Philadelphia's Old City is home to a large number of galleries, restaurants and bars, and so is known for its active nightlife and cultural opportunities.

Get in

  • Driving: you can find parking structures and rates with the [http://www.philapark.org/parkinglocator/parking_locator.aspx PPA Parking Finder]. Parking along the streets in Old City is metered, scarce and frequently with a two-hour limit.
  • Bus service: Routes are available through the [http://airs1.septa.org/bin/query.exe/en? SEPTA website], as well as the [http://www.gophila.com/C/Tours_and_Transportation/401/U/Phlash/1303.html PHLASH] trolley that operates part of the year.
  • Cabs are available throughout the city by hailing, as well.
  • See

  • '''Betsy Ross House''' 239 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19106. The admission for this tour is free. Betsy Ross was the creator the first American flag. She created the thirteen stars and the thirteen red and white stripes. It gives the tour-takers a view of the colonial times in Philadelphia.
  • '''Carpenter_fs Hall''' 320 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19106. The admission is also free. The delegates from the first Continental Congress gather here to start the revolution and break away from Great Britain. It was also the site of the first bank robbery in America. It was built in 1770 and is still made of the same bricks from that date.
  • '''Christ Church''' 2nd Street and Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19106. Admission is free. It was built between 1727 and 1754. Many of the founding fathers worshiped here, such as George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin, as well as Francis Hopkinson and Robert Morris.
  • '''Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site''' 532 N. 7th Street Philadelphia, PA 19123. Admission is free. Poe was the famous and troubled writer of such stories as _gThe Pit and the Pendulum_h, _gThe Tell-Tale Heart_h , _gThe Cask of Amontillado_h and _gMurders in the Rue Morgue_h.
  • '''Elfreth_fs Alley''' Located off of 2nd Street, between Arch and Race streets. It is the oldest continually inhabited street in the entire United States. These houses were built before the new nation was born. The earliest dated house was built in 1702. People do still live in these houses today, and there are guided tours 320 days of the year. It has lovely gardens surrounding it and handcrafted gifts at nearby shops.
  • '''Franklin Court'''316-322 Market Street, between 3rd and 4th Streets. It has the base structure of Benjamin Franklin_fs house. It even shows where the privy pits and wells were. Underground is a museum filled with paintings, objects, and inventions associated with Benjamin Franklin. Great for kids.
  • '''Liberty Bell''' Market Street, between 5th and 6th Streets. [http://www.nps.gov/inde/]. Admission is free. The bell was rung for public announcements. On July 8th 1776 was the first time the Declaration of Independence was read to the public.
  • '''Arch Street Meeting House''' 320 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19106. It is the meeting house where the first Quakers (William Penn) would meet and discuss the growth of the nation. People still meet today here and worship. Tours occur every Monday and Wednesday. Parking is free.
  • '''Fire Museum''' 147 N. 2nd Street Philadelphia PA 19106. The fire house was built during the Benjamin Franklin era. It has helmets and badges and other items. It dates back to 1731. It has the fire equipment used from 1731 to 1901. Open Monday to Saturday from 9:00am to 4:30pm.
  • '''Atwater Kent Museum''' 15th South Seventh Street Philadelphia PA 19106. It is a hands-on museum that teaches kids about the history of Philadelphia. It also has paintings created by Norman Rockwell.
  • '''Independence National Historical Park''' This area, covering several blocks of Old City Philadelphia, includes some of the Philadelphia's most famous historic sites. The park also includes more than a dozen historical buildings. You definitely want to start at [http://www.independencevisitorcenter.com/ the Independence Visitor Center], where you can get the ticket you need to get into Independence Hall, as well as information and tickets for other area sites. Costumed interpreters hang out at the Visitor Center and will talk to any and all kids.
  • '''Congress Hall''' Independence National Historical Park 143 South Third Street Philadelphia PA 19106. From 1790 to 1800 the President, George Washington, and Vice President would meet here with the Congress and Senate to discuss politics. It wasn_ft until later that City Hall was developed.
  • '''Declaration (Graff) House''' Independence National Historical Park 143 South Third Street Philadelphia PA 19106. This is Thomas Jefferson_fs house and where he wrote the Declaration of Independence.
  • '''Independence Hall''' Independence National Historical Park 143 South Third Street Philadelphia, PA 19106. It was the place for meetings for the first and second continental congresses. It is also famous for the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
  • '''Independence Hall Museum''' 9 am - 5 pm. Tickets required Mar - Dec. World Heritage Site.
  • '''National Constitution Center''' Independence National Historical Park 143 South Third Street Philadelphia, PA 19106. [http://www.constitutioncenter.org/]. There are many films, paintings sculptures and interactive activities to help visitors understand the Constitution.
  • '''National Museum of Jewish American History''' 55 North Fifth Street, Independence Mall East Philadelphia PA 19106. A museum devoted to the history of Jewish Americans. It has artifacts and films and much more that explores the Jewish culture through America.
  • '''United States Mint''' 151 North Independence Mall East Philadelphia PA 19106. [http://www.usmint.gov/mint_tours/index.cfm?action=philadelphia] The first and largest US Mint. Tourist can view how the coins and money are made on a self-guided tour. Tourists can also receive the newest coins made.
  • '''Opera Company of Philadelphia''' 1420 Locust St Philadelphia, PA 19102. Established in 1975 the Philadelphia Opera Company is one of the fastest growing Opera companies in the country.
  • '''Pretzel Museum''' 211 North Third Street Philadelphia, PA 19106. It is the only museum in the United States dedicated to the pretzel. It has a seven minute video of the history of the pretzel and an onsite bakery to show the special techniques of twisting pretzels.
  • '''Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial''' - Third and Pine.
  • '''The 'Real World' House''' - Northeast Corner of Third and Arch. Now an art gallery.
  • Do

