Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Multi-Day Tour)
This tour can be combined with Gettysburg, Lancaster County and New York travel packages
Tour package includes educational Step-On-Guides

Philadelphia, a dynamic place where big city excitement meets hometown charm, awaits your arrival.  Famous as the birthplace of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, the cradle of liberty offers much more than cobblestone streets and historical landmarks.  Cultural, culinary, artistic and ethnic treasures abound in this city and its surrounding countryside.  The fifth largest city in the country, Philadelphia is a welcoming place, a city based on freedom of expression.

The paths to understanding American history all converge in Philadelphia.  Here Americans defended their liberty, achieved technological success and forged the ideals of the American Dream.  Today, students can enjoy the legacy from more than three centuries of political, economic, social and cultural achievements – all within the Philadelphia area.  You will see the sights, sounds and spirit of the 18th century as you listen to music of the day, participate in debates with 18th century colonists, join the Continental Army, meet and talk politics with the heroes of history – George Washington, Ben Franklin, Betsy Ross and others – and learn just what it means to be an American.

ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES

For 200 years the Academy of Natural Sciences has connected students to nature.  As Philadelphia's natural history museum, the Academy educates students of all ages.  Their scientists study evolution, biodiversity and ecology, providing information critical to understanding the natural world.  These efforts are supported by a collection of 17 million biological specimens.  Visits to the Academy offer a range of educational and entertaining experiences for students.  Once inside, they can sample a number of exhibits and participate in a variety of programs and activities.  Students are also encouraged to take advantage of their Discovery Lessons.  These interactive and engaging lessons cover a wide variety of topics and offer hands-on experience with live animals and/or museum specimens.  A behind the scenes tour of the Museum is also available.

ADVENTURE AQUARIUM

Come explore nearly 200,000 square feet of sharks, hippopotamuses, free-flying birds and sea life from around the world.  Located in nearby Camden, New Jersey, Adventure Aquarium features the West African River Experience, a 40-foot walk through shark tunnel, Jules Verne Gallery, 4D Theater and the opportunity to go one-on-one with animals through Aquarium Adventures programs.  Adventure Aquarium takes pride in providing an exciting and fun opportunity for students while also giving them a whole new perspective on the wonders of the ocean.

AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM IN PHILADELPHIA

Founded in 1976 in celebration of the nation's Bicentennial, the African American Museum in Philadelphia is the first institution funded and built by a major municipality to preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage of African-Americans.  Throughout its evolution, the Museum has objectively interpreted and presented the achievements and aspirations of African-Americans from pre-colonial times to the current day.  The Museum is committed to telling the story of African-Americans in all its permutations: family life, the Civil Rights movement, arts and entertainment, sports, medicine, architecture, politics, religion, law and technology.  The African-American Museum currently houses four galleries and an auditorium, each of which offer exhibitions anchored by one of three dominant themes: the African Diaspora, the Philadelphia Story and the Contemporary Narrative.

BATTLESHIP NEW JERSEY MUSEUM & MEMORIAL

America's most decorated battleship is now the area's most exciting museum.  Exploring BB62 is experiencing history in a whole new way.  Not only do you see exhibits of artifacts from the ship’s past but you are put into the exhibit as you walk through the tour route.  Sit in the chair from which Admiral Halsey commanded the fleet.  Stretch out on the bunks where the sailors slept.  Climb into the 16” gun turret and learn how the projectiles were loaded.  From the moment you step across the ship’s bow you will understand that this is a museum where students take an active role.  From strolling across the forecastle to climbing the original ladders up to the bridge, each step in your journey brings you closer to understanding what life was like for a sailor on the Battleship New Jersey.  Welcome aboard.

BETSY ROSS HOUSE

Built more than 250 years ago, the building now known as the Betsy Ross House was home to not just Betsy, but to dozens of artisans and shopkeepers over the years.  By 1876 the building was generally recognized as the place where Betsy Ross lived when she made the first American Flag.  Several of her surviving family members including daughters, grandchildren and a niece said that this was the location of the legendary event.  Today, the Betsy Ross House is furnished in the period in which Betsy Ross' descendents said she lived here.  Students can view seven period rooms, including a kitchen, bedrooms, parlor and the only interpretation of an 18th century upholstery shop in the country.  The rooms are furnished with period antiques, 18th century reproductions and objects that belonged to Betsy Ross and her family.  Highlights of the collection include Betsy Ross' walnut chest-on-chest, her Chippendale and Sheraton sidechairs, her eyeglasses, her quilted petticoat and her Bible.  The Betsy Ross House is alive with the sights and sounds of the 18th century.  You won’t just learn about colonial history here, you will be a part of it.

