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.

Stroll past fifteen historic rowing boathouses on the Schuylkill River, outlined in lights after dark.

View three generations of Wyeth family paintings inside a converted 1864 gristmill on the Brandywine.

See Pre-Raphaelite paintings, Howard Pyle illustrations and John Sloan works, then walk the sculpture garden and labyrinth outside.

Ride steel and wooden roller coasters, then cool off on the slides and wave pools of the included water park.

Stroll a narrow cobbled lane of 32 houses built between 1720 and 1836, with a small museum inside two of the homes.

Ride a ferry to Pea Patch Island to tour a Civil War fortress and prison camp with costumed interpreters and cannon firings.

Wander 42 landscaped acres dotted with more than 300 contemporary sculptures, plus six indoor galleries.

Tour the original du Pont gunpowder mills on the Brandywine, the family's first American home, and a gallery of patent models.

Stroll South 9th Street past curbside produce stands, cheese shops, butchers, bakeries and cafes under metal awnings.

Catch an Eagles game or tour the field, locker room and team tunnel at Philadelphia's NFL stadium.

Pose with Robert Indiana's LOVE sculpture and watch the fountain in a small plaza facing Philadelphia City Hall.

Tour Alfred I. du Pont's 77-room mansion, stroll French formal gardens, and see vintage cars in the Chauffeur's Garage.

Order a cheesesteak at the walk-up window of the South Philadelphia stand that has sold them since the 1930s.

Stroll a 600-acre Ivy League campus past Nassau Hall, the Gothic University Chapel and the art museum.

View Rodin bronzes, marbles and plasters, with The Thinker and The Gates of Hell, in a small museum and garden.

Ride roller coasters like El Toro and Nitro, then drive through a 350-acre safari or cool off at the water park next door.

A Center City hotel on Vine Street steps from the Convention Center, Reading Terminal Market and City Hall.

A smoke-free Center City hotel across the street from the Pennsylvania Convention Center, with an on-site lounge and restaurant.

A riverfront high-rise hotel on Columbus Boulevard, a walk from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.

A Holiday Inn with indoor and outdoor pools on Route 70 in Cherry Hill, about six miles from Center City Philadelphia.

A hotel in Philadelphia's historic Old City, a walk from the Liberty Bell and the National Constitution Center.

An extended-stay hotel with kitchen suites inside the Art Deco Market Street National Bank Building facing City Hall.

A large high-rise hotel in the Museum District, a short walk from LOVE Park, the Franklin Institute and the Art Museum.

A Boyd Gaming casino resort in King of Prussia with slots, table games and two hotel towers.

Rent a surrey, e-bike, tandem or cruiser at Boathouse Row and pedal the Schuylkill River trails in Fairmount Park.

A full-service hotel in Old City a few blocks from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, with a seasonal rooftop pool.