Philadelphia Historical Sites Walking Tour
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Philadelphia Historical Sites Walking Tour: A 3–4 Hour Self-Guided Route

Amy French the Roaming Historian

Philadelphia Historical Sites Walking Tour: A 3–4 Hour Self-Guided Route

When I have only a few days in a city, I want to make the most of my sightseeing without wasting precious time getting from one attraction to another. Philadelphia is particularly well suited to exploring on foot because many of its most important historic sites are clustered in the city’s historic district.

In this walking tour of Philadelphia historical sites, I’ll take you to some of the city’s finest historic spots while keeping you primarily on three streets: Market Street, 2nd Street, and Arch Street. Along the way, I’ve included a few great places for food, including two that require only slight detours.

Philadelphia Historical Sites Walking Tour: Route Overview

This self-guided walking tour covers approximately 1.5 miles and takes 3–4 hours, depending on how many sites you visit and how much time you spend exploring.

Start: Market Street & 7th Street
Finish: Reading Terminal Market
Distance: Approximately 1.5 miles, plus optional detours
Time: 3–4 hours

The Route

Market Street: Declaration House → President’s House Site → Liberty Bell → Independence Hall → Franklin Court

2nd Street: Christ Church → optional detour to Elfreth’s Alley

Arch Street: Betsy Ross House → Christ Church Burial Ground → Free Quaker Meeting House → Chinatown Friendship Arch → Arch Street Meeting House → Reading Terminal Market

Optional Extension: Continue to Broad Street to see Philadelphia City Hall and the Masonic Temple.

Food Stops: Sonny’s Famous Steaks and Reading Terminal Market.

Planning Tip: This route can easily fill half a day. If you want to tour Independence Hall, visit museums, or spend significant time inside the historic buildings, plan for a full day.

In This Guide

  • Philadelphia Historical Sites Walking Tour: Route Overview
  • The Philadelphia Historical Sites Walking Route
    • Starting Point: Market Street
    • Don’t Just Walk Past These Sites
    • Franklin Court and a Philadelphia Cheesesteak Stop
    • 2nd Street and Christ Church
    • Optional Detour: Elfreth’s Alley
    • Arch Street Historic Sites
    • Finish at Reading Terminal Market
    • Bonus: City Hall and the Masonic Temple
  • More Historic Sites and Museums in Philadelphia
  • Frequently Asked Questions

The Philadelphia Historical Sites Walking Route

Starting Point: Market Street

Direction: Start this Philadelphia historical sites walking tour at the corner of Market Street and 7th Street, where you’ll find the first stop–Declaration House. From there, walk east along Market Street, stopping at the following sites in order.

#1) Declaration House marks the site where Thomas Jefferson lived while drafting the Declaration of Independence in June 1776. The reconstructed house is currently closed to the public, but you can see the exterior and learn about the site’s history from the interpretation outside. One important part of the story that is easy to overlook is the presence of Robert Hemmings, an enslaved man whom Jefferson brought with him to Philadelphia. The Declaration’s language about liberty and equality existed alongside the reality of slavery, a contradiction that shaped the early United States.

#2) The President’s House Site marks the location of the Philadelphia residence where Presidents George Washington and John Adams lived while Philadelphia served as the nation’s capital. The site is undergoing change as the previous interpretive displays and videos that explore the complicated relationship between the ideals of freedom and the reality of slavery in the early Republic have been replaced. There are legal challenges to the order to remove that display and so only time will tell how the stories told at this site evolve.

#3) Liberty Bell Center–At the Liberty Bell Center, you can see one of America’s most recognizable symbols of independence. The bell stood near Independence Hall in 1776, although the popular story that it rang to summon Philadelphians to hear the Declaration of Independence is more legend than documented fact. The Liberty Bell is still worth seeing, particularly because its history goes beyond the Revolution. Its famous crack and later use as a symbol of abolition and civil rights made it an important American icon long after 1776.

