Free Attractions

As Ben Franklin said, "A penny saved is a penny earned." Be sure and visit these free attractions in Philadelphia.

Arch Street Meeting House (free/donations accepted)

320 Arch Street
215-627-2667
The meetinghouse features dioramas, a slide show on Penn, displays of Quaker artifacts and a special exhibit, "Philadelphia Quakers-Politics and Government."

Arch Street United Methodist Church (free/donations accepted)

55 N. Broad Street
215-568-6250
www.archstreetume.org
Church and sanctuary, est. 1862, with neo-gothic architecture.

Bishop White House

309 Walnut Street
215-965-2305
www.nps.gov/inde/bishop-white.html
Preserved 18th-century house and garden of the First Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania.

Carpenters' Hall

320 Chestnut Street
215-925-0167
www.carpentershall.org
The Carpenters Company built carpenter's Hall in 1774. Weeks after its completion, the Hall hosted meetings of the First Continental Congress.

Christ Church (free/donations suggested)

Second & Market Streets
215-922-1695
www.oldchristchurch.org
This is "the nation's church" where George Washington, Betsy Ross and Benjamin Franklin worshiped.

The Church of the Holy Trinity

1904 Walnut Street
215-567-1267
For 140 years, the church has been spreading the Episcopal faith to the community.

City Hall

Broad & Market streets
215-686-9074
The largest and most elaborate city hall in the country features a 548-foot tower, topped by a 37-foot bronze statue of William Penn.

Congregation Mikveh Israel

44 N. Fourth Street
215-922-5446
www.mikvehisrael.org
Founded in 1740, the "Synagogue of the Revolution" is still going strong, maintaining its unchanged tradition.

Congregation Rodeph Shalom

615 N. Broad Street
215-627-6747
www.rodephshalom.org
Founded in 1795, this is one of the oldest Ashkenazic congregations in the Western hemisphere.

Congress Hall

Sixth & Chestnut Streets
215-597-8787
www.nps.gov/inde
Built in the late 1780’s, this is the location of the first House of Representatives and U.S. Senate when Philadelphia was the nation’s capital.

Declaration House

Seventh & Market Streets
215-597-8787
www.nps.gov/inde
This was the house where Jefferson lived while drafting the Declaration of Independence.

Edgar Allen Poe National Historic Site

532 N. Seventh Street
www.nps.gov/edal
Explore the house where Poe lived during the most productive years of his life. Some of the author’s most famous works where written here.

Elfreth’s Alley (free/tour of Mantua Makers House & Museum $2 fee)

Second Street (between Arch & Race Streets)
215-574-0560
www.elfrethsalley.org
Step back into the 1700’s on the oldest continuously occupied residential street in the United States (est. 1702).

Fireman's Hall Museum (free/donations accepted)

147 N. Second Street
215-923-1438
www.firemanshall.org
A fun place to learn the history of firefighting and safety tips. In this restored 1902 firehouse find apparatus’ as well as traditional and interactive exhibits.

First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia

2125 Chestnut Street
215-563-3980
The first church in North America to call itself Unitarian.

Franklin Court

Market Street, between Third & Fourth Streets
215-597-8787
www.nps.gov/inde
Site of Ben Franklin’s home, print shop and first U.S. Post Office.

Galleries at Moore College

20th Street & Benjamin Franklin Parkway
215-965-4045
www.thegalleriesatmoore.org
International and contemporary art are exhibited at the Center City school.

Historic St. George's United Methodist Church

235 N. Fourth Street
215-925-7788
www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/1767
Among artifacts housed here are the Francis Asbury Bible, the John Wesley Chalice Cup and the Joseph Pilmoor Journal.

Independence Hall

Chestnut Street, between Fifth & Sixth Streets
215-597-8787
www.nps.gov/inde
Pennsylvania’s first State House. Site where the Declaration of Independence was adopted and the Constitution written.

Independence National Historic Park

From Second to Sixth Streets (between Walnut & Race Streets)
800-537-7676
www.nps.gov/inde
America’s most historic square mile with more the 50 free attractions including the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and more.

Independence Visitor Center

Sixth & Market Streets
800-537-7676
www.independencevisitorcenter.com
Located in Independence Historic Park, the center provides an orientation to the history and attractions of Philadelphia and the region.

Italian Market

Ninth Street between Wharton & Christian streets
Philadelphia's Italian Market is the oldest and largest working outdoor market in the United States.

Kimmel Center Tours

260 South Broad Street
www.kimmelcenter.org
Home to eight Resident Company performing arts organizations (including The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Company of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Ballet) the Kimmel Center offers two themed tours through its sparkling, glass-roofed performing arts complex. The Building & Theater Tour (Tuesday-Sunday, 1 p.m.) and the Art & Architecture Tour (Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.) depart from the information desk at Commonwealth Plaza, are lead by experienced volunteer guides and are limited to 20 participants on a first-come, first-serve basis. Visitors may register for the tour at the information desk which opens at 10 a.m. daily.

