Philadelphia Independence Walk

Philadelphia Independence Walk

Photo: Phil Roeder, CC BY 2.0 (cropped)

For a few remarkable decades, these blocks were the center of a new country. Delegates met here to defy a king, declared independence in 1776, wrote the Constitution in 1787 and governed the nation from Philadelphia while it served as the capital from 1790 to 1800.

This loop has twelve stops and is about two miles of easy walking on flat city sidewalks. Plan on roughly two hours, longer if you go inside. Independence Hall usually requires a timed ticket and most sites have security screening, so check the National Park Service website for current hours and tickets before you go.

Along the way you'll meet famous founders, but also the enslaved people who lived in the President's House, the working artisans of Elfreth's Alley and the legends that grew up around this history, with a clear line between what's known and what's told.

Start at the Independence Visitor Center at 6th and Market Streets.

12 stops on this tour:

Independence Visitor Center - Your Starting Line

The President's House Site - Freedom and Slavery Side by Side

Liberty Bell - A Crack Heard Round the World

Independence Hall - Where Two Documents Were Born

Congress Hall - Where the Capital Did Its Work

Carpenters' Hall - The First Continental Congress

Franklin Court - The Ghost of Ben Franklin's House

Christ Church - The Nation's Church

Elfreth's Alley - A Street Where People Still Live

Betsy Ross House - The Seamstress and the Story

Christ Church Burial Ground - A Penny for Ben Franklin

National Constitution Center - We the People Today

Stops on this tour

  1. Independence Visitor Center - Your Starting Line
  2. The President's House Site - Freedom and Slavery Side by Side
  3. Liberty Bell - A Crack Heard Round the World
  4. Independence Hall - Where Two Documents Were Born
  5. Congress Hall - Where the Capital Did Its Work
  6. Carpenters' Hall - The First Continental Congress
  7. Franklin Court - The Ghost of Ben Franklin's House
  8. Christ Church - The Nation's Church
  9. Elfreth's Alley - A Street Where People Still Live
  10. Betsy Ross House - The Seamstress and the Story
  11. Christ Church Burial Ground - A Penny for Ben Franklin
  12. National Constitution Center - We the People Today

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