#4) Independence National Historical Park–From Market Street, veer south on 6th Street for a block to explore the heart of Independence National Historical Park. If visiting Independence Hall is important to you, I recommend reserving a timed tour in advance. Although free, the online tickets (with a small reservation fee) sell out quickly and need to be reserved in advance. As I heard one park ranger tell a visitor without a ticket, “they sell out everyday.” Unfortunately, that person wasn’t in Philadelphia the next day…don’t let that be you. Reserve ahead with the National Parks Service.

The park encompasses several of the most important sites associated with the founding of the United States, including Independence Hall, Congress Hall, West Wing, and the American Philosophical Society. Before entering security for your Independence Hall tour, take a look at Old City Hall, which served as the meeting place of the U.S. Supreme Court during the early years of the federal government.

Don’t Just Walk Past These Sites (#5-13)

There are several additional historic buildings in this area that are easy to miss if you’re focused only on Independence Hall. If they’re open, take a peek at:

  • Signers’ Garden
  • Second Bank of the United States (hosting the National Portrait Gallery)
  • Carpenters’ Hall
  • New Hall Military Museum
  • First Bank of the U.S.
  • Merchants’ Exchange Building
  • Bishop White House
  • 18th Century Garden
  • Todd House

These sites don’t require a major detour, and they’re a great reminder that Philadelphia’s historic district contains far more than the handful of famous attractions that appear on most itineraries.

Direction: From here, make your way toward Franklin Court, entering the complex from Chestnut Street.

#14) Franklin Court celebrates the life and legacy of Benjamin Franklin at the site where he lived for many years. The complex includes the Benjamin Franklin Museum, Franklin Court Courtyard, Fragments of Franklin Court exhibit, Franklin Court Printing Office, and B. Free Franklin Post Office. One of my favorite parts is the cobbled, covered walkway between the post office and printing office. Follow it back toward Market Street, where you’ll turn right.

Food stop–Sonny’s Famous Steaks: If you’re ready for a Philadelphia cheesesteak, stop at Sonny’s Famous Steaks on Market Street. It’s an easy food stop along this walking route and a good opportunity to sample one of Philadelphia’s most famous foods.

Street Change to 2nd Street

From Market Street, turn left onto 2nd Street and walk toward Arch Street.

#15) Christ Church, dating to 1744, is one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in America. The church played an important role in Philadelphia’s colonial and Revolutionary-era history, and its congregation included many prominent figures of the period.

#16) Detour: Elfreth’s Alley If you have a little extra time, continue one block farther down 2nd Street rather than immediately turning onto Arch Street. Elfreth’s Alley will be on your right. This has to be one of the most picturesque streets in the United States. Dating to the early 18th century, Elfreth’s Alley is known as the nation’s oldest continuously inhabited residential street. One of the historic homes operates as a museum, while the others remain private residences.

After visiting Elfreth’s Alley, return to 2nd Street and continue toward Arch Street.

Street Change to Arch Street

Turn left onto Arch Street and continue west toward Reading Terminal Market.

#17) Betsy Ross House At the Betsy Ross House, you can see a small historic house furnished to represent the period when Betsy Ross is said to have lived there. The traditional story identifies Ross as the woman who made the first American flag, although historians continue to debate how much of that story can be documented.

#18) Christ Church Burial Ground Continue west to Christ Church Burial Ground, where you can see the graves of Benjamin Franklin and other prominent Colonial and Revolutionary-era Americans. Franklin’s gravestone is one of the cemetery’s most popular stops. Look for the simple epitaph he famously chose for himself: Benjamin and Deborah Franklin, 1813.

#19) Free Quaker Meeting House The Free Quaker Meeting House was built in 1783 for Quakers who broke with the traditional pacifist position of the Society of Friends during the Revolutionary War. The building provides an interesting glimpse into the divisions that the Revolution created even within religious communities.

#20) Arch Street Meeting House, a historic Quaker meeting house designed in 1803–1804. Its architecture reflects Quaker ideals of simplicity and plainness, while its history provides another opportunity to learn about the important role Quakers played in Philadelphia.

