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The Rittenhouse, Philadelphia

Things to do guide

The best things to do in Philadelphia

Updated 7 October 2026 · 19 things to do

Pictured: The Rittenhouse

The United States was invented in Philadelphia. In one modest brick building, the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Constitution argued into being, and the streets around it are still lined with the houses, taverns and churches that the founders knew. No American city wears its history so lightly, or packs so much of it into a few walkable blocks.

But Philly, as everyone calls it, is no museum piece. It is a gritty, funny, big-hearted city of row houses and corner bars, with one of the finest collections of art in the country, a market that has fed it since the 19th century and a sandwich it will defend to the death. Run up the steps like Rocky if you must. Then go and eat.

Don't miss

  1. 1Independence Hall
  2. 2The Liberty Bell
  3. 3Philadelphia Museum of Art
  4. 4Reading Terminal Market
  5. 5The cheesesteak

The birthplace of America

The country's most historic square mile, all within a short walk.

  1. Independence Hall

    Landmark

    Independence Hall in Philadelphia
    Photo: 颐园居, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A handsome Georgian building of red brick with a white steeple, and the most important room in American history. Here, in 1776, delegates from thirteen colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, and eleven years later the Constitution was drafted in the same chamber. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and rangers lead you through the rooms, still set out with green baize tables and quill pens.

    Tip: Entry is by timed ticket for much of the year. Reserve ahead in the busy months and arrive early for security.

  2. The Liberty Bell

    Landmark

    The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia
    Photo: Bogdan Migulski from Perth Amboy, United States, CC BY 2.0

    Across the lawn, in its own glass pavilion, hangs the cracked bronze bell that once rang from the tower of Independence Hall. Its inscription, proclaiming liberty throughout all the land, made it a symbol first for those campaigning against slavery and later for movements for freedom around the world. You can walk right up to it, with the hall framed in the window behind.

  3. Old City and Elfreth's Alley

    Neighbourhood

    Elfreth's Alley in Philadelphia
    Photo: Photo: Mr. Kjetil Ree., CC BY-SA 3.0

    East of Independence Hall, the old colonial port has kept its narrow streets and brick warehouses, now home to galleries, coffee shops and bars. Tucked among them is Elfreth's Alley, a cobbled lane of tiny 18th-century houses with painted shutters and flower boxes, lived in continuously since colonial times. Nearby are the Betsy Ross House and Christ Church, where several founders worshipped.

  4. Museum of the American Revolution

    Museum

    A few blocks from Independence Hall, this modern museum tells the story of the war that followed the Declaration, and tells it well, with voices from all sides: soldiers, women, enslaved people and Native Americans. Among the muskets and uniforms, the star exhibit is the actual field tent that George Washington used as his headquarters, revealed in a short and surprisingly moving presentation.

  5. City Hall

    Landmark

    Philadelphia City Hall
    Photo: John Phelan, CC BY-SA 3.0

    The centre of Philadelphia is marked by a wildly ornate mountain of granite and marble, covered in sculpture and topped by a bronze statue of the city's founder, William Penn. For decades no building was allowed to rise higher than his hat. Walk through the courtyard, then cross to the small park opposite for Robert Indiana's famous LOVE sculpture.

Museums and art

Strung along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, a boulevard modelled on the Champs-Élysées.

  1. Philadelphia Museum of Art

    Museum

    The main building of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
    Photo: DerekPhilipAu, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A temple on a hill at the end of the Parkway, and one of the great art museums of America. Inside are Cézanne's bathers, Van Gogh's sunflowers, rooms of Duchamp, a Japanese teahouse, a medieval cloister and a hall of armour. Outside are the broad steps that Sylvester Stallone ran up in Rocky. Everyone does the run. The view back down the Parkway to City Hall is the reward.

    Tip: The bronze statue of Rocky stands at the foot of the steps, to the right as you face the museum.

  2. The Barnes Foundation

    Museum

    Dr Albert Barnes made a fortune in pharmaceuticals and spent it on paintings: Renoirs by the dozen, Cézannes, Matisses, Picassos, Modiglianis. He hung them his own way, crowded together on the walls in careful arrangements with iron hinges, keys and African sculpture, and the galleries preserve his scheme exactly. It is one of the most remarkable private collections ever assembled, and unlike any other museum.

    Tip: Tickets are timed and often sell out. Book ahead.

  3. Rodin Museum

    Museum

    The Rodin Museum in Philadelphia
    Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0

    A small, elegant pavilion set in a formal garden on the Parkway holds one of the largest collections of Auguste Rodin's sculpture outside Paris. The Thinker sits brooding at the entrance, and The Gates of Hell fill the doorway. Inside are The Kiss, The Burghers of Calais and many studies. It takes less than an hour, and the garden is a lovely place to pause.

  4. The Franklin Institute

    Museum

    Named after Benjamin Franklin, the city's most inventive resident, this is one of America's oldest science museums and a favourite with families. Its best-loved exhibit is a giant model of a human heart that you walk through, following the path of the blood. There is also a planetarium, a steam locomotive and floors of hands-on experiments on electricity, space and the brain.

  5. Eastern State Penitentiary

    Landmark

    Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia
    Photo: Davidt8, Public domain

    When it opened in 1829, this fortress-like prison was the most famous and expensive in the world, built on the then-radical idea that solitude would lead inmates to penitence. It closed in 1971 and now stands as a haunting ruin, its long vaulted cell blocks crumbling and open to the sky. The audio tour is excellent, and you can peer into the cell once occupied by Al Capone.

