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Driving Philadelphia Freedom Trail

140 Miles (225 Kilometers) | 2 to 3 days | Year-round

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Enthusiasm for liberty is inherent in Philadelphia’s past and present, and this trip provides a fascinating look at the city’s pivotal place in American history. Beginning with the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and Betsy Ross’s home in downtown Philadelphia, the trail leads west to the Franklin Mint Museum and the Brandywine Valley, with its Revolutionary War battlefield, famous châteaus, and art museum. Passing through well-groomed West Chester, the route heads north to Valley Forge, then east, traveling amid rural villages rife with historic houses and antique shops. You return to Philadelphia through its historic neighborhoods, ending at Fairmount Park.

Visitors to Philadelphia (Visitor Center +1 215 636 1666) should begin their tour at the city’s new waterfront park, Penn’s Landing (Market and Lombard Sts. +1 215 629 3200), with two big parking lots just off I-95. Among the historic vessels docked here are the USS Becuna and the USS Olympia, a cruiser important in securing a decisive naval victory during the Spanish and American War. The Independence Seaport Museum (211 S. Columbus Blvd. at Walnut St. +1 215 925 5439. Adm. fee) further explores the nation’s maritime history. Stroll and eat a braided pretzel from a vendor’s cart or take a narrated lunch or dinner cruise aboard the Spirit of Philadelphia (Columbus Blvd. +1 215 923 1419), leaving from the landing. Or hop the ferry across the Delaware to see a huge fish tank with two dozen sharks and a shipwreck at the New Jersey State Aquarium (1 Riverside Dr., Camden, N.J. +1 856 365 3300. Adm. fee).

Back in Philadelphia, the L-shaped Independence National Historical Park (+1 215 597 8974 for information on all park sites) contains more than 20 buildings that illuminate the founding and early history of the United States. Start at the Visitor Center (Third and Chestnut Sts.), just blocks west of Penn’s Landing. View the worthwhile film, Independence; pick up a walking tour map; and orient yourself to the park, which centers around Independence Hall (Chestnut St. between 5th and 6th Sts. By tour only; phone Visitor Center for schedule). Built between 1732 and 1756 as the Pennsylvania State House, Independence Hall may be the most significant building in American history, where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the U.S. Constitution drafted. Inside, the Assembly Room has been restored much as it was between 1775 and 1787, including the ink stand where signers penned their names on the revolutionary documents.

Next door, Congress Hall was home to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives between 1790 and 1800, when Philadelphia was the nation’s capital. It was here that Congress ratified the Bill of Rights (1791) and signed the Jay Treaty (1794). This is also where Washington was sworn in for his second term, and where he later delivered his Farewell Address.

The Liberty Bell Pavilion stands across the street from Independence Hall. The bell that rang from the State House to gather the citizens of Philadelphia for a public reading of the Declaration of Independence, on July 8, 1776, was moved to this glass structure for America’s bicentennial, where it can be viewed at any time of day. Rangers and audiotapes in 16 languages relate the bell’s story.

A host of other important historic sites fill the neighborhood. The Greek Revival Second Bank of the United States (Chestnut St. between 4th and 5th Sts.) houses the national historical park’s portrait gallery. Many of the 185 paintings of the nation’s early leaders are by Charles Willson Peale, who founded the nation’s first museum in 1802, in Independence Hall. Franklin Court (Market St. between 3rd and 4th Sts.) is a compound of five Franklin-era buildings where you view a film about Franklin’s life and see a newspaper office, post office, and print shop from libertarian days. But the most striking structure here is one you can see through—architect Robert Venturi’s delineation in steel framework of the only house Benjamin Franklin ever owned. Cutaways show the original foundations, and an underground museum presents interesting exhibits on Franklin’s life and ideas.

Nearby, but not part of the park, the Betsy Ross House (239 Arch St. +1 215 627 5343. Closed Mon.; Donation) contains the famed flagmaker’s original spectacles, and is furnished according to the period. Down the street, the United States Mint (5th and Arch Sts. 800 872 6468. July-Aug. daily, May-June Mon.-Sat., Sept.-April Mon.-Fri.) offers self-guided tours. Mixed among these historic sites stand a collection of significant museums, including the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum (701 Arch St. +1 215 574 0380. Closed Mon.; Adm. fee), the National Museum of American Jewish History (55 N. 5th St., o n Independence Mall E. +1 215 923 3811. Closed Sat.; Adm. fee), and the Curtis Center Museum of Norman Rockwell Art (6th and Sansom Sts. +1 215 922 4345. Adm. fee).

Before leaving downtown, walk among the federal period town houses of Society Hill (Bounded by Walnut, Front, Lombard, and 6th Sts.), take in the scents of flowers and fresh produce at the Reading Terminal Market (51 N. 12th St. at Arch St. +1 215 922 2317. Closed Sun.), or wander through the city’s exceptional art museums. A short drive west, the Rodin Museum (Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. and 22nd St. +1 215 763 8100. Closed Mon.; Donation) has the largest collection of the sculptor’s work outside of Paris. It is an adjunct museum to what most authorities rank as one of the great art collections of the world, the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. and 26th St. +1 215 763 8100. Closed Mon.; Adm. fee except Sun. a.m.). The spectacular holdings of the latter include paintings, sculpture, prints, and drawings from Europe, Asia, and the U.S., spanning more than 2,000 years.

While in the area, check out the Upstages (Liberty Place, 2nd Floor. +1 215 569 9700) kiosk at 16th and Chestnut Streets for half-price, same-day theater tickets.