  • '''First Friday''' event which is held on every first Friday of the month and showcases local artists' works. [http://www.gophila.com/culturefiles/Artmuseums/firstfriday/]
  • Buy

    In addition to myriad art galleries, Old City boasts design studios and very modern furniture stores.

    Also, it is the restaurant-supply outlet center of the city

    For Music, visit "a.k.a. Music" on 2nd between Market and Arch. Lots of hard-to-find releases in all genres from rock & Indie to jazz & experimental. Good vinyl selection, too.

    For book lovers go visit "The Book Trader" on 2nd just north of market. Large selection of used books and a couple friendly cats.

  • Club 27. 7 south bank st philadelphia pa 19106. ttp://www.club27philly.net/index2.html. to 2. aries. Club 27 is a popular night club for younger people in Philadelphia. If you are 17 or older go to Club 27 on saturday and thursday nights. It is very easy to get to and is very close to many resteraunts in the old city area. It is also about a block away from the Frankford-Market street line. With different specials and many different concerts and celebrity guests, it is one of the hot spots for kids 17 and older.
  • The Roxxy. 39 N. DELAWARE AVE. | PHILADELPHIA PA 19123. 15.931.0101. ttp://www.theroxxyphilly.com/. to 2. Friday nights at The Roxxy areone of the hottest places to be in philly for 17 and older. they are located on delaware ave and have parking areas very close. you have to get there early though because if you do not you will be waiting in a line for a good amount of time. many celebrities and music artists perform there. In the summer they have a pool in the club. It is one of the best places to be on a friday night.

    Eat

  • Amada. 17 Chestnut St.. 215)625-2450. ttp://www.amadarestaurant.com. -Th 11:30-2:30, 5-11; Fr. 11:30-2:30, 5-1am; Sat. 5-1am; Sun. 5-10pm. 20-$30 for entree. Excellent Spanish tapas cuisine. A large Spanish wine selection along with an enormous variety of tapas, some in traditional Spanish style. Also has an excellent cheese plate, great service, and is a good place for people-watching. Reservations are basically mandatory.

  • Buddakan. 25 Chestnut St.. 215)574-9440. ttp://www.buddakan.com. -Th 11:30-2:30, 5-11; F. 11:30-2:30, 5pm-12:00am; Sa. 5pm-12:00am; Sun. 5pm-11pm. 25-$35 for entree. One of the more well known restaurants in Philadelphia, it has a fairly good wine list and a focus on Asian food (many varieties). It is often considered one of the top ten to fifteen restaurants in Philadelphia.

  • Continental. 38 Market St. 1 215 923-6069. ttp://www.continentalmartinibar.com/.

