Student Advice

24 Hours in Philly

Philadelphia Skyline and Schuykill River Boardwalk

Growing up just outside of Philadelphia, I’ve always known that it’s a great city. The rest of the world, however, is only beginning to appreciate everything Philly has to offer. In 2014, Philadelphia was named the most underrated city in America by the Huffington Post. In 2015, The New York Times ranked Philly at number three on its list of places to go, and this year, Philadelphia was named the number one place in the United States to visit by Lonely Planet. The takeaway: if you’re considering a visit to Temple Law, you owe it to yourself to stay and experience the City of Brotherly Love.

If you only have a day or two in town, it can be challenging to decide where to go and what to see. Hopefully, the options below can help you plan your short visit to Philadelphia, including the must-see stuff as well, as some lesser-known places that I enjoy.

Tourist Stuff

Independence Mall

Independence Hall

Philadelphia: The birthplace of American Democracy. Independence Mall spans two city blocks and is full of American history. Take a tour of Independence Hall, where the U.S. Constitution was signed. See The Liberty Bell up close and personal. Go to the National Constitution Center to learn everything you could possibly want about the history and development of the U.S. Constitution. It’s free to take a guided tour of Independence Hall, and you can get a timed ticket on the morning of your visit from the visitor’s center. If you don’t want to risk having to wait in line, you can also reserve tickets online or by phone. Tours leave about every 20 minutes, and the tour is 30 minutes long. The Liberty Bell is free and you don’t need to reserve a time slot. You can do everything at your own pace, with the exception of the ’Freedom Rising’ presentation at the National Constitution Center, which is a live performance depicting the creation of the U.S. Constitution.

Independence Mall
Location:
6th and Chestnut St
Hours: 8:30am-6:00pm
Time Commitment: 1-3 hours
Price:
Liberty Bell: Free
Independence Hall: Free at the visitor center | Reserve timed tickets online or by phone for $1.50 per ticket
National Constitution Center: $14.50 | $13 w/Student ID

Plan Your Visit

City Hall

City Hall

City Hall is arguably the most recognizable building in Philadelphia. Located in the center of Philly, City Hall is the world’s tallest masonry building. Easily recognizable by its huge white walls lined with sculptures, the building features a 37 foot tall statue of the founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn, on top. Also at the top? The City Hall Tower and Observation Deck, which offers 360-degree views of the city. Tours of the observation deck occur throughout the day and require a timed ticket. You can also take a guided tour of the rest of City Hall, which lasts approximately 2 hours and leaves at 12:30pm Monday through Friday.

City Hall
Location:
Broad and Market St
Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm Monday-Friday
Time Commitment: <1 hour
Price: 
City Hall Guided Tour: $12 | $8 w/Student ID
City Hall Observation Deck: $6 | $4 w/Student ID

Plan Your Visit

Rocky Steps

Rocky Statue

The quintessential Philly tourist activity! Don’t leave Philadelphia without getting a picture in front of the iconic Art Museum steps that Sylvester Stallone made famous in the movie “Rocky.” In the past, tourists needed to climb the steps to the Art Museum to earn their picture, but the Rocky statue now resides at street level, so you can get your selfie with the famous boxer, no cardio workout required.

The Rocky Steps
Location:
Northwest End of Benjamin Franklin Parkway, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Hours: Accessible 24 hours
Time Commitment: ~20 Minutes
Price: Free

Plan Your Visit

Eastern State Penitentiary

Eastern State Penitentiary

Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, and held some of America’s most notorious criminals, including Al Capone. Today, however, it stands in ruin, a haunting world of crumbling cellblocks and empty guard towers. Visitors are guided through the prison via audio tour, narrated by actor Steve Buscemi. The tour of Eastern State is self-guided, and most people end up spending around 1.5 to 2 hours.

Eastern State Penitentiary
Location: 
22nd and Fairmount St
Hours: 10:00am-5:00pm | Final tour entry at 4:00pm
Time Commitment: 1-2 hours
Price: $14 | $10 w/Student ID

Plan Your Visit

Museums

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Philadelphia Museum of Art

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is Philly’s largest and best-known museum. It holds over 227,000 pieces, including sculpture, paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, armor, and decorative arts. If you’re the type that can’t leave a city without seeing at least one museum, this is it. The Museum is entirely self-guided, but they have a podcast you can download to your smartphone, if you want to learn more about a particular exhibit. Bonus points if you can visit on the first Sunday of the month or on Wednesday evenings, when the museum offers ’pay what you wish’ admission.

