5 Reasons to Visit® · Pennsylvania
5 Reasons to Visit Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the City That Threw America’s 250th Birthday Party
The United States turned 250 in the city where it was born, with World Cup matches, an MLB All-Star Game and fireworks over Independence Hall. The party is over. The reasons to visit Philadelphia, from Michelin stars to a mural on seemingly every block, are not.
Advertisement
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were debated and signed, and in 2026 the city sat at the center of the nation’s 250th birthday. Lincoln Financial Field hosted six FIFA World Cup matches, including a Round of 16 match on July 4, and Citizens Bank Park hosted the MLB All-Star Game ten days later. The year before, the MICHELIN Guide arrived for the first time and awarded stars to three Philadelphia restaurants. Beyond the history, this is a city of neighborhood food, world-class art, riverside trails and thousands of murals. Here are five reasons to visit.
Advertisement
1Things to See & Do
Things to Do in Philadelphia: Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and the Rocky Steps
Start at Independence National Historical Park, where Independence Hall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the room where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were adopted. Tours are free, though timed tickets are required for much of the year. Across the lawn, the Liberty Bell sits in its own glass pavilion, and nearby, the Museum of the American Revolution displays George Washington’s field tent, while the National Constitution Center brings the document to life.
Walk Elfreth’s Alley, often called the nation’s oldest continuously inhabited residential street, and tour Eastern State Penitentiary, a crumbling 19th-century prison that once held Al Capone. Then climb the 72 steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, made famous by Rocky, for the classic view down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
2Dining Scene
Where to Eat in Philadelphia: First Michelin Stars, Cheesesteaks and Reading Terminal Market
In November 2025, the MICHELIN Guide included Philadelphia for the first time and awarded one star each to Friday Saturday Sunday, Her Place Supper Club and Provenance, with a Green Star for Pietramala and Bib Gourmands for neighborhood favorites, including Angelo’s and Dalessandro’s. Zahav, chef Michael Solomonov’s modern Israeli restaurant, won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant in 2019 and remains one of the hardest reservations in town.
For the classics, Reading Terminal Market, open since 1893, packs dozens of vendors under one roof, from roast pork sandwiches to Amish baked goods. Order a cheesesteak, try a soft pretzel and a water ice, and wander the stalls of the Italian Market on South Ninth Street, one of the oldest outdoor markets in the country.
Philadelphia is where America started, and it still feels like a city with something to prove, in the best possible way.
Advertisement
3Recreation
Outdoor Philadelphia: Fairmount Park, Boathouse Row and the Wissahickon
Fairmount Park, one of the largest urban park systems in the country, stretches along both banks of the Schuylkill River. The Schuylkill River Trail runs past Boathouse Row, whose historic rowing clubs are outlined in lights at night, and in the northwest, Wissahickon Valley Park offers wooded gorges and Forbidden Drive, a gravel path closed to cars.
On the Delaware River waterfront, seasonal pop-ups such as Spruce Street Harbor Park bring hammocks, lights and food stalls to Penn’s Landing. Sports fans can catch the Eagles, Phillies, 76ers or Flyers at the South Philadelphia stadium complex, where the city’s 2026 World Cup and All-Star crowds gathered.
4Shopping
Shopping in Philadelphia: Rittenhouse, Old City and Tax-Free Clothing
Walnut Street around Rittenhouse Square is Philadelphia’s upscale shopping corridor, with designer boutiques and flagship stores, and Pennsylvania exempts most clothing from sales tax. Old City has independent boutiques, design shops and galleries in historic buildings near Independence Hall.
Pine Street’s Antique Row and South Fourth Street’s Fabric Row are long-standing shopping streets with independent shops, and Reading Terminal Market and the Italian Market are the places to buy edible souvenirs, from local cheeses to Pennsylvania Dutch treats.
5Art & Culture
Philadelphia’s Art Scene: The Barnes, the Art Museum and the Murals
The Philadelphia Museum of Art holds one of the largest collections in the country, from European masters to American art, and its neighbors on the Parkway include the Barnes Foundation, with its extraordinary collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings by Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse and more, and the Rodin Museum. Note that the museum briefly called itself the Philadelphia Art Museum in late 2025 before returning to its original name in early 2026.
Philadelphia’s streets are a gallery too: Mural Arts Philadelphia has created thousands of murals across the city, and Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, Isaiah Zagar’s mosaic wonderland on South Street, is unforgettable. The Philadelphia Orchestra performs at the Kimmel Center, and the historic Academy of Music hosts opera and ballet.
Plan Your Philadelphia Trip
Philadelphia is best in spring and fall, when walking between neighborhoods is a pleasure. Give it three or four days: one for Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the Museum of the American Revolution and Old City, one for Reading Terminal Market and the Parkway’s museums, one in Fairmount Park and along the Schuylkill, and one for South Philly, the Italian Market and a Michelin-recognized dinner. Book Independence Hall tickets and top restaurants ahead.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: FAQ
Is Philadelphia worth visiting?
Yes. Philadelphia offers Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, the Museum of the American Revolution, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Barnes Foundation, Michelin-starred restaurants, Reading Terminal Market, Fairmount Park and thousands of public murals, all in a walkable city about 90 minutes from New York by train.
What are the best things to do in Philadelphia?
Top things to do in Philadelphia include touring Independence Hall and seeing the Liberty Bell, visiting the Museum of the American Revolution and the National Constitution Center, eating at Reading Terminal Market, climbing the Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, visiting the Barnes Foundation, touring Eastern State Penitentiary and walking Elfreth’s Alley.
Does Philadelphia have Michelin-starred restaurants?
Yes. In November 2025, in its first Philadelphia selection, the MICHELIN Guide awarded one star each to Friday Saturday Sunday, Her Place Supper Club and Provenance. Pietramala received a Green Star, and Bib Gourmands included Angelo’s and Dalessandro’s.
Do you need tickets for Independence Hall?
Tours of Independence Hall are free, but timed-entry tickets are required for much of the year and can be reserved in advance through the National Park Service. The Liberty Bell Center does not require tickets.
Is it the Philadelphia Museum of Art or the Philadelphia Art Museum?
It is the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The museum renamed itself the Philadelphia Art Museum in October 2025 but returned to its original name in early 2026.
When is the best time to visit Philadelphia?
Spring (April to June) and fall (September to November) are the best times to visit Philadelphia, with comfortable weather for walking. December brings holiday markets and light displays.
How many days do you need in Philadelphia?
Three to four days is ideal for a first visit, covering the historic district, the major museums, Reading Terminal Market, Fairmount Park and a few neighborhoods such as Old City, Rittenhouse and South Philly.
Advertisement
