National Park Recap: Independence National Historical Park

We departed NYC and went to Philadelphia. We spend an entire day in Philly. We purchased tickets to the Philly Phlash bus which does a loop around downtown and stops at specific tourist locations.. We also got reservations ahead of time for a tour of Independence Hall.

Since our tickets for Independence Hall weren’t until later, we decided to see some of the rest of Philly first. Our first stop was Reading Market for getting some lunch for later. I had heard a little bit about Reading Market but had no idea what to expect. I came to Philly several years ago for work, but didn’t have any time to sightsee. Reading Market was amazing. So many different delicious food smells, and beautiful food, fresh meats, fish, and produce. We did a circuit of the entire market before committing to lunch (and donuts for dessert).

Next was LOVE Park to eat our lunch, and to view some of the statues around the park and across the street. Next door to LOVE Park was a really cool outdoor art installation that had giant game pieces, like Sorry, Bingo, and Dominos.

After LOVE Park, we rode the Phlash to the Philadelphia Art Museum to visit the Rocky statue, and run up the steps. We definitely were not the only people to be recreating that part of the movie that day.

Finally we rode the Phlash all the way back to Independence National Historical Park. We made it in time to do a bit of sight seeing before our Independence Hall tour. We visited the Liberty Bell, and we listened to the Ranger program at Congress Hall. The Congress Hall program was quite dry and not a great fit for younger kids. The Independence Hall program was quite good and made stops both at the original Supreme Court room, and the Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed. The Ranger was very engaging. It is quite a feeling to be in the same room as our country’s founding 250 years ago. Or even just standing feet away from a chair traced back to George Washington. The kids both completed their Jr Ranger books while here, and earned yet another badge for their collection. After Independence Hall, we all felt beat, and headed home.

Liberty Bell
Original Supreme Court
Statue of George Washington
Independence Hall
Exterior of Independence Hall
Congress Hall

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