Philadelphia Freedom Trail

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Enthusiasm for liberty is inherent in Philadelphia’s past and present, and this trip provides a fascinating look at the city’s pivotal place in American history. Beginning with the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and Betsy Ross’s home in downtown Philadelphia, the trail leads west to the Franklin Mint Museum and the Brandywine Valley, with its Revolutionary War battlefield, famous chāteaus, and art museum. Passing through well-groomed West Chester, the route heads north to Valley Forge, then east, traveling amid rural villages rife with historic houses and antique shops. You return to Philadelphia through its historic neighborhoods, ending at Fairmount Park. CONTINUED

- Philadelphia
- Franklin Mint Museum
- Brandywine Valley
- Valley Forge National Historical Park
- French Creek State Park
- Peter Wentz Farmstead
- Germantown

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Philadelphia
Visitors to Philadelphia (Visitor Center +1 215 636 1666) should begin their tour at the city’s new waterfront park, Penn’s Landing (Market and Lombard Sts. +1 215 629 3200), with two big parking lots just off I-95. Among the historic vessels docked here are the USS Becuna and the USS Olympia, a cruiser important in securing a decisive naval victory during the Spanish and American War. The Independence Seaport Museum (211 S. Columbus Blvd. at Walnut St. +1 215 925 5439. Adm. fee) further explores the nation’s maritime history. Stroll and eat a braided pretzel from a vendor’s cart or take a narrated lunch or dinner cruise aboard the Spirit of Philadelphia (Columbus Blvd. +1 215 923 1419), leaving from the landing. Or hop the ferry across the Delaware to see a huge fish tank with two dozen sharks and a shipwreck at the New Jersey State Aquarium (1 Riverside Dr., Camden, N.J. +1 856 365 3300. Adm. fee).
Back in Philadelphia, the L-shaped Independence National Historical Park (+1 215 597 8974 for information on all park sites) contains more than 20 buildings that illuminate the founding and early history of the United States. Start at the Visitor Center (Third and Chestnut Sts.), just blocks west of Penn’s Landing. View the worthwhile film, Independence; pick up a walking tour map; and orient yourself to the park, which centers around Independence Hall (Chestnut St. between 5th and 6th Sts. By tour only; phone Visitor Center for schedule). Built between 1732 and 1756 as the Pennsylvania State House, Independence Hall may be the most significant building in American history, where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the U.S. Constitution drafted. Inside, the Assembly Room has been restored much as it was between 1775 and 1787, including the ink stand where signers penned their names on the revolutionary documents.
Next door, Congress Hall was home to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives between 1790 and 1800, when Philadelphia was the nation’s capital. It was here that Congress ratified the Bill of Rights (1791) and signed the Jay Treaty (1794). This is also where Washington was sworn in for his second term, and where he later delivered his Farewell Address.

The Liberty Bell

Photograph © Pete Souza

The Liberty Bell Pavilion stands across the street from Independence Hall. The bell that rang from the State House to gather the citizens of Philadelphia for a public reading of the Declaration of Independence, on July 8, 1776, was moved to this glass structure for America’s bicentennial, where it can be viewed at any time of day. Rangers and audiotapes in 16 languages relate the bell’s story.
A host of other important historic sites fill the neighborhood. The Greek Revival Second Bank of the United States (Chestnut St. between 4th and 5th Sts.) houses the national historical park’s portrait gallery. Many of the 185 paintings of the nation’s early leaders are by Charles Willson Peale, who founded the nation’s first museum in 1802, in Independence Hall. Franklin Court (Market St. between 3rd and 4th Sts.) is a compound of five Franklin-era buildings where you view a film about Franklin’s life and see a newspaper office, post office, and print shop from libertarian days. But the most striking structure here is one you can see through—architect Robert Venturi’s delineation in steel framework of the only house Benjamin Franklin ever owned. Cutaways show the original foundations, and an underground museum presents interesting exhibits on Franklin’s life and ideas.
Nearby, but not part of the park, the Betsy Ross House (239 Arch St. +1 215 627 5343. Closed Mon.; Donation) contains the famed flagmaker’s original spectacles, and is furnished according to the period. Down the street, the United States Mint (5th and Arch Sts. 800 872 6468. July-Aug. daily, May-June Mon.-Sat., Sept.-April Mon.-Fri.) offers self-guided tours. Mixed among these historic sites stand a collection of significant museums, including the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum (701 Arch St. +1 215 574 0380. Closed Mon.; Adm. fee), the National Museum of American Jewish History (55 N. 5th St., o n Independence Mall E. +1 215 923 3811. Closed Sat.; Adm. fee), and the Curtis Center Museum of Norman Rockwell Art (6th and Sansom Sts. +1 215 922 4345. Adm. fee).

Logan Circle fountain and Philadelphia Museum of Art

Photograph © Bill Ballenberg

Before leaving downtown, walk among the federal period town houses of Society Hill (Bounded by Walnut, Front, Lombard, and 6th Sts.), take in the scents of flowers and fresh produce at the Reading Terminal Market (51 N. 12th St. at Arch St. +1 215 922 2317. Closed Sun.), or wander through the city’s exceptional art museums. A short drive west, the Rodin Museum (Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. and 22nd St. +1 215 763 8100. Closed Mon.; Donation) has the largest collection of the sculptor’s work outside of Paris. It is an adjunct museum to what most authorities rank as one of the great art collections of the world, the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. and 26th St. +1 215 763 8100. Closed Mon.; Adm. fee except Sun. a.m.). The spectacular holdings of the latter include paintings, sculpture, prints, and drawings from Europe, Asia, and the U.S., spanning more than 2,000 years.
While in the area, check out the Upstages (Liberty Place, 2nd Floor. +1 215 569 9700) kiosk at 16th and Chestnut Streets for half-price, same-day theater tickets.

