The Constitutional Walking Tour
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The Constitutional Walking Tour of Philadelphia takes visitors on a walking journey through America's most historic square mile, the birthplace of the nation – "Where Every Day is Independence Day."
It is something akin to Boston's Freedom Trail, a guide for history lovers around Independence National Historical Park. [1] Many visitors know a little about Philadelphia's Revolutionary-era history, but many do not know how America's historic sites relate to one another. [1]
Located in Center City, Philadelphia, the Constitutional includes many sites within the Independence National Historical Park area, which is home to the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. The Constitutional guides visitors to walk through history where the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were created. The Constitutional is one of Philadelphia’s top 25 tourist attractions[2].[3]
Visitors can experience the Constitutional:
- on their own as a free, self-guided walking tour,
- with a lively tour guide, for a fee
- with the new Philly MP3 audio tour or
- via the new Constitutional cell phone tour.
The aptly-named walking tour of Philadelphia is a play on both the word "constitution," appropriate because the tour finishes at the National Constitution Center (6th and Arch St., Philadelphia), and the word "constitutional," meaning a walk or stroll.
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[edit] Guided Tour
Visitors who take the guided tour are led by a guide who has completed the "Independence Immersion Process," which means that he or she is highly knowledgeable on the subject of Revolutionary War Era Philadelphia, on a 1.25 mile loop around America's most historic square mile. They see more than fifteen of the area's most historic sites, including:
- Independence Hall
- The Liberty Bell Center
- Betsy Ross House
- Declaration House
- Signers' Walk
- Carpenters' Hall
- Franklin Court
- B. Free Franklin Post Office
- Christ Church Burial Ground
- The First and Second Banks of the U.S.
- Library Hall
- Congress Hall
- Old City Hall
- New Hall Military museum
- Signer's Garden
- Arch Street Friends Meeting House
The tour concludes at the National Constitution Center, which opened on July 4, 2003, and is the only museum in the world dedicated to preserving the United States Constitution as a living, breathing document still very much applicable to present-day life in the United States.
[edit] Self-guided tour
The Constitutional self-guided tour takes visitors on a walking journey through America's most historic square mile - the birthplace of the nation. Visitors have the opportuniy to step back in time to see where The Declaration of Independence and The United States Constitution were created. The 3-mile outdoor journey features more than 30 historical sites in the Independence Mall area, including the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and the National Constitution Center. Free brochures are available at the Independence Visitor Center, National Constitution Center, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Betsy Ross House, area hotels and other historic attractions in the Independence Mall area.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ a b Andersen, Bruce. "Boost history with 'Liberty Trail'", The Philadelphia Inquirer, Aug. 26, 2003.
- ^ Philadelphia Business Journal
- ^ The New York Times called The Constitutional "a new walking tour of Philadelphia (that) helps visitors find their way to sites relating to the city's history and its key role in the creation of the United States."
