Philadelphia and the Countryside - Press Room

* Not listed in Book of Lists; attractions listed in alphabetical order.

Historical Sites And Attractions:

• While exploring the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial, visitors can enjoy exhibitions that display artifacts from the ship’s past and play an interactive role as they follow the tour route. America’s most decorated battleship also hosts many special events and overnight encampments. 62 Battleship Place, Camden, (866) 877-6262, www.battleshipnewjersey.org
• While historians debate Betsy Ross’ role in making the first American flag, the Betsy Ross House offers an excellent portrayal of a working-class woman’s life in Colonial America. Visitors can tour the home of the nation’s best known seamstress and enjoy interactive programs and activities. 239 Arch Street, (215) 686-1252, www.betsyrosshouse.org
• Modeled after the work of famed English church architect Christopher Wren, Christ Church once counted George Washington, Betsy Ross and Benjamin Franklin among its worshippers. On July 5, 1776, the signers of the Declaration of Independence came here to pray. A few blocks away at 5^th and Arch Streets, Franklin and his wife are buried at Christ Church Burial Ground. Those passing by often throw pennies on the grave for good luck. 2^nd Street above Market Street, (215) 922-1695, www.christchurchphila.org
• Eastern State Penitentiary introduced Americans to a new—and a supposedly more humane—form of housing criminals: solitary confinement. Al Capone and Willie Sutton were among the 75,000 inmates who spent time here. Daytime, nighttime and haunted tours, along with exhibitions and special events make the prison a favorite among visitors who dare to enter. 2100 Fairmount Avenue, (215) 236-3300, www.easternstate.org
• Regarded as the nation’s most historic square mile, Independence National Historical Park tells the story of how American democracy came to be through historic landmarks and attractions. New additions like the Liberty Bell Center and the renovated Franklin Square join classic favorites such as Independence Hall and Franklin Court to take visitors back to the time of the nation’s Founding Fathers. (215) 965-2305, www.nps.gov/inde
• It’s only four pages long, but the U.S. Constitution is among the most influential documents in the history of the world. The 160,000-square-foot National Constitution Center explores the Constitution through high-tech exhibitions, artifacts and displays. 525 Arch Street, (215) 409-6700, www.constitutioncenter.org
• No battles were fought in Valley Forge, but the time the Continental Army spent here went down as one of their most trying periods. A new exhibition, artifacts, tours, replicated and original buildings, storytelling benches and an overnight encampment illustrate the pivotal winter that George Washington and his troops spent here. The 3,600-acre rolling hillsides of Valley Forge National Historical Park also include trails and picnic areas. 1400 N. Outer Line Drive, King of Prussia, (610) 783-1077, www.nps.gov/vafo

Art Everywhere:

• The Barnes Foundation* boasts 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes and 60 Matisses, along with works by Manet, Degas, Seurat, Prendergast, Titian and Picasso. The art is displayed symmetrically, arranged according to size and often paired with artifacts and furniture organized around themes and formal elements. An arboretum filled with specimen trees and formal rose and perennial gardens lies behind the Barnes’ iron gates. 300 N. Latch’s Lane, Merion, (610) 667-0290, www.barnesfoundation.org
• The very settings that inspired much of the art on view in the galleries—rolling hills, snowy drifts and the river—surround the Brandywine River Museum. For many, this landscape has become synonymous with Andrew Wyeth, whose work is exhibited here. The museum also displays N.C. and Jamie Wyeth and many of their contemporaries. U.S. Route 1, Chadds Ford, (610) 388-2700, www.brandywinemuseum.org
• The James A. Michener Art Museum pays homage to the beautiful Bucks County landscape, which has inspired countless artists, with its collection of Impressionist works and its outdoor sculpture garden. In addition to showcasing important regional artists, the museum also hosts traveling exhibitions. 138 S. Pine Street, Doylestown, (215) 340-9800, www.michenermuseum.org
• The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts* presents special exhibitions, an outstanding permanent collection and work by some of the region’s most talented contemporary artists. The vast collection of American art boasts treasures by local and national luminaries such as Charles Willson Peale, Thomas Eakins and the Wyeths. 118-128 N. Broad Street, (215) 972-7600, www.pafa.org
• The vast collections of Renaissance, American and Impressionist art make the Philadelphia Museum of Art one of the largest in the country. Its impressive collections, acclaimed exhibitions and special programs make the museum a cultural must-see. 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, (215) 763-8100, www.philamuseum.org

Museums of All Kinds:

