{"id":1211,"date":"2016-10-26T08:00:15","date_gmt":"2016-10-26T12:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.law.temple.edu\/voices\/?p=1211"},"modified":"2016-07-14T13:37:00","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T17:37:00","slug":"24-hours-philly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.law.temple.edu\/voices\/24-hours-philly\/","title":{"rendered":"24 Hours in Philly"},"content":{"rendered":"

Growing up just outside of Philadelphia, I\u2019ve always known that it\u2019s 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<\/em>. In 2015, The New York Times<\/em> 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\u2019re considering a visit to Temple Law, you owe it to yourself to stay and experience the City of Brotherly Love.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Tourist Stuff<\/h2>\n

Independence Mall<\/h3>\n

\"Independence<\/a><\/p>\n

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\u2019s 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\u2019s center. If you don\u2019t 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\u2019t need to reserve a time slot. You can do everything at your own pace, with the exception of the \u2019Freedom Rising\u2019 presentation at the National Constitution Center, which is a live performance depicting the creation of the U.S. Constitution.<\/p>\n

\n

Independence Mall
\nLocation:<\/strong> 6th<\/sup> and Chestnut St
\nHours: <\/strong>8:30am-6:00pm
\nTime Commitment:<\/strong> 1-3 hours
\nPrice:<\/strong>
\nLiberty Bell: Free
\nIndependence Hall: Free at the visitor center | Reserve timed tickets online or by phone for $1.50 per ticket
\nNational Constitution Center: $14.50 | $13 w\/Student ID<\/p>\n

Plan Your Visit<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

City Hall<\/h3>\n

\"City<\/a><\/p>\n

City Hall is arguably the most recognizable building in Philadelphia. Located in the center of Philly, City Hall is the world\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\n

City Hall
\nLocation: <\/strong>Broad and Market St
\nHours:\u00a0<\/strong>9:00am-5:00pm Monday-Friday
\nTime Commitment:\u00a0<\/strong><1 hour
\nPrice:\u00a0<\/strong>
\nCity Hall Guided Tour: $12 | $8 w\/Student ID
\nCity Hall Observation Deck: $6 | $4 w\/Student ID<\/p>\n

Plan Your Visit<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Rocky Steps<\/h3>\n

\"Rocky<\/a><\/p>\n

The quintessential Philly tourist activity! Don\u2019t leave Philadelphia without getting a picture in front of the iconic Art Museum steps that Sylvester Stallone made famous in the movie \u201cRocky.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

\n

The Rocky Steps
\nLocation: <\/strong>Northwest End of Benjamin Franklin Parkway, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
\nHours:\u00a0<\/strong>Accessible 24 hours
\n<\/strong>Time Commitment:\u00a0<\/strong>~20 Minutes
\nPrice: <\/strong>Free<\/p>\n

Plan Your Visit<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Eastern State Penitentiary<\/h3>\n

\"Eastern<\/a><\/p>\n

Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, and held some of America\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\n

Eastern State Penitentiary
\nLocation:\u00a0<\/strong>22nd and Fairmount St
\nHours:\u00a0<\/strong>10:00am-5:00pm | Final tour entry at 4:00pm
\nTime Commitment:\u00a0<\/strong>1-2 hours
\nPrice:\u00a0<\/strong>$14 | $10 w\/Student ID<\/p>\n

Plan Your Visit<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Museums<\/h2>\n

Philadelphia Museum of Art<\/h3>\n

\"Philadelphia<\/a><\/p>\n

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is Philly\u2019s largest and best-known museum. It holds over 227,000 pieces, including sculpture, paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, armor, and decorative arts. If you\u2019re the type that can\u2019t 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 \u2019pay what you wish\u2019 admission.<\/p>\n

\n

Philadelphia Museum of Art
\n<\/strong>Location: <\/strong>2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
\nHours:\u00a0<\/strong>10:00am-5:00pm Tuesday-Sunday | Open until 8:45pm on Wednesday and Friday Evenings | Closed on Monday
\nTime Commitment:\u00a0<\/strong>1-2 hours
\nPrice:\u00a0<\/strong>$20 | $14 w\/Student ID | “Pay What You Wish” admission on first Sunday of the month and Wednesday evenings<\/p>\n

Plan Your Visit<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Barnes Foundation<\/h3>\n

\"Barnes<\/a><\/p>\n

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 C\u00e9zannes. 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.<\/p>\n

\n

The Barnes Foundation
\n<\/strong>Location: <\/strong>20th Street and\u00a0Benjamin Franklin Parkway
\nHours:\u00a0<\/strong>10:00am-5:00pm Monday, Wednesday-Sunday | Closed on Tuesday | Open 6:00-9:00pm on the first Friday of every month
\nTime Commitment:\u00a0<\/strong>1-2 hours
\nPrice:\u00a0<\/strong>$22 Monday, Wednesday-Friday, $25 Saturday-Sunday | $45 for guided tour | Free Monday, Wednesday-Friday w\/Student ID<\/p>\n

Plan Your Visit<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

M\u00fctter Museum<\/h3>\n

\"M\u00fctter<\/a><\/p>\n

The M\u00fctter 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\u2019s brain. The Museum is self-guided.<\/p>\n

\n

The M\u00fctter Museum
\n<\/strong>Location:\u00a0<\/strong>19 South 22nd Street
\nHours:\u00a0<\/strong>10:00am-5:00pm
\nTime Commitment:\u00a0<\/strong>~1 hour
\nPrice:\u00a0<\/strong>$16 | $11 w\/Student ID<\/p>\n

Plan Your Visit<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Food<\/h2>\n

Reading Terminal Market<\/h3>\n

\"Reading<\/a><\/p>\n

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\u2019re not sure what you want to eat. Whether you\u2019re in the mood for pizza, sandwiches, Thai, ice cream, donuts, etc., Reading Terminal has it all. Here are some of my favorites:<\/p>\n