Historic civic building in which both the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted
General Information
No tickets are required. Entrance to Liberty Hall is by tour only, first-come, first-served. Tours begin every 15 minutes
Head south on S 15th St toward S Penn Square. Use the left lane to turn slightly left onto S Penn Square. Use the middle lane to stay on S Penn Square. Use the right 2 lanes to turn right onto Market St. Turn right onto S 6th St/S Independence Mall W. Destination will be on the left.
Overview
Independence National Historical Park in Old City is the birthplace of the nation, a compact district of the buildings where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were debated, plus the Liberty Bell. Independence Hall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Independence Hall
Built between 1732 and 1753 as the Pennsylvania State House, this Georgian red brick building served as the meeting place of the Second Continental Congress (1775-1783) and the site of the Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787. Its interior was restored to its 18th-century appearance by the National Park Service, and you tour it by timed ticket. Congress Hall and Old City Hall flank it on Independence Square, with Philosophical Hall nearby.
The Liberty Bell
The 2,080-pound Liberty Bell, once hung in the State House steeple, is now displayed in the Liberty Bell Center across the street, where exhibits explain its history as a symbol of independence, abolition, and civil rights. Its famous crack developed in the 19th century, and it became widely known after an 1847 story about it ringing on July 4, 1776. Visitors pass through security screening and cannot touch it.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia articles "Independence Hall", and "Liberty Bell", which are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
