2 days in Philadelphia

Day by day

1. Day 1: Independence Hall and Liberty Bell Center

   Independence Hall, Liberty Bell Center, Museum of the American Revolution and Elfreth's Alley, then Boathouse Row and the Schuylkill River Trail in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Independence Hall

      Ranger-led tours visit the Assembly Room, where George Washington's 'rising sun' chair still stands, and the courtroom across the hall.

   2. Late morning

      Liberty Bell Center

      The free glass pavilion tells that story with displays leading up to the bell, which is framed against a view of Independence Hall.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Cheesesteak

      Pat's and Geno's face each other at 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue; many locals prefer neighbourhood shops and the stalls in Reading Terminal Market.

   4. Afternoon

      Museum of the American Revolution

      Its centrepiece is George Washington's original headquarters tent, revealed in a short theatre presentation.

   5. Late afternoon

      Elfreth's Alley

      The houses are private homes, but a small museum at No. 126 explains the artisans who lived here.

   6. Evening

      Boathouse Row and the Schuylkill River Trail

      See the lit-up boathouses from the art museum's rear terrace or the far bank on West River Drive after sunset.

2. Day 2: Philadelphia Art Museum and the Rocky Steps and Eastern State Penitentiary

   Philadelphia Art Museum and the Rocky Steps, Eastern State Penitentiary, Reading Terminal Market and Barnes Foundation, then Spruce Street Harbor Park and Penn's Landing in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Philadelphia Art Museum and the Rocky Steps

      Its 72 east-entrance steps, run by Sylvester Stallone in Rocky, end in a view straight down the Parkway to City Hall.

   2. Late morning

      Eastern State Penitentiary

      Since closing in 1971 it has been preserved as a stabilised ruin with crumbling cellblocks, an audio tour and thoughtful exhibits on modern mass incarceration.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Roast pork sandwich

      DiNic's in Reading Terminal Market and John's Roast Pork in South Philadelphia are the best-known addresses.

   4. Afternoon

      Reading Terminal Market

      It is the easiest place to taste many Philadelphia specialities in one stop.

   5. Late afternoon

      Barnes Foundation

      Barnes's collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and early Modern art includes dozens of Renoirs, Cézannes and Matisses, hung exactly as he arranged them in dense wall 'ensembles' with ironwork, furniture and African art. The galleries recreate the rooms of his original Merion house inside a modern building on the Parkway.

   6. Evening

      Spruce Street Harbor Park and Penn's Landing

      Go around dusk on a summer evening, when the lights come on over the water.

Before you go

• Independence Hall: Entry is free but by timed ticket for much of the year; reserve online in advance or collect same-day tickets at the Independence Visitor Center early.
• Eastern State Penitentiary: The autumn Halloween Nights event sells out on weekends; book well ahead if you want it.
• Barnes Foundation: Entry is by timed ticket; book online, especially for weekends.

If it rains

• Swap in The Franklin Institute (Benjamin Franklin Parkway): Go on a weekday afternoon after school groups have left, and pair it with the Academy of Natural Sciences across Logan Square.
• Swap in Academy of Natural Sciences (Logan Square): Younger children love the fossil dig in the Dinosaur Hall; arrive early in the day to have it to yourselves.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 13–19 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.3 hours in December to 15 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. The grid makes navigation easy: numbered streets run north–south and tree names such as Walnut, Chestnut and Spruce run east–west.

More or fewer days

• One day in Philadelphia
• 3 days in Philadelphia

Questions travellers ask