So Much History in Piladelphia

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Independence Hall

My dad and I decided to take a road trip to Pennsylvania. When we came off the highway, we drove through the old and weary streets of Philadelphia. Philadelphia was one of the most prominent cities in American colonial times. Similar to many historical cities in Northeast, the city was practically paved in red brick, and was crumbling and rotting away. It neither has New England town’s charm nor big city’s sophistication. We were heading to the Independence Hall visitor center. Like most cities, public parking is an issue. We circled around the block and couldn’t find the parking garage for the visitor center. The Independence Hall website gives lots of information about the area and a list of public parking areas. We ended up parking at the garage under the Constitution Museum which is part of the Independence Square. The public parking costs $18 for 4 hrs around the Independence Square. The Square is a historical landmark consisted of several important buildings - the Independence Hall (IH) on one end, Constitution Hall right next to it, the Liberty Bell exhibition hall and the Constitution Museum. Most places are open to public for free. However you still need to get a ticket to go on the Independence Hall tour. The Declaration of Independence was signed here by the representatives of the original 13 states. Because we were there during the peak travel time -summer time, the tickets were sold out. It might be wise to reserve your tickets online in advance so that you don’t miss the tour and witness an important piece of the U.S. history. We did however go on the tour of the Constitution Hall. It was not bad, but the tour guide was dry. The main hall served as the congress where the senators debated and drafted plans for our nation’s future.

Constitution Museum
The Constitution Museum sits on the opposite end of IH. Despite all the old buildings in the square, this one is a modern structure. You guess it! It is dedicated for the history of American constitution. The admission includes video and live presentation show in the little theater, general exhibit and the statuary hall. It is a modern and media centered museum and is filled with TVs and push buttons. The freedom rise is a live show which is also embeds with video and photo effects. The presenter, who was an excellent speaker, led the audience through American struggles and search for freedom in American. The lights went on and off in the theater while her voice rose and fell. We quickly fell asleep during the show after walking around in heat and humidity for hours. The Liberty Bell was the second largest attraction after IH in the square. It was much smaller than I expected. It is maybe like a size of 20’ TV set.

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