Philadelphia Museum of Art
Location: 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Hours: 10:00am-5:00pm Tuesday-Sunday | Open until 8:45pm on Wednesday and Friday Evenings | Closed on Monday
Time Commitment: 1-2 hours
Price: $20 | $14 w/Student ID | “Pay What You Wish” admission on first Sunday of the month and Wednesday evenings

Plan Your Visit

The Barnes Foundation

Barnes Foundation

The Barnes Foundation holds one of the largest collections of impressionist artwork in the world. The artwork in the Barnes is estimated to be worth about $25 billion and includes over 800 paintings, including Renoirs, Matisses, Monets and Cézannes. The Barnes was built to give you an intimate up close and personal experience with the art. If you want some guidance, daily tours are given at various times, as well as a free audio tour.

The Barnes Foundation
Location: 20th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Hours: 10:00am-5:00pm Monday, Wednesday-Sunday | Closed on Tuesday | Open 6:00-9:00pm on the first Friday of every month
Time Commitment: 1-2 hours
Price: $22 Monday, Wednesday-Friday, $25 Saturday-Sunday | $45 for guided tour | Free Monday, Wednesday-Friday w/Student ID

Plan Your Visit

Mütter Museum

Mütter Museum

The Mütter Museum is not for those with a weak stomach. The museum is devoted to the human body, and is full of medical anomalies, both real and wax replicas. Some highlights include a section devoted to conjoined twins, a gigantic human colon, and slices of Einstein’s brain. The Museum is self-guided.

The Mütter Museum
Location: 19 South 22nd Street
Hours: 10:00am-5:00pm
Time Commitment: ~1 hour
Price: $16 | $11 w/Student ID

Plan Your Visit

Food

Reading Terminal Market

Reading Terminal Market

Reading Terminal Market takes up almost two Center City blocks, and features a wide variety of places to eat. It is the perfect spot if you’re not sure what you want to eat. Whether you’re in the mood for pizza, sandwiches, Thai, ice cream, donuts, etc., Reading Terminal has it all. Here are some of my favorites:

  • Hershel’s Deli – Perfect for giant greasy sandwiches. The corned beef, pastrami, and roast beef are all phenomenal.
  • Dinic’s – Viewed by many as the best roast pork sandwich in Philly. Be prepared to wait a long time in line.
  • Beiler’s Donuts – Handmade donuts made fresh and hot. Also usually has a long line.
  • Bassett’s Ice Cream – In a world overrun by froyo places, it’s nice to get some good old-fashioned ice cream every once in a while. Tons of flavors to choose from, you can’t go wrong.

Reading Terminal Market
Location: 12th and Filbert Street
Hours: 8:00am-5:00pm Monday-Saturday | 9:00am-6:00pm Sunday
Time Commitment: ~1.5 hours
Price: Varies based on vendor

Plan Your Visit

Cheesesteaks

Cheesesteak

Of course, no visit to Philadelphia would be complete without a cheesesteak. If you think you’ve had a ’Philly cheesesteak’ before, you’re wrong. No cheesesteak outside Philly compares. Make sure to order it ‘whiz wit’ (cheesesteak with cheese whiz and fried onions). If you ask 10 people where you can get the best cheesesteak, you will probably get 10 different answers, but here are some notable ones:

  • Pat’s and Geno’s (9th and Passyunk) – The big tourist spots. Most people not from Philly say these places are the best (they’re not). However, they are pretty good, and if you go to one of them you won’t have to deal with your friends asking why you didn’t go. Check out the Italian Market while you’re down there.
  • Phillip’s (23rd and Passyunk) – My personal favorite (and yes, I’ve had many years of experimentation). Phillip’s steaks tend to be on the greasier side, but that’s what I love about them.
  • Jim’s (4th and South) – a South Street staple. Fairly touristy, but the cheesesteaks don’t show it. Also convenient if you want to do some shopping on South Street.

Philadelphia has so much more to offer in addition to what I’ve mentioned here. If you want more information about things to do in the city, check out Visit Philly and Uwishunu, which feature the latest and greatest things happening in Philadelphia throughout the year.

Questions about this post? Drop us a line at lawcomm@temple.edu.