Photo: Rdsmith4 · CC BY-SA 2.5
Independence Hall and Liberty Bell guide: timed tickets, the Assembly Room, Independence National Historical Park and the best of historic Philadelphia.
This modest brick building in Philadelphia, built as the Pennsylvania State House between 1732 and 1753, is where the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. Eleven years later, delegates met in the same Assembly Room to write the US Constitution. Guided tours take you inside, and the room has been restored to look as it did in those years.
Across the street, the Liberty Bell hangs in its own glass pavilion, the famous crack facing visitors. Entry is free. Around them, Independence National Historical Park includes Congress Hall, where Congress met in the 1790s, and the house where Benjamin Franklin lived.
In 2026, the country marks 250 years since the Declaration, and Philadelphia is at the center of the celebrations. Afterwards, wander cobbled Elfreth’s Alley, one of the oldest continuously lived-in streets in America, and grab a cheesesteak or lunch at Reading Terminal Market.
Don’t miss
- 1The Assembly Room inside Independence Hall
- 2The Liberty Bell
- 3Elfreth’s Alley, a street from the 1700s
- 4Lunch at Reading Terminal Market
Insider tips
- Free timed-entry tickets are required for most of the year; reserve online for a small fee.
- Expect airport-style security; arrive 15 minutes early.
- The Museum of the American Revolution is just two blocks away.
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