Independence National Historical Park

Why go

Independence National Historical Park earns time because it offers a walkable district where constitutional history is tied to surviving streets and buildings. Its central thread is Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Franklin Court and a dense group of founding-era sites. Independence Hall's Assembly Room anchors the Declaration and Constitution story. Franklin Court uses open steel frames to mark the volume of a vanished house.

What to look for

• Independence Hall's Assembly Room anchors the Declaration and Constitution story.
• Franklin Court uses open steel frames to mark the volume of a vanished house.

The full story

Independence National Historical Park is best understood through Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Franklin Court and a dense group of founding-era sites. Independence National Historical Park is a United States National Park in Philadelphia that preserves several sites associated with the American Revolution and the nation's founding history. Administered by the National Park Service, the 55-acre park comprises much of the Philadelphia's most-visited historic district. The park has been nicknamed "America's most historic square mile" because of its abundance of historic landmarks, and the park sites are located within the Old City and Society Hill neighborhoods of Philadelphia. The centerpiece of the park is Independence Hall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted in the late 18th century. Independence Hall was the principal meetinghouse of the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1783 and the Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787. Across the street from Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, an iconic symbol of American independence, is displayed in the Liberty Bell Center. The park contains other historic buildings, such as the First Bank of the United States, the first bank chartered by the United States Congress, and the Second Bank of the United States, which had its charter renewal vetoed by President Andrew Jackson as part of the Bank War.

Useful to know

• Begin at the visitor center to confirm timed-entry rules and building access.
• Choose two or three interiors; trying to enter every historic building can flatten the differences between them.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.