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Photo: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Near Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, the National Museum of American Jewish History is dedicated to chronicling the American Jewish experience.
The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History is located at 101 South Independence Mall East at Market Street in Center City Philadelphia. It was founded in 1976. It has EIN 23-7379280 as a 501(c)(3) Public Charity; in 2023, it claimed total revenue of $8,234,058 and total assets of $29,222,882.
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The Liberty Bell once rang out public announcements from above the Pennsylvania state house (now Independence Hall). It became a public symbol of freedom when it toured the country after the Civil War to help mend political and social divisions. Returning to Philadelphia in 1915, it is now housed in the Liberty Bell Center where visitors can get an up close look at the 2000-pound bell and its mysterious crack. Admission to the Liberty Bell is free, so expect extraordinarily long lines during typical tourist hours (during the day on weekdays especially).
The Second Bank was chartered in 1816, five years after the First Bank lost its charter. Founded a block away in the same building the First Bank was in (see above), it soon relocated to its permanent home. Its charter expired in 1836 and wasn't renewed; it then functioned as an ordinary bank until it went bankrupt in 1841. The building then served as the Philadelphia Custom House from 1845-1935; nowadays it houses a portrait gallery (the People of Independence exhibit) containing artwork depicting various colonial and federal leaders.
This national park, covering several blocks of Old City Philadelphia, includes some of Philadelphia's most famous historic sites, including Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Benjamin Franklin's house and grave, and the house in which the Declaration of Independence was written. The park also includes a modern interactive museum, the National Constitution Center. The Independence Visitor's Center, where you must buy tickets to see Independence Hall, offers a wealth of information on historical sites and other attractions in the area. Costumed interpreters at the Visitor's Center are a great source of entertainment for children. The National Park Service provides a helpful map of the historical sites in the park.
This area contains the remnants of Benjamin Franklin's house (torn down 20 years after his death), the first post office (still in operation today), a Postal Service museum, an 18th-century printing office, and a Franklin museum. U.S. Park Rangers conduct printing demonstrations and performances of Franklin's "Glass Armonica." Great for kids.
Seven signers of the Declaration of Independence and five signers of the Constitution, including Benjamin Franklin, are buried in this cemetery, affiliated with the church listed above. The earliest grave dates to 1721.