One of the reasons I love Philly is because you have a busy, bustling city and then a few streets over, you have so much history. After living here for three years, I have gone to the city bars, dined at fancy restaurants and walked up and down the city streets a hundred times to do errands and explore. One of my goals PC (post-covid) is to explore different neighborhoods. Philly can seem like such a small city compared to New York but there is so much to do and so little time to see it all.
Right now there is a ton of fun and free things to do in Philadelphia’s Historic District. For 4th of July weekend, we thought it would be fun to walk around and do some touristy things we haven’t been able to do together. For some history we saw the Liberty Bell and walked past Independence Hall. While most buildings and museums are free right now, tickets quickly sell out so be sure to plan in advance. The Liberty View at Independence Visitor Center has a pop up right now called Terrace on Top. We made reservations a week in advance for a table and got a cocktail and some appetizers for lunch. Anything touristy, we expect high prices and small portions, right? Not at Terrace on Top because everything was priced right and had large portions.
There are so many great museums in the area and some of them are free. The Portrait Gallery in the Second Bank is a small portrait gallery with so much history. The American Revolution Museum is full of history and a great place to visit for a refresh on American History 101. The exhibits are family friendly and fun for adults too!
My favorite is walking around Old City and looking at all of the rich history and old homes. The area has been so well preserved it’s hard to remember that there is a busy city just a few streets over. You can’t visit the Historic District without walking down Elfreth’s Alley. End a long day of walking around and sightseeing and head to a great outdoor spot, Spruce Street Harbor Park. It’s one of my favorites to hang out, enjoy the food trucks and it’s even more magical at night with the string lights.
Here’s a list of some fun and free things to do…
- Start off at Independence Visitor Center
- See the famous Liberty Bell
- You’ll recognize Independence Hall if you have watched the movie National Treasure.
- Carpenters’ Hall
- The Portrait Gallery at Second Bank
- Elfreth’s Alley
- Spruce Street Harbor Park
- Franklin Square is a pretty park with a Philadelphia themed mini golf attraction.
- Christ Church, America’s oldest church
- Washington Square Park
This is my first Christmas living in Philadelphia and there are so many things in the City to get into the holiday spirit! One of my favorite things about this time of year is the lights. I love to see the strings of lights in Christmas Village and all of the trees lit up and decorated in the city. Living and working in Center City has made it easy to take a short walk after work to see the tree at City Hall or the Art Museum. There are endless ways to get into the Christmas spirit here in Philly and then go home to get warm by a tree while you watch a Christmas movie. 
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