Our first stop, was somewhat of a downer, but, we believe in seeing life as it has happened, so bear with us. We began our first day at the Eastern State Penitentiary. This penitentiary first opened in 1829. It is one of the first confinements that recommended solitary confinement in order to accomplish 'reflection'. The prison closed in 1971. Interestingly enough, at it's closure, isolation was later used as a punishment. They have done a good job of showing what it was like at different points in time while also allowing a natural aging/deterioration of the rest. While a bit of a downer, it is well recommended if you visit this area.
We walked our toes off our first day but saw a lot.
We began our US History tour by first picking up tickets to visit Independence Hall followed by taking a short walk through the grave yard where Benjamin Franklin is buried. There seems to have become a tradition of throwing coins on his grave.
Independence Hall is where both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were debated. The building was completed in 1753 and is original. On our tour we saw the Assembly Room which contains the actual chair that George Washington sat in, the Supreme Court Room (note the cage for the defendant to stand in), and also the Senate. We also visited Congress Hall, a few steps away. Congress Hall is where the Congress met from 1790 - 1800 (prior to Washington D.C. being the Capitol) and it is also where both Presidents Washington and Adams were inaugurated.
We finished off our first day by visiting the Liberty Bell. The Liberty Bell summoned the Pennsylvania Assembly to meetings. While there is no evidence that it actually rang on July 4, 1776, it was and continues to be held up as an important symbol proclaiming freedom in our country including ending slavery and giving Women the right to vote.
Our second day was mainly dedicated to touring the Philadelphia City Hall. This City Hall was planned by William Penn 200 years prior to completion in 1901. The construction of the buildings took 30 years, and because of that, we noticed some changes in the architectural styles used in various locations in the various buildings. At completion, the buildings cost almost 25 million dollars in 1901. The building also includes over 250 sculptures and the detail at every turn is quite impressive. Our 2 hour tour was fascinating.
With 14.5 acres of floor space and 700 rooms, this city hall remains the largest municipal building in the United States. It is also the World's largest Masonry structure, something I could have gone without knowing as we headed up over 7 stories to the top of its tower. Being told that the walls were bowing in the very early 1900's and that they built wider concrete bases (Not reinforced), did not help at setting my mind at ease either. But I really wanted to see the city from a view that just is not possible on the ground. So, even though I really hate heights, I pushed my limits and was glad that I did. The view was spectacular.
Across the street is a HUGE Macy's store. but what is most unique about this Macy's is that it is the home for the Wanamaker Organ. This organ with 28,500 pipes is the largest playable instrument in the world and play it they do, every day at noon. It is really quite impressive and for those interested, more information on this beautiful instrument can be read at: wanamakerorgan We were told that at Christmas time not only do they do large concerts but that these are accompanied by an impressive light show too.
We finished off our second day in Philadelphia's China Town. We watched as our cook 'pulled' our noodles with ease, by hand, from a clump of dough and yes, if you are wondering, the noodles do taste a whole lot better! Our visit to Philadelphia was so much more than we ever imagined.
  Note from the central guard station, the guard could see down all of the cooridors  Eastern State Penitentiary   Eastern State Penitentiary  Eastern State Penitentiary  Rocky    Independence Hall  of the Declaration of Independence. Assembly Room Independence Hall  Independence Hall  Independence Hall (Second Floor)    Loved the Reflections  Fountains outside City Hall In Philadelphia          in Philadelphia (Over 500 feet in the air)  in Philadelphia (Over 500 feet in the air)   China Town Philadelphia  Our Fresh Pulled Noodles. China Town Philadelphia |
