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Photo: ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Museum for Art in Wood is an American educational wood art institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was officially established as a nonprofit in 1986 by brothers Albert and Alan LeCoff, following a series of international symposiums from 1976 to 1986 presented by the LeCoff's with woodturner Palmer Sharpless. The organization operated as the Wood Turning Center until 2011, when the nonprofit moved to its current location in Old City District of Philadelphia and changed its name to The Center for Art in Wood. As of January 30, 2023 the center has changed its name to Museum for Art in Wood to more accurately reflect its operations, resources, and programming scope.
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Fans of MTV's The Real World will recognize this former bank building, turned living space for the seven cast members of the show's 2005 season. Now the building, which stands next to the Betsy Ross House, is a gallery and wedding hall.
This house, more than 250 years old, was the home of Betsy Ross. In 1777, Ross sewed by hand the first American flag, with its distinctive circle of thirteen stars. Visitors may tour the house independently, or purchase an audio guide for $5, and afterwards "meet" Betsy Ross and other colonial craftsmen in the courtyard of the house. A fun, low-key activity for children.
The restored firehouse was built in 1902 and today is a museum of firefighting owned by the city of Philadelphia. The museum exhibits include firefighting equipment, photographs, uniforms and fire marks from the 18th century to the present.
Elfreth's Alley is the oldest continually inhabited residential street in the entire United States. The earliest dated house was built in 1702. The Alley comes alive in the summer, when historical reenactments take place regularly. Each house is privately owned, and visitors are not usually allowed to take a tour of the interior, except on "Fete Day" (the first Sunday of June) when most of the houses will be open for public touring. On all other days, however, the museum at numbers 126 and 124 is accessible to the public and offers a look at the lives of the houses' earliest inhabitants.
Taking a self-guided tour of the first and largest US Mint in America is an interesting but often overlooked activity. The tour allows visitors to see how new money is made, and exhibits describe the history and coinage of the Mint. See the nation's first coinage press from 1792, and seven glass Tiffany mosaics created to celebrate the opening of the third Mint in 1901. A gift shop sells commemorative and new coins. Please note that visitors will be asked to show government-issued ID before entering and have to pass through a security checkpoint. Photography inside the building is prohibited.
The Arden has a 360-seat mainstage theatre and a 175-seat studio theater. The company produces five or six plays each season, with an additional two plays for children. The Arden has received 44 Barrymore awards and was named Philadelphia Magazine's pick for children's theatre in 2007.