CHRIST CHURCH & BURIAL GROUND

Known as the ‘Nation's Church’ because of the famous Revolutionary-era leaders who worshiped here, Christ Church was founded in 1695.  It was the first parish of the Church of England in Pennsylvania.  The original church was a small brick and wooden structure that fit into its Quaker-dominated surroundings in the late 1600s.  The current church was started in 1727 and has long been considered one of the finest Georgian structures in America.  The steeple, financed by a lottery organized by Benjamin Franklin, was the tallest structure in the colonies for 75 years.  The interior of the church is as impressive as the exterior.  It includes the baptismal font from the 1300s, donated by All Hallows Church London, in which William Penn was baptized, a pulpit from 1769 and a chandelier still in use since its installation in 1740.  Those who worshiped regularly at Christ Church include George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross, Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush and many others.  Christ Church Burial Ground is one of America’s most interesting Colonial and Revolutionary graveyards with 1,400 markers on two beautiful acres right in the heart of historic Philadelphia.  The Burial Ground is the final resting place for some of our most prominent leaders including Benjamin Franklin and four other signers of the Declaration of Independence.

CONGRESS HALL

The old cracked Bell still proclaims ‘Liberty’ and Independence Hall echoes the words, ‘We the People.’  Explore Franklin's Philadelphia and learn about the past and America's continuing struggle to fulfill the Founders' Declaration that ‘all men are created equal.’  Independence Hall (seen from the Liberty Bell) is flanked on the right by Congress Hall.  The newly formed United States Congress occupied Congress Hall when Philadelphia was the capital of the United States from 1790 to 1800.  Today, Congress Hall has been restored to the way it looked in 1793-1800.  The first floor was occupied by the House of Representatives.  The upper floor was occupied appropriately, by the upper house, or the Senate.  In 1793, President George Washington was inaugurated here for a second term.  Four years later, in a precedent-setting ceremony in the House of Representatives chamber, the reins of power were passed from George Washington to John Adams.  Finally, and perhaps most important of all, the Bill of Rights was ratified while Congress met in these rooms.

ELFRETH’S ALLEY

Elfreth's Alley is a National Historic Landmark District in Old City Philadelphia.  The Alley was opened in 1702 and has been home to thousands of working class people for more than 300 years.  The Alley is lined by 32 rowhouses built between 1728 and 1836 that collectively illustrate the evolution of working class housing during the 18th and 19th centuries.  All but two of the houses are privately owned, making this a living, breathing historic neighborhood.  Your guided tour of the Alley includes the Elfreth’s Alley Museum.  Tours of the Museum give students a look at how daily life for working class people changed over the last 300 years by asking questions such as: Why were alleys and sidestreets built and who built them?  How did middle class people live and work in the 18th century?  How did work and family life change during the American Industrial Revolution?  How did immigration change neighborhoods in the early 20th century?

FRANKLIN COURT

Located on Market Street, the Franklin Court today contains a steel ‘ghost structure’ outlining the spot where Benjamin Franklin's house once stood.  What is known about the house is that it was three stories high, 33 feet square and included 10 rooms.  The house was razed in 1812.  Underground is a museum with displays, interactive exhibits and a 22-minute film entitled ‘The Real Ben Franklin.’  Fronting Market Street are restorations of five buildings, three of which Franklin had built shortly after his return from France to be used as rental properties.  These buildings contain an 18th century printing office, an archaeological exhibit, an operating post office and a postal museum.

FRANKLIN INSTITUTE

Founded in honor of America's first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, the Franklin Institute is one of America's oldest and premier centers of science education and development in the country.  Today, the Institute continues its dedication to public education and the creation of a passion for science by offering new and exciting access to science and technology through innovative and modern displays and exhibits.  The Franklin Institute itself is comprised of three centers: (i) the Science Center, (ii) the Franklin Center and (iii) the Center for Innovation in Science Learning.  It also houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial.  Guided or self-guided tours are available.

