So, are you BLU?

Philadelphia
Cultural Attractions 
By Kimberly Toms
Spring 2007

A Bit of History

National Constitution Center – Learn more about “We the People” than you were ever taught in grammar school. This 16,000 square foot facility houses a myriad of exhibits and interactive displays devoted to the explanation and preservation of our inalienable rights. Adult tickets are $9 and active-duty military are free with current military identification. The Center is open during standard business hours Monday through Friday, until 6pm on Saturday and for five hours (12pm to 5pm) on Sundays. 525 Arch Street; 215.409.6600; www.constitutioncenter.org.

Liberty Bell Center – The most renowned symbol of freedom, The Liberty Bell, is elegantly poised in the new Liberty Bell Center, with views of Independence Hall as a dramatic backdrop. Once upon a time, the Bell rang to call colonists to convene for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. The Center’s experience goes beyond merely looking at a bell. A visit encompasses interesting points you may not have learned in school, including some unique cultural uses of the Liberty Bell’s image in product marketing throughout our history, as well as its motivation of abolitionists and suffragists toward succeeding in their once-lofty efforts. Free admission. Market Street, between 5th and 6th Streets; 215.965.2305; www.nps.gov/inde/.

Independence Hall – In an act of defiance under the King of England, our forefathers gathered at Independence Hall in 1776 to start the process of our nation’s birth. For free admission (timed ticket reservations), you can walk where Franklin, Washington and others walked and hear explanations of each room, while guided by a National Park Ranger. Beyond its apparent history, the building is an excellent example of Georgian architecture in the early days of our country. 5th and Chestnut Streets; 215.965.2305; www.nps.gov/inde/.

 

Christ Church – Founded in 1685, Christ Church was the first Anglican parish in Pennsylvania. The existing building (circa 1727), is long-considered one of the finest Georgian structures in the United States, with a steeple that was financed by a lottery organized by Benjamin Franklin. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross, Benjamin Rush and many other historic figures worshipped here. You may tour the facility during designated hours, or even attend a standard Episcopal service on days of worship. For a tour, a donation of $3 per adult is recommended. Ensure you also tour the Christ Church Burial Ground, where you can pitch a penny onto Franklin’s grave, in tribute to his adage, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” The Burial Ground costs $2 per adult. Christ Church is located at 2nd Street above Market. The Burial Ground is separate, on Arch Street between 4th and 5th; 215.922.1695; www.oldchristchurch.org.

Carpenter’s Hall – Home of the First Continental Congress of 1774, this wonderful building of Flemish bond brick pattern (Georgian architecture) is worth a visit. When the beginning of our United States was a dream, as the first acts of brave defiance against England were enacted, Carpenter’s Hall was the setting. Admission is free. 320 Chestnut Street; 215.925.0167; www.carpentershall.org.

Philadelphia Museum of Art – Beyond the steps of Rocky Balboa fame lies a spectacular building reminiscent of Greek temples that is the third largest art museum in the country, as well as one of the most captivating collections to explore. Whether El Greco or Miro, Cezanne or Eakins are your preference, you will find yourself with hours of galleries, reproduction rooms and special exhibits to ponder. Of special note are the permanent Arms & Armor gallery featuring weaponry and protective shields of princes, kings and nobility; Costumes & Textiles, sometimes including the wedding gown of Princess Grace of Monaco (formerly Grace Kelly of Philadelphia); and Modern & Contemporary Art, including works by Picasso, Matisse, Miro and O’Keefe. The café offers an enjoyable mid-tour break for lunch (as you can spend an entire day in the Museum) and the gift shops have fabulously tasteful souvenirs that will outlive the typical kitsch. Given some time and energy after your Museum visit, exit through the back doors into the gardens and sculpture collections of Fairmount Park.  

Paved paths provide easy and clear access for walkers, bikers or runners to travel parallel to the Schuylkill River, while enjoying Azalea gardens, lush landscapes and uniquely situated large sculptures along the way. For the Museum, adult tickets are $12 and the hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays are “Kids Days,” so be aware of the youthful exuberance of Sundays, if that is not your style. 26th Street at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway; 215.763.8100; www.philamuseum.org.