• For 200 years, The Academy of Natural Sciences has connected people to nature, educating visitors of all ages. Highlights of the collection include dinosaur fossils, a fully constructed Giganotosaurus, a live butterfly exhibit in a tropical setting and three-dimensional dioramas. In addition, visitors can observe live exotic animals, try on horns and claws and dig for fossils. 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, (215) 299-1000, www.ansp.org
• The mostly touchable displays at The Franklin Institute Science Museum explore science in disciplines ranging from sports to space. The Science Center includes many interactive exhibitions, the Fels Planetarium and the Tuttleman IMAX Theater. And The Giant Heart, a walk-through human corpuscle that would belong to someone 220-feet tall, was one of the museum’s first attractions and remains one of the most popular. 222 N. 20^th Street, (215) 448-1200, www.fi.edu
• The Independence Seaport Museum conveys the importance of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers to Philadelphia over the years. Along with displays that chronicle the city’s contributions to naval and commercial maritime history, the museum offers visitors a rare close-up look at two historic naval ships, the cruiser Olympia and the submarine Becuna. 211 S. Columbus Boulevard, (215) 413-8655, www.phillyseaport.org
• Not for the weak of heart, the Mütter Museum is a riveting storehouse of the history of anatomy and medicine. The collection of more than 20,000 items gives visitors a beneath-the-surface perspective of what physicians study. Highlights of the museum’s impressive array of normal and abnormal displays include an enormously enlarged colon and a 7’6” skeleton. 19 S. 22^nd Street, (215) 563-3737, www.collphyphil.org
• Kids are in charge at the fun-filled and hands-on Please Touch Museum. The museum encourages learning through play with its exhibitions and programs. Kids can play croquet with the Queen of Hearts and sip tea with the Mad Hatter in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. And in Move It!, they can take the wheel of a real bus and sail a boat on the Delaware River. The Please Touch Museum will move into a new space in Fairmount Park in 2008. 210 N. 21^st Street, (215) 963-0667, www.pleasetouchmuseum.org
• At the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, a 12-ton Egyptian sphinx is the star of the collection, which features nearly one million objects. Other artifacts include Sumerian cuneiform clay tablets (some of the world’s oldest writing), Egyptian mummies, a crystal ball owned by China’s Dowager Empress, monumental stone sculptures from ancient Maya and 4,500-year-old jewelry from the Royal Cemetery at Ur. 3260 South Street, (215) 898-4000, www.museum.upenn.edu

Gardens Galore:

• Longwood Gardens attracts visitors from around the globe to its 1,050 acres filled with 20 outdoor gardens, 20 indoor gardens, 11,000 different types of plants, spectacular fountains and picturesque meadows and woodlands. The horticultural haven also hosts 800 events each year, including flower shows, gardening demonstrations, educational programs, children’s activities, concerts, musical theater and fireworks. 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, (610) 388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org
• Thousands of rare and lovely plants are set in a romantic, 92-acre Victorian landscape, complete with winding paths, streams, flowers, sculptures and special gardens. The elegant beauty of the 19th-century grounds at Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania makes it the perfect setting for a relaxing walk. 100 E. Northwestern Avenue, (215) 247-5777, www.morrisarboretum.com

More Fun:

• The newly renovated Adventure Aquarium educates and entertains with its exhibitions and shows featuring marine and wild life. Guests are amazed by the enormous hippos in the West African River Experience, and they can face their underwater fears in the Shark Realm. Here visitors can get up close with sharks, seals, fish and hippos. And the 4-D Theater employs special effects that take viewers into the action. 1 Aquarium Drive, Camden, NJ, (856) 365-3300, www.adventureaquarium.com
• At Peddler’s Village, 70 specialty shops, six restaurants and a 70-room inn spread across acres of landscaped grounds and winding walkways. For families, Giggleberry Fair provides entertainment for all ages with its old-fashioned carousel, obstacle course, moon bounce and interactive waterway. Annual festivals are another favorite of families. Routes 202 & 263, Lahaska, (215) 794-4000, peddlersvillage.com
• Penn’s Landing, the centerpiece of Philadelphia’s waterfront, hosts an array of events on its Festival Pier and Great Plaza all year long. Throughout the summer, free multicultural festivals, themed concerts and family events delight those looking to enjoy the warm-weather months. Come winter, visitors can try their moves on the Blue Cross RiverRink. Columbus Boulevard between Spring Garden & Market Streets, (215) 922-2FUN, www.pennslandingcorp.com
• The Philadelphia Zoo, the first zoo in the United States, is still one of the best. Big, small, awe-inspiring and quirky animals fill the zoo’s 42 acres, and the tree-lined walks, formal shrubbery, ornate iron cages and animal sculptures make for an enjoyable stroll. In addition to its animals, the zoo is known for its historic architecture, botanical collections of more than 500 plant species and groundbreaking research. 3400 W. Girard Avenue, (215) 243-1100, www.philadelphiazoo.org
• Opened in 1893, the Reading Terminal Market* is the country’s oldest continuously operating farmers’ market. Amish vendors, local butchers, Asian fish purveyors, bakers and chocolatiers are among the more than 80 merchants that have kept it the city’s most eclectic indoor farmers’ market. Visitors can find whatever they’re in the mood for since the market offers almost any type of cuisine, including caviar, organic produce, Southern soul food, hoagies and cheesesteaks. 12^th & Arch Streets, (215) 922-2317, www.readingterminalmarket.org

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside™ a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.

Contact(s):

• Cara Schneider, (215) 599-0789