. Pro tip: Head to Belmont Plateau (above) for big skyline views.

With more than 50 miles of rugged trails, Wissahickon Valley Park’s thousands of acres are great for hiking, cycling and exploring. Wissahickon schist bedrock, sliced through centuries ago, has created steep hills punctuated by a creek, with paths for both climbers and horseback riders. Of particular note is Forbidden Drive, a five-mile packed gravel trail deep inside the park offering stunning views. Along this route, don’t miss the Thomas Mill Bridge, the last remaining covered bridge in any major American city.

On a then-quiet boulevard in Germantown in the 1850s, five siblings (and their spouses) from a Quaker abolitionist family served up their home to shelter and care for escaped enslaved Africans, a crucial stop on the Underground Railroad. Today, the well-preserved 16th-century Johnson House Historic Site offers tours that highlight the injustices of slavery and displays artifacts and the spaces where freedom fighters like William Still and Harriet Tubman stayed while shuttling fugitive slaves to safety.

Attracting visitors from around the globe to Chester County, Longwood Gardens features 1,000-plus acres filled with outdoor and indoor gardens, 9,000 different species of plants, spectacular fountains, and picturesque meadows and woodlands. The horticultural haven also hosts many events each year, including flower shows, gardening demonstrations, educational programs, children’s activities and concerts.

The grounds are as breathtaking as the art at the bucolic Brandywine Museum of Art, housed in a renovated 1864 gristmill and surrounded by wildflower gardens and the meandering Brandywine River. Inside, works by Andrew Wyeth sit beside other beautifully detailed illustrations, paintings and installations, as well as special exhibitions that have showcased more works from the talented Wyeth family, photographs from the Civil Rights Movement and works by Winslow Homer.

No battles were fought in Valley Forge, but the time the Continental Army spent here went down as one of the Revolutionary War’s most trying periods. Today, Valley Forge National Historical Park sits on this site honoring those who helped secure freedom for the United States. Replicated huts and the original headquarters tell the story of the pivotal winter that George Washington and his troops endured, and a visitor center — renovated in 2021 and 2022 — includes artifacts and a lifesize statue of Washington. The 3,500-acre park also includes recreational trails, picnic areas and the grand National Memorial Arch.

With charming shops and boutiques (more than 60!), a dozen restaurants, the just-for-kids Giggleberry Fair indoor playscape, and festivals for every season (like Bluegrass & Blueberries, the Strawberry Festival and annual Peach Festival), Bucks County’s Peddler’s Village packs a surprising number of activities into its countryside landscape and winding brick walkways. Keep the fun going by grabbing a room for the night at charming on-site Golden Plough Inn.

Big Bird, Elmo and the other stars of Sesame Street come out and play at Sesame Place, one of only two theme parks in the nation featuring the popular television show’s most lovable characters. With three dozen kid-friendly rides, daily parades and engaging shows, everyone is invited to come and play where everything’s a-okay.

LEGOLAND Discovery Center is a 33,000-square-foot plastic-brick heaven featuring a LEGO-themed ride, 4D cinema and ten play areas, including a DUPLO Park for the toddler set. An onsite cafe and store ensure every LEGO-maniac walks away satisfied.

Winding stairways, turrets and balconies give a 13th-century feel to eclectic 115-year-old Fonthill Castle (former home of renowned archeologist, anthropologist and ceramist Henry Chapman Mercer), which boasts 44 rooms, 32 stairwells and 200 windows housing Mercer’s massive collection of prints and ancient artifacts, as well as exquisite handmade tiles and mosaics from his adjacent Moravian Pottery and Tile Works.

The towering citadel that houses the Mercer Museum is full of themed rooms dedicated to the tools and crafts of American life before mechanization, like a whaling boat and a Conestoga wagon. Across the street, Pennsylvania impressionist paintings take center stage at the Michener Art Museum, named for Pulitzer Prize-winning writer (and Doylestown native) James A. Michener. The galleries also host photography, sleek woodwork from nearby furniture maker George Nakashima Woodworkers, and other historical and contemporary works.

With more than 450 stores (and over 50 eateries), King of Prussia, a Simon Property Mall is the premier shopping destination on the East Coast — and the third-largest mall in America. Find a nice mix of luxury, budget-friendly, national and international brands, as well as stores that cannot be found elsewhere in the region, all located just a 20-minute drive from Philadelphia.

Designated Pennsylvania’s official state arboretum, Morris Arboretum & Gardens is a stunning nearly 100-acre oasis in beautiful Chestnut Hill. Its endless, multicolored flowering meadows feature more than 13,000 labeled plants and trees of over 2,500 types, including some of the oldest and rarest in the region. Highlights include the 135-year-old Rose Garden, the eight-sided Victorian glass fernery, the Dawn Redwoods forest and the whimsical Garden Railway.

Along Delaware County’s Main Line is Linvilla Orchards, a 300-acre working family farm dedicated not just to agriculture but education, entertainment and fun. Visitors can explore the Garden Center to pick seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables, meet the barnyard animals, cast a line for some fishing, play a round of mini-golf, enjoy a hayride, horse ride or train ride and even buy fresh baked pies to take home. And don’t miss Ship Bottom Brewery’s onsite beer garden.