Philadelphia

Carpenters' Hall

Historic House · 320 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Georgian hall completed in 1774 that hosted the First Continental Congress from September 5 to October 26, 1774 — the first formal political gathering of the colonies in resistance to British policy. Delegates from twelve colonies met here to coordinate their response to the Intolerable Acts. The hall is still owned and operated by the Carpenters' Company of Philadelphia, founded 1724, making it one of the oldest trade guilds in America.

Christ Church

Church · 20 N American St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Anglican church built 1744 where George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross, and other founders worshipped. Washington's pew (No. 56) and Franklin's pew (No. 70) are marked. The church served both sides during the British occupation of 1777–78. Its burial ground two blocks away contains the graves of Benjamin Franklin and four other signers of the Declaration of Independence. Among the finest examples of Georgian ecclesiastical architecture in North America.

City Tavern

Tavern · 138 S 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Rebuilt 1994 on the original 1773 footprint, City Tavern was the social and political hub of Revolutionary Philadelphia. John Adams called it "the most genteel tavern in America." The First and Second Continental Congresses held dinners here, and delegates used the tavern for informal negotiations that shaped formal proceedings in Independence Hall two blocks away. Washington dined here on the evening the Constitutional Convention concluded in 1787.

Independence Hall

Government · 520 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

The Pennsylvania State House where both the Declaration of Independence (1776) and the U.S. Constitution (1787) were debated and adopted. The building served as meeting place for the Second Continental Congress and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Assembly Room preserves the chairs, inkstand, and table used by the delegates. Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention in the same chamber where independence was declared.

Liberty Bell Center

Museum · 526 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Modern pavilion housing the Liberty Bell, cast in 1752 and rung to summon colonists to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in August 1776. The bell's famous crack developed in the 1840s. Exhibits trace the bell's history from its arrival in Philadelphia through its later adoption as a symbol of the abolitionist movement and civil rights struggles. The building is oriented to provide a direct sightline to Independence Hall.

Philadelphia Museum of Art (Revolutionary Collection)

Museum · 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19130

Major art museum with significant holdings of American Revolutionary-era decorative arts, portraits, and material culture. The museum's collection includes period furniture, silver, textiles, and paintings documenting Philadelphia life during the British occupation and the founding era. The museum sits near the site of several early republic government buildings and interprets the city's role as the cultural capital of the new nation.