Liberty Bell Center

Sixth & Chestnut Streets
www.nps.gov/inde/liberty-bell.html
Home of the Liberty Bell, one of the world’s most famous symbols of freedom.

Mario Lanza Institute and Museum (free/donations accepted)

712 Montrose Street
215-238-9691
www.mario-lanza-institute.org
This tribute to actor/tenor Mario Lanza showcases the place where he received his first musical education.

Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church

419 Richard Allen Ave. (S. Sixth Street)
215-925-0616
www.motherbethel.org
This site is the oldest piece of property continuously owned by African Americans. A small museum is located on the lower level, which contains the tomb of Richard Allen.

National Museum of American Jewish History

55 N. Fifth Street
215-923-3811
www.nmajh.org
Become a curator of the Museum’s new interactive exhibition offering a look at the core exhibition under development of the Museum’s new home and view the work in progress.

National Shrine of St. John Neumann

1019 N. Fifth Street
215-627-3080
www.stjohnneumann.org
The body of St. John Neumann is laid to rest beneath the glass altar in the shrine.

Old City Arts District

215-625-9200
www.oldcity.org
Old City has been transformed into an active cultural, dining and shopping district.

Old First Reformed Church

Fourth & Race streets
215-922-4566
www.oldfirstucc.org
One of the oldest German Reformed churches. It is now housed in a restored 1837 Federal-style building.

Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church (free/donations accepted)

412 Pine Street
215-925-8051
www.oldpine.org
The building, which was designed by Robert Smith, is the only remaining Colonial Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. In the churchyard is the grave of William Hurry first read the Declaration of Independence.

Old St. Mary's Church

252 S. Fourth Street
215-923-7930
This was the first cathedral of the Diocese of Philadelphia. The cemetery is the burial place of Commodore John Barry, "father of the American Navy."

Pennsylvania Hospital

800 Spruce Street
215-829-7352
www.pahosp.com
Free guided tours are given the last Friday of every month. Self guided tours always free.
This is the nation’s first hospital, founded in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond. Home to the first surgical amphitheater and medical library.

Philadelphia Cathedral

3723 Chestnut Street
215-386-0234
www.philadephiacathedral.org A Large Romanesque structure rebuilt in 1906 after a disastrous fire. The Cathedral is built in the style of an early Christian basilica.

Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame & Rose Levis Museum

401 S Broad Street
215-446-3016
www.pjshf.com
Founded in 1997 to celebrate the contributions of local Jewish pioneers and heroes in the sports world.

Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild

801 S. Columbus Boulevard & Spruce Street
215-238-0280
www.philadelphiashipguild.org
Visitors can step back in time aboard the 1833 wooden tall ship Gazela and the 1902 tugboat Jupiter.

Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Columbus Boulevard & Spruce Street
This memorial, recognized for its architectural style, honors the 642 Philadelphia residents who died in the Vietnam War.

Polish American Cultural Center Museum

308 Walnut Street
215-922-1700
www.polishamericancenter.org
The museum features Polish history, culture, paintings and "Great Men and Women of Poland," a pictorial display of Poland during World War II.

Quaker Information Center

1501 Cherry Street
215-241-7024
www.quakerinfo.org
Located in the lobby of Friends Center, a three building complex housing nine Quaker organizations, it provides information about the Religious Society of Friends.

Reading Terminal Market

51 N. 12th Street
215-922-2317
www.readingterminalmarket.org
This farmers’ market houses more than 80 merchants. Visitors can savor Pennsylvania Dutch breakfasts, authentic Philadelphia lunches or soul-food dinners prepared by the markets award-winning chefs.

Rodin Museum ($3 donation required if you wish to participate in the guided tour of the museum.)

22nd Street & the Ben Franklin Parkway
215-568-6026
www.rodinmuseum.org
This museum houses the largest collection of Rodin sculptures and drawings outside of Paris.

South Street

Eight blocks from the Pennsylvania Convention Center, South Street features a wide range of shopping, from modern art to supped-up skateboards.

St. John the Evangelist Church

21 S. 13th Street
215-563-4145
Founded in 1830, the church of St. John is in the heart of Philadelphia. Thomas Penn, the great grandson of William Penn, is buried in the graveyard next to the church.

Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel

300 S. 18th Street
215-735-5148
www.bzbi.org
This conservative synagogue is housed in a magnificent, historic Gothic stone building, which dates back to the 1890s. Visitors must check-in at Synagogue office.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Washington Square, between Sixth & Seventh streets on Walnut Street
This is the only tomb in the United States built in memory of unknown Revolutionary War soldiers.

Wagner Free Institute of Science

1700 W. Montgomery Ave
215-763-6529
www.wagnerfreeinstitute.org
Founded in 1855, this National Historic Landmark houses fossils, minerals, shells, skeletons and mounted animals. This museum and educational institution has survived nearly unchanged since the 19th century.