  • '''Eulogy Belgian Tavern'''[http://www.eulogybar.com/], 136 Chestnut Street. A slice of Belgium cuisine: Mussels & Fries, etc. Also a huge variety of beers (Belgian or otherwise) on draft or bottle.
  • Franklin Fountain. 16 Market. tp://www.franklinfountain.com/. An early 1900s-style ice cream saloon with tin ceilings, antique soda dispensers, belt-driven ceiling fans, and servers in period attire.

  • La Famiglia Ristorante. South Front St. 1 215 922-7803. ttp://www.lafamiglia.com. Philadelphia's Best Italian Restaurant serving customers since 1976. Enormous wine cellar.

  • Karma. 14 Chestnut St.. 215)925-1444. ttp://www.thekarmarestaurant.com/. -Th 11:30-2:30, 4:30-10; Fri. 11:30-2:30, 4:30-11; Sa. 12:00pm-11pm; Sun. 12:00pm-10pm. 10-$20 for entrees, buffet is around $10. Excellent Indian cuisine, with a particularly exquisite lunch buffet; dinner specialties include standard Indian dishes as well as some modernized dishes; the focus is on the classics, however. Reservations are recommended for dinner.

  • Morimoto. 23 Chestnut St. 15 413-9070. ttp://www.morimotorestaurant.com/. Reservations are strongly recommended; dress is upscale casual, jackets are not required

  • Horizons. 11 S 7th Street. 0 minute walk from Independence Hall, on S 7th Street between Kater St and Bainbridge St. 15 923 6117. ttp://www.horizonsphiladelphia.com/. ues-Thur 6 PM to 10 PM; Fri-Sat 6 PM to 11 PM. pproximately $8 starters, $20 main entree, $8 dessert, $12 glass of wine, $8 other drinks. Absolutely awesome vegan food that even the die-hard carnivores would be delighted to eat. Reservations are recommended but not required, call ahead; dress is casual (slightly upscale); (all data as of Jul-20-2008)

    Drink

    Old City is packed with Restaurants, Bars and smaller clubs from Front to 3rd Sts. and Race to Chestnut Sts. with the most concentration on 2nd and 3rd sts. between Chestnut and Market Sts. Well-dressed attractive professionals crowd the sidewalks all night on the weekends, with the occasional celebrity too. Most of the venues are upscale, dressy and comparatively expensive with DJs and without; watch out for door policy and sometimes a line. There are too many to name and they're all right there, just look into the front windows to decide... You can also find more laidback drinking holes like Skinner's, Sugarmom's and Rotten Ralph's. Upstairs At Nick's and The Khyber both have bands and special events. For a quieter drink, try Race Cafe or Continental. For dance music connoisseurs, try Fluid on 4th near South St. Perfect dance spot bringing in legions of international DJs spinning Techno, Hard House, etc...Slammin'. Cabs are everywhere at 2:00 a.m. (closing time)

    For a great (Strong) cup of coffee try Old City Coffee on Church Street between 2nd and 3rd just north of market.

  • Shampoo. illow Street between 7th and 8th Streets. 15 922 7500. ttp://www.shampooonline.com/. to 2. aries. One of the most prestigious clubs in Philly especially on Sunday nights. With a foam pit and hot tub there is something for everyone. It has four different rooms with different types of music in each room. If your 17 or older you want to be here on Sunday nights.

    Sleep

  • '''The Thomas Bond Inn''' 129 South 2nd Street Philadelphia, PA 19106. Phone 215-923-8523. Toll Free 1-800-845-2663. Fax 215-923-8504. Historic guesthouse. $105-$190. [http://www.winston-salem-inn.com/philadelphia/]. The Thomas Bond Inn has been rate top 25 Best Bistoric Inns by American Historic Inns. It over looks Philadelphia_fs Independence National Historic Park and the Delaware River. It has lovely Colonial furnishings and bountiful breakfast. There is wine and cheese and cookies in the evenings.
  • '''Apple Hostels of Philadelphia''', 32 S Bank St, (''Old City''), ''215'' 922-0222, email: philly@applehostels.com, [http://www.applehostels.com]. Located in downtown Philadelphia, less than 3 blocks from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, free wireless Internet (for travelers with laptops), free bed linens, no curfews, no lockouts. Affordable, clean hostel with loads of free activities, friendly & knowledgeable staff and plenty of outside tours you can book at the reception desk that's open 24 hours. Beds start at $25.
  • Contact