Neighbourhoods and markets

  1. Reading Terminal Market

    Market

    Crowds among the stalls at Reading Terminal Market
    Photo: Mrmanager411, CC BY 4.0

    Beneath an old railway shed in Center City, this indoor market has been feeding Philadelphia since 1893, and it is gloriously, noisily alive. Dozens of stalls sell roast pork sandwiches, cheesesteaks, oysters, doughnuts, ice cream and soul food, alongside butchers, bakers and cheesemongers. Amish and Mennonite traders from Pennsylvania Dutch country bring pretzels, pies and preserves on several days of the week.

    Tip: Arrive hungry and before the lunchtime rush. Do a full lap before you commit to anything.

  2. Rittenhouse Square

    Neighbourhood

    The most elegant of the five squares in William Penn's original plan for the city is a leafy park of winding paths, statues and benches, ringed by smart apartment buildings, hotels and pavement cafés. On a sunny day half the city seems to be here with a coffee. The surrounding streets have the best shopping in Philadelphia and many of its top restaurants.

  3. South Street and the Magic Gardens

    Neighbourhood

    Mosaics in Isaiah Zagar's Magic Gardens, Philadelphia
    Photo: sashafatcat, CC BY 2.0

    South Street has been Philadelphia's bohemian strip for generations, a scruffy, lively run of record shops, tattoo parlours, bars and music venues. Its most extraordinary sight is Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, where the artist Isaiah Zagar has covered an entire lot, indoors and out, with a glittering labyrinth of mosaic made from tiles, mirrors, bottles and bicycle wheels.

  4. The Italian Market

    Market

    Along Ninth Street in South Philadelphia runs one of the oldest outdoor markets in America. Under metal awnings, stalls sell fruit and vegetables as they have for over a century, and the shops behind are stacked with cheeses, cured meats, fresh pasta and cannoli. These days Mexican bakeries and taco shops share the street. It is the real, unpolished city, and it smells wonderful.

Eat and drink

  1. The cheesesteak

    Food

    A Philly cheesesteak with chips in Philadelphia
    Photo: ZhengZhou, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Philadelphia's gift to the world: thinly sliced beef, fried on a hot griddle, heaped into a long crusty roll and topped with melted cheese, with or without fried onions. Two rival stands, Pat's and Geno's, face each other across a junction in South Philadelphia, blazing with neon, but every local has a favourite elsewhere and will tell you so at length.

    Don't stop there. Many Philadelphians rate the roast pork sandwich, with sharp provolone and bitter greens, even higher. Add a soft pretzel with mustard and a cup of water ice, the local take on sorbet.

Outdoors and day trips

  1. Boathouse Row and the Schuylkill River Trail

    Nature

    Boathouse Row seen from across the Schuylkill River
    Photo: Jeffrey M. Vinocur, CC BY 2.5

    Behind the Museum of Art, a row of Victorian boathouses lines the bank of the Schuylkill River, home to the city's rowing clubs and outlined in lights after dark. A riverside trail runs past them and on for miles in both directions, through Fairmount Park, one of the largest city parks in America. Walk, jog or hire a bike, and watch the crews skim past.

  2. Valley Forge

    Day trip

    A replica soldiers' log cabin at Valley Forge
    Photo: Rdsmith4, CC BY-SA 2.5

    North-west of the city, rolling meadows mark the place where George Washington's Continental Army camped through the bitter winter of 1777 to 1778, emerging as a trained fighting force. No battle was fought here, but the national park, with its reconstructed log huts, earthworks, memorial arch and Washington's stone headquarters, is a stirring spot, and a fine one for a walk or a cycle.

  3. Longwood Gardens

    Day trip

    In the Brandywine Valley to the south-west, the industrialist Pierre du Pont created one of the great gardens of America. More than a thousand acres take in formal flower walks, woodland, meadows and a vast conservatory filled with orchids, palms and seasonal displays. The fountains, which dance to music on summer evenings, are the showstopper. Garden lovers should allow a full day.

  4. Lancaster County

    Day trip

    West of Philadelphia lies Pennsylvania Dutch country, a patchwork of neat farms where Amish families still work the land with horses and travel by buggy. Visitors come for the quiet back roads, covered bridges, farm stands, quilt shops and generous home cooking. Drive slowly, give the buggies room, and remember that these are people's homes and lives.

    Tip: Many Amish people prefer not to be photographed. Ask first, and respect a no.

Where to stay in Philadelphia

Not sure which area suits you? Read our guide: Where to stay in Philadelphia →

Getting around

Central Philadelphia is flat, laid out on a grid and wonderfully walkable: you can stroll from the Liberty Bell to the Museum of Art in under an hour. Buses, the subway and a seasonal tourist loop bus fill the gaps, and trains run to the airport. A car is only useful for Valley Forge, Longwood Gardens and Lancaster County.

When to go

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for walking the historic streets. Summers are hot and humid, and the Fourth of July is celebrated here with special pride. Winters are cold, with occasional snow, but the museums and the market are at their cosiest.

Questions about visiting Philadelphia

What is Philadelphia best known for?
Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, where the United States was founded, along with the cheesesteak, the Rocky steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and its passionate sports fans.
Is Philadelphia worth visiting?
Yes. It has the most important historic sites in the United States, outstanding art museums and a superb food scene, all in a compact and walkable centre.
What is there to do in Philadelphia with kids?
The Franklin Institute with its giant walk-through heart, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, running the Rocky steps, grazing at Reading Terminal Market and exploring the mosaics of the Magic Gardens.
How many days do you need in Philadelphia?
Two to three days covers the historic district, the Parkway museums and a couple of neighbourhoods. Add a day for Valley Forge, Longwood Gardens or Lancaster County.
Do you need a car in Philadelphia?
No. The centre is one of the most walkable in America, with public transport for longer hops. Hire a car only for day trips out of the city.

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