Things to do in Philadelphia

Stand in the room where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed, American history's ground zero.

See the world's most famous cracked bell up close, free, iconic, and just steps from Independence Hall.

Run the Rocky Steps, then wander one of America's greatest art collections behind that famous neoclassical facade.

Walk through a giant beating heart at Philly's hands-on science playground, a guaranteed hit with kids of every age.

Renoirs and Matisses hung floor-to-ceiling exactly as Dr. Barnes arranged them, an art experience unlike any other.

Washington's actual war tent headlines this immersive museum, telling the Revolution's story blocks from where it began.

A century-plus-old market hall packed with roast pork sandwiches, Amish baked goods, and pure Philadelphia flavor.

Wander the eerie, crumbling cellblocks of the world's first true penitentiary, Al Capone's surprisingly posh cell included.

America's first zoo, where the Zoo360 trail system lets big cats and primates travel right over your head.

Come face-to-fin with sharks, hippos, and thousands of aquatic animals right on the Camden waterfront.

Hop-on, hop-off double-decker loops linking the Liberty Bell, Rocky Steps, and 20+ stops, with live guides on board.

Skyline dinner cruises on the Delaware River with buffets, DJs, dancing, and front-row sunset views.

Candlelit strolls through Old City's shadowy alleys and graveyards, trading two centuries of ghost stories.

Hammocks, floating beer gardens, and LED-lit trees turn Penn's Landing into the city's favorite summer hangout.

America's town hall on Independence Mall, live theater, interactive galleries, and 42 bronze Founders you can stand among in Signers' Hall.

A 13-ton granite Sphinx of Ramses II greets you at this world-renowned archaeology museum on Penn's campus.

Isaiah Zagar's dazzling half-block mosaic labyrinth on South Street, tile, mirror, and bottle art covering every surface.

The famously strange medical museum of the College of Physicians, antique instruments, anatomical specimens, and Einstein's brain.

Philly's beloved children's museum in Fairmount Park's grand Memorial Hall, hands-on exhibits and a century-old carousel.

One of the world's great gardens: 1,100 acres of fountains, conservatories, and seasonal spectacle in the Brandywine Valley.

Tour the tiny circa-1740 Old City home where flagmaker Betsy Ross lived, costumed Betsy herself often greets visitors.

Climb through America's most decorated battleship, moored on the Camden waterfront across the river from Penn's Landing.

Dig real 66-million-year-old fossils at Rowan University's quarry-side museum, the only active public fossil dig east of the Mississippi.

Guided whitewater rafting on the Lehigh River near Jim Thorpe, with trips for families and thrill-seekers alike.

Rolling Pennsylvania countryside known as the Brandywine Valley, home to Longwood Gardens and historic Revolutionary War sites.

Natural history museum near Wilmington with dinosaur, shell, and bird exhibits plus a planetarium.

24/7 South Philly cheesesteak stand at the famous 9th and Passyunk corner, open since 1966.

Delaware's largest city and the du Pont family's Brandywine Valley estates, gardens, and museums.

A South Street institution serving classic Philly cheesesteaks to lines that wrap the block.

A family-run natural limestone cavern in the Lehigh Valley with five rooms of stalactites and stalagmites on guided walking tours.

A National Historic Landmark mansion in Princeton that once served as New Jersey's first governor's residence.

A restored 1758 colonial-era barracks in Trenton that housed soldiers, prisoners, and a Revolutionary War hospital.

The birthplace of American independence, packed with Revolutionary War history, world-class museums, and a legendary food scene.

The Revolutionary War encampment site where Washington's Continental Army wintered in 1777-78.

A Philadelphia-suburb county nicknamed 'America's Garden County' for its public gardens and historic estates.

A Philadelphia-suburb county blending Revolutionary War history with the region's largest shopping mall.

A former du Pont estate holding the world's top collection of American decorative arts, set in a 1,000-acre naturalistic garden.

Tourism region covering Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties, from Philadelphia's edge to Jersey wine country.

A statewide guide to Pennsylvania's wine trails, tasting rooms and vineyard events.

Regional visitor initiative showcasing farms, farm-to-table restaurants, craft beverage makers, historic sites and arts venues across Central New Jersey.

State museum in Trenton with natural history, fine art and cultural history exhibits plus a planetarium.

Costumed storytellers, walking tours and living-history experiences across Philadelphia's historic district.

Printed and online visitor guide to the churches, shrines and historic parishes of Catholic Philadelphia, distributed at tourist areas across the region.

Delaware's welcome center on Legislative Mall in Dover, with free history exhibits and statewide travel information.

New Jersey's state tourism office, offering visitor guides and travel information for the Garden State.

Hop-on hop-off double-decker bus tours looping past 26 stops across historic Philadelphia.

National Historic Landmark prison museum in Mount Holly, designed by architect Robert Mills.

Lehigh River outfitter offering whitewater rafting, paintball, ziplining and biking in the Pocono Mountains.