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| Me standing in the snow as I was in awe of the picturesque Independence Hall |
View of southern entrance to Independence Hall from Liberty Bell.
I have seen the Liberty Bell on Travel Channel's "Mystery of the Museum". It is one relic of history that I knew I needed to see during my visit to Philly.
I was in Philadelphia for work. Luckily for me, my presentation was during the first day of my 6 day stay in Philly. There were meetings and networking but the most demanding part was over early on. Mr Sweetie arrived on Tuesday evening when I was already free from my major obligations. There was work for me and a snowstorm on Wednesday. By Thursday, the weather cleared up. It was our day to explore this East Coast city.
We decided to walk from our hotel, Home2Suites by Hilton, to Liberty Bell. It was about a 20 minute walk in the freshly fallen snow. The Liberty Bell is housed in a museum. You could get really close as it was just being protected by metal rails. I was honestly disappointed. I do not know why. I was expecting it to be something majestic. I think it was because there were so many tourists milling around. The floor to ceiling glass windows that overlook the Independence hall were partly blocked by shades. It was not until after I started reading about the history of the bell when I got back home to California that its significance in history has resonated (no pun intended) within me. The Liberty Bell was named by abolitionists who fought to end slavery. It has become a symbol of independence after the Civil War, women's suffrage and Civil Rights throughout the centuries.
And I am happy that I got to see the famous "crack" as I have seen it on the Travel Channel. It was hard to miss as it was a really big, long crack! By the way, the Liberty Bell has not been heard for over 120 years. The bell atop the Independence Hall is a new one and not the original one, obviously.
Now the Independence Hall is a different story. It was a collection of breathtaking architecture, and much more picturesque in the snow. The solid brick architecture has transported me to the 17th century when the United States was finding this identity as a nation.
See the room where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were both signed. Entrance to Independence Hall is by timed entry ticket only from March through December. No tickets are necessary in January and February.
The goal in visiting the Independence Hall is to see where the Founding Fathers debated, drafted and signed the Declaration of Independence and, 11 years later, the US Constitution. It is indeed the birthplace of the Declaration of US Independence and Constitution.
Mr Sweetie and I did not want to wait for the next free tour which was not for another 3 hours! I was actually okay not going inside the Independence Hall as I felt like it was adequate that I got to walk on the very grounds where the Founding Fathers have tread as they were fighting for freedom and equality.
Mr Sweetie and I were able to see some historical documents, though, in one of the minor buildings. After walking around the square, we headed towards the Visitor Center to get more information on more historic places in the area to explore.
1. The Liberty Bell Museum is free. No tickets are needed.
2. The Independence Hall is free but timed tickets are required from March through December. Tickets are not required when visiting in January and February.
3. The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall are just right across from each other.
4. There are no bathrooms in the Liberty Museum or Independence Hall. Bathrooms are located inside the Visitors Center which is about 2-3 long blocks from these museum!
I was in Philadelphia for work. Luckily for me, my presentation was during the first day of my 6 day stay in Philly. There were meetings and networking but the most demanding part was over early on. Mr Sweetie arrived on Tuesday evening when I was already free from my major obligations. There was work for me and a snowstorm on Wednesday. By Thursday, the weather cleared up. It was our day to explore this East Coast city.
THE LIBERTY BELL
We decided to walk from our hotel, Home2Suites by Hilton, to Liberty Bell. It was about a 20 minute walk in the freshly fallen snow. The Liberty Bell is housed in a museum. You could get really close as it was just being protected by metal rails. I was honestly disappointed. I do not know why. I was expecting it to be something majestic. I think it was because there were so many tourists milling around. The floor to ceiling glass windows that overlook the Independence hall were partly blocked by shades. It was not until after I started reading about the history of the bell when I got back home to California that its significance in history has resonated (no pun intended) within me. The Liberty Bell was named by abolitionists who fought to end slavery. It has become a symbol of independence after the Civil War, women's suffrage and Civil Rights throughout the centuries.
And I am happy that I got to see the famous "crack" as I have seen it on the Travel Channel. It was hard to miss as it was a really big, long crack! By the way, the Liberty Bell has not been heard for over 120 years. The bell atop the Independence Hall is a new one and not the original one, obviously.
INDEPENDENCE HALL
Now the Independence Hall is a different story. It was a collection of breathtaking architecture, and much more picturesque in the snow. The solid brick architecture has transported me to the 17th century when the United States was finding this identity as a nation.
See the room where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were both signed. Entrance to Independence Hall is by timed entry ticket only from March through December. No tickets are necessary in January and February.
The goal in visiting the Independence Hall is to see where the Founding Fathers debated, drafted and signed the Declaration of Independence and, 11 years later, the US Constitution. It is indeed the birthplace of the Declaration of US Independence and Constitution.
Mr Sweetie and I did not want to wait for the next free tour which was not for another 3 hours! I was actually okay not going inside the Independence Hall as I felt like it was adequate that I got to walk on the very grounds where the Founding Fathers have tread as they were fighting for freedom and equality.
Mr Sweetie and I were able to see some historical documents, though, in one of the minor buildings. After walking around the square, we headed towards the Visitor Center to get more information on more historic places in the area to explore.
TRAVEL TIPS
1. The Liberty Bell Museum is free. No tickets are needed.2. The Independence Hall is free but timed tickets are required from March through December. Tickets are not required when visiting in January and February.
3. The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall are just right across from each other.
4. There are no bathrooms in the Liberty Museum or Independence Hall. Bathrooms are located inside the Visitors Center which is about 2-3 long blocks from these museum!
"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal..."