Philadelphia Attraction

In the past, I introduced you about Philadelphai briefly and today, I tell you about the tourist attractions in there. The famous places are Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, National Constitution Center, Philadelphia Musuem of Art and etc. However, I will give the detailed information for the Independence Hall and Liberty Bell because they are the must-to-visit places.

I'd recommend you to start at the Independence Visitor Center because at there, you will get all tourist information and timed-entry tickets for the hall. The ticket is free and avaible untill 3 p.m but it can be out before that.

Indepence Hall. The ticket includes the entrance to the hall and tour guide informing you the details and history. Constructed between 1732 and 1756 as the State House of the Province of Pennsylvania, it is considered a fine example of Georgian architecture. From 1775 to 1783 (except for the winter of 1777 - 1778 when Philadelphia was occupied by the British Army) this was the meeting place for the Second Continental Congress. It was in the Assembly Room of this building that George Washington was appointed commander in chief of the Continental Army in 1775 and the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. In the same room the design of the American flag was agreed upon in 1777, the Articles of Confederation were adopted in 1781, and the U. S. Constitution was drafted in 1787. The building, inside and out, has been restored whenever possible to its original late-18th century appearance. Most of the furnishing are period pieces. The "rising sun" chair used by George Washington as he presided over the Constitutional Convention is original.

Liberty Bell: it is one of the greatest world's symbols of freedom. Since the bell was made, the words of the inscription have meant different things to different people. When William Penn created Pennsylvania's government he allowed citizens to take part in making laws and gave them the right to choose the religion they wanted. The colonists were proud of the freedom that Penn gave them. In 1751, the Speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly ordered a new bell for the State House. He asked that a Bible verse to be placed on the bell - "Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof" (Leviticus 25:10). As the official bell of the Pennsylvania State House (today called Independence Hall) it rang many times for public announcements, but we remember times like July 8, 1776 when it rang to announce the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.

A bell for the Pennsylvania State House was cast in London, England, however, it cracked soon after it arrived in Philadelphia. Local craftsmen John Pass and John Stow cast a new bell in 1753. By 1846 a thin crack began to affect the sound of the bell. The bell was repaired in 1846 and rang for a George Washington birthday celebration, but the bell cracked again and has not been rung since. No one knows why the bell cracked either time.

Old City Hall : Built as the City Hall of Philadelphia, the building was used by the U. S. Supreme Court from the time the building was completed in 1791 until 1800 when the Federal Government was moved to Washington D. C.. The municipal government and courts occupied the building during the 19th century.

Anyway, you should go to take the photo at the Love Park . LOVE Park (JFK Plaza) was built in the 1960s at the eastern end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and across from City Hall. In the late 1980s, by an accident of history, young people discovered that the park's curving stairs and ledges were perfect for skateboarding. I'm unsure the city allow to play the skateboard or not but I saw the young people did it.

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