The Rodin Museum – Flanking the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s position on Benjamin Franklin Parkway is The Rodin Museum, the largest collection of Auguste Rodin’s (French, 1840-1917) sculptures outside of Paris. The Rodin Museum is located in the midst of elegant gardens and a welcoming building of 1929, providing a shady shelter for walks and a nice retreat to spend an hour or two perusing Rodin’s unique and thought-provoking style. Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 22nd Street; 215.763.8100; www.rodinmuseum.org. 

The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts – The nation’s first art museum and school of fine arts was founded in 1805 and is now located in a historic building designed in the High Victorian Gothic style by Frank Furness and George W. Hewitt in 1876. Works by Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, Benjamin West, Lichtenstein, Cassatt, O’Keefe and many more are housed within the beautiful building that is a work of art in and of itself. Adult entry is $7. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Children’s Day is Saturday. Broad and Cherry Streets; 215.972.7600; www.pafa.org.

The Franklin Institute Science Museum – Located in very close proximity to both the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Rodin Museum, on the edge of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, The Franklin Institute originally opened in Independence Hall in 1824 to pay tribute to the ingenuity of Benjamin Franklin. Now located in an impressive Greek-revival building dating to 1934, the Franklin Institute includes an IMAX Theater, the adjacent Fels Planetarium and Mandell Center. In the IMAX Theatre, MacGillivray Freeman’s Hurricane on the Bayou is showing through June 15, 2007. Special exhibit Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of Pharaohs is showing now through September 30, 2007, including an IMAX presentation of Mysteries of Egypt. For the King Tut exhibit, tickets must be purchased in advance. Please see the website for details. 222 North 20th Street; 215.448.1200; www.fi.edu.

Eastern State Penitentiary – In the heart of a revived neighborhood now referred to as “Fairmount” or “Art Museum” lies a massive, dark, gothic structure that was once home to Al Capone and bank robber Willie Sutton. It is Eastern State Penitentiary, the isolationist model upon which about 300 prisons on four continents are based. The prison was active from 1829 to 1971 and had running water, central heat and flush toilets even before the White House. The prison offers guided tours, but highly recommended is the go-at-your-own-pace audio tour, for which you are provided with a headset that guides you through every major part of the prison, including to Al Capone’s lushly decorated cell. An excellent example of architecture and prison reform ideals of the time, Eastern State Pen is a must-do. Intriguing points abound throughout the facility and eleven acres of grounds, throughout which visitors are given unprecedented access without so many ropes and barricades that you might expect within a National Historic Landmark. After experiencing this unique facility, dash across the street to Jack’s Firehouse Restaurant and Pub or to one of the other area restaurants for which this neighborhood is quickly becoming known. $9 admission for adults, open April to November. N 22nd Street at Fairmount Avenue; 215.236.3300; www.easternstate.org.

Pennsylvania Hospital, America’s First Hospital – Founded by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond in 1751, the Pennsylvania Hospital offers tours of its architectural grandeur, gardens, medical library and surgical amphitheatre, all dating back to the time of surgery without anesthesia. Each area of the hospital offers a magnificent portrait of the period, the practice of medicine and the patient experience of our country’s earliest days, including for the most deranged of psychiatric invalids. In the Library, some works date back as far as the 1500s and on display are preserved surgical instruments, in addition to other unique items. It is an intriguing tour that provides a glimpse into the past and an appreciation for all that has changed in the practice of medicine since! Open Monday to Friday. 800 Spruce Street; 215.829.3270; www.uphs.upenn.edu/paharc.

Mutter Museum of the Philadelphia College of Physicians – Not for the weak stomached, yet quite fascinating, the Mutter Museum is a collection of over 20,000 items of medical and anatomical history. Launched from the collection of Philadelphia physician Thomas Mutter in 1863, the overall work provides the average Joe with a glimpse into the studies conducted by physicians in order to better understand how to prevent diseases and treat those that occur. If you can stomach it and have a general interest in medicine, science or anatomy, this museum is not to be missed. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. everyday. Adult entry is $12. 19 South 22nd Street; 215.563.3737; www.collphyphil.org.

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