Food Note: If you’re craving Chinese food, Market Street will take you past the Chinatown Friendship Arch and many local Asian-food restaurants.

#21) Reading Terminal Market Continue west to Reading Terminal Market, one of Philadelphia’s best places to stop for food. In 1890, the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company purchased the block for a new railroad terminal. The market’s merchants, however, refused to give up their stalls, so the railroad built its terminal above the market rather than eliminating it. Today, Reading Terminal Market is home to dozens of food vendors, restaurants, and other merchants. If you’re hungry, this is an excellent place to end your walking tour—and you’ll probably have a hard time choosing what to eat.

Bonus: Continue to City Hall and the Masonic Temple

If you still have some energy, continue along Arch Street to Broad Street. Turn left, and you’ll soon reach two of Philadelphia’s most impressive landmarks. Philadelphia City Hall dominates the intersection of Broad and Market Streets with its enormous clock tower and statue of William Penn. Across the street, the Masonic Temple is an extraordinary example of 19th-century architecture and is definitely worth a tour if you have the time.

More Historic Sites and Museums in Philadelphia

This walking tour focuses primarily on historic buildings and sites, so I’ve left out several excellent museums that are located along or near the route. Depending on your interests, you may also want to visit:

  • Museum of the American Revolution
  • National Constitution Center
  • Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
  • African American Museum in Philadelphia

And this walking tour only scratches the surface of Philadelphia’s history. I cover more in other guides about Philadelphia. Philadelphia is a fantastic destination for anyone interested in the American Revolution, the early Republic, and the complicated history of the United States. Walking through these streets makes it possible to see that history not simply in museums, but in the buildings, churches, streets, and neighborhoods where it actually happened.

I hope you enjoy this walking tour of Philadelphia’s historical sites. Happy travels!

Watch the Philadelphia Historical Sites Walking Tour Short on YouTube: https://youtube.com/shorts/rUjyjAuBUdE?feature=share

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you walk to the historic sites in Philadelphia?

Yes. Many of Philadelphia’s most important historic sites are concentrated in the Old City and Independence National Historical Park areas, making them easy to explore on foot. This walking route covers approximately 1.5 miles and connects sites along Market Street, 2nd Street, and Arch Street.

How long does it take to walk Philadelphia’s historic sites?

This self-guided Philadelphia historical sites walking tour takes about 3–4 hours, depending on how many historic buildings and attractions you enter. The route itself is approximately 1.5 miles, not including detours.

What historical sites are on this Philadelphia walking tour?

The route includes Declaration House, the President’s House Site, the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Franklin Court, Christ Church, Elfreth’s Alley, the Betsy Ross House, Christ Church Burial Ground, the Free Quaker Meeting House, Arch Street Meeting House, and Reading Terminal Market.

If you’re looking for a guided tour, check out this “Revolution and Founders: History Tour of Philadelphia”

Viator Revolution History Tour of Philadelphia

Is Philadelphia’s Historic District walkable?

Yes. Philadelphia’s Historic District is particularly well suited to walking because many major historic sites are clustered within a relatively small area. Your route takes advantage of that concentration rather than sending visitors back and forth across the city. Visit Philadelphia similarly describes the Historic District as a walkable area containing many significant historic sites.

What are the best historic sites to see in Philadelphia?

For a first visit focused on American history, some of the most significant sites include Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Franklin Court, Christ Church, Elfreth’s Alley, the Betsy Ross House, and Christ Church Burial Ground. This walking tour connects many of them in a single route.

Independence Hall Tickets: https://www.nps.gov/inde/index.htm

Amy French, Ph.D., is the voice behind Roaming Historian. A professional historian and seasoned traveler, she shares stories that blend history and travel to give readers a deeper understanding of the places they explore.

Things to do in Philadelphia: https://www.viator.com/Philadelphia/d906-ttd?pid=P00161535&mcid=42383&medium=link&medium_version=selector

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