Itinerary 1 itinerary
Day 1
Meet at meeting point: Grim Philly Twilight Tours 523 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19106, United States We'll meet you directly "outside" the Market Street doors of the Independence Visitor Center, one block to the north of Independence Hall and across the street from The Liberty Bell and President's House in the heart of historic Philadelphia.Attractions and Activities: Liberty Bell (Free entry How to visit:No indoor visits) Come with us as we visit The Liberty Bell, perhaps the most famous symbol of American Liberty in the National Historic Park. Peak tourist season can often see lines of destination seekers stretched well around the corner for this monumental icon of American Independence taking close to one hour to traverse. Our historians give to you all of the essentials of The Liberty Bell's creation and formation in to an icon of liberty from the exterior of the Liberty Bell pavilion, with clear and detailed directions to enter the interior should you choose to invest the additional hour on return. Commissioned in 1752 the bell cracked on its initial test ring and was re-casted two years later by local workman John Pass and John Stow with the lettering, "Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof," a quote from the King James Bible referring to the jubilee when enslaved persons were freed and debts forgiven every fifty years.
Attractions and Activities: Independence Hall (Free entry How to visit:No indoor visits) We will visit Independence Hall: the building where both the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted. An essential icon of American democracy and founding of These United States the Independence Hall complex is a bastion of tourism and requires (free) timed entry passes and a recommended two hours additional time for exploration of the center of the complex's interior chambers. We keep your tour moving quickly, to give you the best, most important essential highlights and significant points of the structure including clear and simple instruction on traversing the complex further on return should you choose. Subject to crowds and closures we pit-stop quickly inside of the East Wing of the Independence Hall Complex: the very oldest and most historic part of the structure: which served as The Supreme Court Chambers while Philadelphia was our nation's capital.
Attractions and Activities: President's House Site (Free entry How to visit:No indoor visits) We will visit America's first "White House" where President's George Washington and John Adams both served tenure when Philadelphia was capital of the United States from 1790 to 1800. Foreign dignitaries and members of congress and senate frequented The President House for official and unofficial business. Benedict Arnold lived also in the structure as Military Governor in Philadelphia after the British evacuation of the city during the American War for Independence.
Attractions and Activities: Congress Hall (Free entry How to visit:No indoor visits) We will visit Congress Hall, a historic structure which hosted two presidential inaugurations (Washington and Adams) and was the home of U.S. Congress from 1790 to 1800, when Philadelphia was the capital of the United States.
Attractions and Activities: Fragments of Franklin Court (Free entry How to visit:No indoor visits) We will visit Franklin Court, a complex of museums, structures, and historic sites within Independence National Historical Park, and home to Benjamin Franklin during his tenure in the Constitutional Convention. We will discuss there the life and times of one of America's most prolific individual's and statesman (Benjamin Franklin) who when contemplating revolution against the British crown said, "Gentleman we must hang together, or surely we will all hang separately."
Attractions and Activities: New Hall Military Museum (Free entry How to visit:No indoor visits) We will visit the location of America's first Pentagon, where American military strategy and intelligence was formulated during the American Revolution.
Attractions and Activities: Benjamin Franklin Museum (Free entry How to visit:No indoor visits) We will discuss the life and times of American Patriot Benjamin Franklin, from his electrical experiments, printing and publishing activities, to his life as a statesman.
Attractions and Activities: B. Free Franklin Post Office (Free entry How to visit:No indoor visits) We will visit the Benjamin Franklin Post Office & Museum, the only Colonial-themed post office operated by the United States Postal Service. It is a living portrayal of a bygone Colonial lifestyle, and it is the only active post office in the United States that does not fly the American flag (because there was not yet one in 1775 when Benjamin Franklin was appointed Postmaster General). The postmark "B. Free Franklin" is still used to cancel stamps. The museum on the second floor features displays of postal history and memorabilia.
Attractions and Activities: Carpenters' Hall (Free entry How to visit:No indoor visits) We will visit Carpenters' Hall, the site of the First Continental Congress in 1774, where on three nights in December 1775 Benjamin Franklin meet in secret meetings with John Jay, Fancis Daymon, and the French spy Julien Achard de Bonvouloir. The meetings eventually led to negotiations for French support of the colonists. The colonies likely would not have been able to win the Revolutionary War without French aid. Over the winter of 1777 British forces occupying the American capital during the War for Independence and occupied this building.
Attractions and Activities: First Bank of the United States (Free entry How to visit:No indoor visits) We will visit the First Bank of the United States. Championed by Alexander Hamilton, first Secretary of the Treasury, the First Bank of the United States was founded in 1797 and is significant for its architectural design.
Attractions and Activities: Second Bank of the United States Portrait Gallery (Free entry How to visit:No indoor visits) Modeled on Alexander Hamilton's First Bank, the Second Bank of the United States was chartered by President James Madison in 1816 and lost its charter under Andrew Jackson's presidency in 1834. We will discuss here Alexander Hamilton and Andrew Jackson: and famous duels fought by both men among other things.
Attractions and Activities: American Philosophical Society (Free entry How to visit:No indoor visits) The American Philosophical Society was founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin two years after the University of Pennsylvania, with which it remains closely tied. Early members included George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Paine, David Rittenhouse, Nicholas and Owen Biddle, Benjamin Rush, James Madison, and others. We will discuss here as we walk by, Franklin, University of Pennsylvania, and America's first surgical center adjacent to the structure here.
Attractions and Activities: Library Company of Philadelphia (Free entry How to visit:No indoor visits) Founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1731, the Library Company is the first institution in the world to lend materials to members of the public. We will discuss, as we walk by, the history of the site and historic location...and early statesman frequenting the location.
Attractions and Activities: Todd House (Free entry How to visit:No indoor visits) We will see the home of future First Lady Dolley Madison, where she lived with her first husband, John Todd, from 1791-93. Built in 1775, the Dolley Todd House site reflects the lifestyle of the middle class in 18th century Philadelphia which we will get a glimpse in to.
Attractions and Activities: Independence Visitor Center (Free entry How to visit:No indoor visits) Check-in and revolutionary history introduction at the beginning of our historic walking tour.
Attractions and Activities: Grim Philly Twilight Tours (Free entry How to visit:No indoor visits) Every guide has a history degree. Most are history teachers and American History Professors.
Guests leave on their own: Merchant Exchange BuildingEnd the tour on your own and bring your trip to a happy conclusion Philadelphia County,Pennsylvania,United States Tour ends just behind City Tavern and Merchants Exchange where The Continental Congress met every Saturday just aside Alexander Hamilton's Philadelphia home.
*Itinerary times are in the local time of the place of visit and may be subject to changes due to weather conditions, road conditions, and other factors. We appreciate your understanding.