GHOSTS OF PHILADELPHIA CANDELIGHT WALKING TOUR

The Ghosts of Philadelphia brings the chilling tales of America’s most historic and haunted city to light.  The candlelight walking tour through Independence Park and Society Hill exposes the spookier side of these areas.  Students hear chilling tales of Benedict Arnold and Benjamin Franklin that may have them looking over their shoulders.  Do the very souls of our forefathers frequent Independence Hall?  Who is the Quaker woman reported to haunt Washington Square to protect the graves of 4,000 soldiers buried there?  Once students have encountered the Ghosts of Philadelphia, there is little doubt that the city’s past still actively lingers.

INDEPENDENCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

Independence National Historical Park preserves several sites associated with the American Revolution.  It comprises much of the historic area of downtown where Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the Independence Visitor Center and the National Constitution Center are located, along with dozens of other historic buildings and educational centers.  The park, which covers 45-acres, is administered by the National Park Service.  Independence Hall and the related historic buildings which make up the park witnessed an exciting time – when the 18th century delegates to the Second Continental Congress argued over the next step in the dangerous game of rebellion and then issued the Declaration of Independence.  Eleven years later, secret deliberations and hard compromises resulted in a new frame of government to hold the country together – the Constitution of the United States.  Millions of students explore the ideas and challenges of the past – so remote in time but so important to how we think today – when they visit Independence National Historical Park.

INDEPENDENCE SEAPORT MUSEUM

Enjoy an exciting voyage through our region's rich maritime history.  Take a seat for a seafaring lesson, try out interactive galleries, watch wooden boat builders at work, see displays of more than 1,000 pieces of maritime art and artifacts or take a tour of their two historic ships – the 1892 Cruiser Olympia and the World War II submarine Becuna.  Discover geography as a European explorer and see how travelers ventured to new lands hundreds of years ago.  Touch the tools explorers used to sail the globe and test navigation equipment such as the astrolabe and cross-staff.  Investigate the science and history of the ships of exploration.  What would happen if the Delaware River did not exist?   How clean is the river?  Find out the answers when you conduct your own water testing and then create a plan to protect the river from future pollution.  See Philadelphia’s history as the fourth largest port for immigrants through the eyes of a 19th century settler arriving in the new city.  A visit to the Independence Seaport Museum brings maritime history to life.

LIBERTY BELL

Begin your visit with a stop at the Liberty Bell Center.  Here students are able to see an exhibit about the Liberty Bell’s origins and its modern day role as an international icon of freedom.  The exhibit illuminates the Bell’s storied past, focusing on both liberty attained and on liberty not yet realized.  Next, view a film on the Liberty Bell produced for the National Park Service by the History Channel.  Your tour continues on to the viewing of the Liberty Bell itself.  Cast in 1753 by John Pass and John Stow, the Steeple Bell (which would later come to be known as the Liberty Bell) was the official bell of the Pennsylvania State House (today called Independence Hall) and rang many times for public announcements.  Some 250 years later, the Liberty Bell is a reminder to Americans of their earlier days when they fought and worked together for independence.  The bell weighs about 2,000 pounds.  It is made of 70% copper, 25% tin and small amounts of lead, zinc, arsenic, gold and silver.  It hangs from what is believed to be its original yoke, made from American elm, also known as slippery elm.  For over two centuries people from around the world have felt the bell's message.  No one can see liberty but people have used the Liberty Bell to represent this important idea.

MERCER MUSEUM

This towering castle houses dramatic displays of the implements, folk art and furnishings of early America before mechanization.  Students can walk into Central Court and see a Conestoga wagon, whaling boats, carriages and an antique fire engine suspended overhead.  There are 50,000 tools of more than 60 early American crafts and trades on display.  Constructed in 1916, it is listed as a National Historic Landmark.

NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER

Located on the third block of Independence Mall and serving as the northernmost anchor of the Mall complex, the National Constitution Center tells the story of the United States Constitution through more than 100 interactive and multimedia exhibits, photographs, sculpture, text, film and artifacts.  This state-of-the-art facility will take students through important events in our nation's history and through unique, interactive exhibits, show them how the United States Constitution is as important today as it was in 1787.  The center also features a powerful, award-winning theatrical performance, ‘Freedom Rising.’ ‘Freedom Rising’ is a state-of-the-art multi-media theater experience dedicated to connecting students in a direct, engaging and unforgettable way – with the story of the United States Constitution.  This 345 seat theater-in-the-round production incorporates one actor, 360° projection, surprise scenic elements, theatrical lighting and a dynamic surround soundtrack.  The production creates a magical environment in which students come to see themselves as a force in the life of the Constitution and the Constitution as an on-going force in the lives of every American.

PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART

Rising majestically at the end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the Philadelphia Museum of Art stands as one of the great art institutions of the world.  In the over 130 years since its founding, it has grown far beyond the limits originally set for it.  Today, the Museum houses over 225,000 works of art encompassing some of the greatest achievements of more than 2,000 years of human creativity and offers a wealth of collections and special exhibitions, masterpieces of painting, sculpture, decorative arts and architectural settings from Europe, Asia and the Americas.  The striking neoclassical building provides an oasis of beauty and a wealth of activities for students of all ages.  The Museum is also the site of the famous running of the stairs by Rocky Ballboa played by Sylvester Stallone. Walk or run up to the top step to enjoy the amazing view of Philadelphia as seen from the Philadelphia Art Museum entrance.

PHILADELPHIA ZOO

Bring your class to the region's top Philadelphia destination.  With over 1,500 exotic and endangered animals and 42-acres of living plants and educational exhibits, the Philadelphia Zoo is the region's largest living classroom.  Today, the Zoo is reaching new heights in all areas of its mission as a conservation, education and recreation organization.  Its state-of-the-art animal exhibits and health-care facilities, award-winning education and conservation programs, recreational opportunities, scientific accomplishments and a historically significant venue make the Philadelphia Zoo one of the world's most renowned zoological societies and gardens.

RIDE THE DUCKS PHILADELPHIA

Experience Philadelphia sightseeing fun from a duck's eye view on Philadelphia's original duck tour.  Travel on land and water in one amazing vehicle.  Tour historic Philadelphia and splash into the Delaware River at Penn's Landing.  There is so much to learn about Philadelphia on this tour of the historic district.  Students will have fun and they get a free gift, the famous Wacky Quacker, to interact with people on the street or move to the music of Philadelphia.  Ride the Ducks is the perfect afternoon adventure.

SPIRIT OF PHILADELPHIA

Looking for a great time with a different point of view?  Step aboard the Spirit of Philadelphia cruise at Penn’s Landing for a morning, afternoon or evening of unparalleled cruising fun on the waterfront in Philadelphia.  Enjoy this luxurious cruise ship while you dine, dance and enjoy breathtaking skyline views.  Dining options include breakfast or lunch or try a student buffet dinner with a DJ. Quite simply, a Spirit cruise is the perfect event for students.  This is the ultimate Philadelphia experience.

VALLEY FORGE NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK

The images are heartrending, dramatic and so powerful that they are embedded in the nation's historical consciousness.  Bloody footprints in the snow left by bootless men.  Near naked soldiers wrapped in thin blankets huddled around a smoky fire of green wood.  The lamenting chant from the starving.  These are the indelible images of suffering and endurance associated with Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-1778. ‘An army of skeletons appeared before our eyes naked, starved, sick and discouraged,’ wrote New York's Gouverneur Morris of the Continental Congress.  The suffering and sacrifices of the American soldiers at Valley Forge are familiar, iconic images but there is another side of the picture.  Valley Forge was where a new, confident, professional American army was born.  Three months of hardship were followed by three months of relative abundance that led to wonderful changes in the morale and fighting capabilities of the Continental Army.  Most importantly, it was at Valley Forge that a vigorous, systematic training regimen transformed ragged amateur troops into a confident 18th century military organization capable of beating the Red Coats in the open field of battle.  Today Washington’s original stone headquarters has been restored and furnished, log huts have been reconstructed and statues and monuments throughout the park remind students of our national heritage.  Among them are statues of General ‘Mad Anthony’ Wayne and Baron Friedrich von Steuben and the Monument to Patriots of African Descent.  The Welcome Center features exhibits, artifacts, a gift shop, light refreshments and an 18-minute film.  From here, take a scheduled tour on a scenic drive through the park and explore the 10 miles of horse trails and six miles of multi-use trails that wind throughout the park’s rolling hillsides.

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