History in Philadelphia

The country’s first World Heritage City, Philadelphia is also the birthplace of the United States, where our Founding Fathers met, discussed, debated and formed a new country.

Lucky for 21st-century visitors, so much of Philadelphia’s history has been preserved. That includes, of course, two of the city’s most important attractions: Independence Hall (one of the only World Heritage sites in the country and where the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were drafted and signed) and the Liberty Bell (a symbol of abolitionist movement).

It also includes the historic houses, government buildings, museums, churches and cemeteries that make up Independence National Historical Park, the “most historic square mile in America” run by the National Parks Service that sees millions of visitors every year.

Elsewhere, visitors soak up the region’s history in the quaint, explorable alleyways of Old City and Society Hill, at the city’s excellent history museums (Museum of the American Revolution, Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, the African American Museum) and throughout the Greater Philadelphia region at sites made famous by the American Revolution (Valley Forge National Historical Park).