Franklin Mint Museum
A short drive on US 1 south leads to Media and the Franklin Mint Museum (US 1. +1 610 459 6168). Filled with beautiful collectibles, the exhibits include everything from porcelain dolls and jewelry to die-cast models of motor vehicles, historic weapon reproductions, and art by Andrew Wyeth and Norman Rockwell.

Brandywine Valley
Leaving the museum, continue south on US 1, entering the château country of the Brandywine Valley Amid these rolling pastures, woods, and streams lie the legendary mansions of the du Pont family. In Chadds Ford, the 50-acre [20.2-hectare] Brandywine Battlefield State Park (US 1. +1 610 459 3342. Closed Mon.) includes the farmhouses that served as headquarters for George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette during the battle of September 11, 1777. Perhaps the Continental Army’s greatest defeat, it left the road to Philadelphia open to the redcoats. Every year in mid-September there are reenactments of the battle, which is described in exhibits at the Visitor Center.

Brandywine River Museum interior, Chadds Ford

Photograph © Pete Souza

Nearby, the Brandywine River Museum (US 1. +1 610 388 2700. Adm. fee) is famous for its collection of works by three generations of the Wyeth family. Housed in what was originally a Civil War-era gristmill, the museum also features other American artists, such as Howard Pyle and Maxfield Parrish. Farther down on US 1 south, the Chaddsford Winery (+1 610 388 6221. Closed Mon.; Tasting fee) offers a great place to relax. Operating from a renovated 18th-century barn, this boutique winery supplies tables for picnics and some weekend concerts.

Longwood Gardens in bloom

Photograph © Pete Souza

To really relax, take as much time as you can for a wander through Longwood Gardens (US 1, Kennett Square. +1 610 388 1000. Adm. fee). This is America’s ultimate garden, with 1,050 outdoor acres [424.9 hectares], 20 indoor gardens, and dramatic, illuminated fountains. There are 11,000 different kinds of plants, roses, and orchids in bloom year-round, an Idea Garden for home gardeners, an indoor Children’s Garden with a maze, the historic Pierre du Pont House, and a mighty pipe organ. Each season brings new colors, while seasonal festivals and concerts add to the spectacle.
You can learn about another Brandywine specialty—mushrooms—at the Phillips Mushroom Place (909 E. Baltimore Pike/US 1. +1 610 388 6082. Adm. fee). Here a film, models, and photos help explore local fungus farming lore.
Backtrack to Pennsylvania 100 and wind north to West Chester (Chamber of Commerce +1 610 696 4046), a polished town of 18,500 that includes many pristine Victorian and Greek Revival houses as well as a downtown district for upscale shoppers. For two of the best ways to see the Brandywine Valley, travel just a few miles west of town to the Northbrook Canoe Co. (Northbrook Rd., off Pennsylvania 842. +1 610 793 2279). They offer canoe and tube rentals for floating down the river, as well as a more luxurious passage aboard the Brandywine Scenic Railway (+1 610 793 2279. Call for schedule; Fare). A picnic basket will enhance the hour-long ride.

Valley Forge National Historical Park

Valley Forge cannon

Photograph © Pete Souza

The drive up US 202, US 422, and Valley Forge Road (Pennsylvania 23) brings you to the log shelters of the Continental Army and a new understanding of the phrase “Philadelphia freedom.” Valley Forge National Historical Park (Pennsylvania 23. +1 610 783 1077) encompasses 3,500 acres [1,416.4 hectares] of fields and meadows. Start your tour at the Visitor Center (Pennsylvania 23 and N. Gulph Rd.). Here you can join a bus tour or pick up a tape for a self-guided automobile tour of the encampment where Washington and his Continentals came to lick their wounds after their loss at Brandywine and stalemate at Germantown. During the the six-month encampment in the bitter winter of 1777-78, about 2,000 soldiers died from the poor conditions here, but the army hung on, reorganized into an efficient fighting force, and kept the British immobilized in Philadelphia. More than 3,000 artifacts from Revolutionary War days are on view at the Valley Forge Historical Society Museum (+1 610 783 0535. Adm. fee), located inside the park’s Washington Memorial Chapel.
Drive north on US 422 and Pawlings Road to where the 175-acre [70.8-hectare] Mill Grove, Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary (Pawlings and Audubon Rds. +1 610 666 5593. Closed Mon.) lies just north of Valley Forge on Perkiomen Creek. Young John James Audubon came here in 1804 from France to manage the estate for his father. Here he courted and married his wife and developed his passion for American birds and wildlife. The house contains a collection of the artist’s work and memorabilia, and miles of trails traverse the grounds, where more than 175 species of birds and some 400 species of flowering plants have been identified.

French Creek State Park
Proceed west on Pennsylvania 23 through rolling fields and past 18th-century stone houses that preside over family farms. The terrain grows more rugged as you turn north on Pennsylvania 345 into the forested lands of French Creek State Park (Park Rd., Elverson. +1 610 582 9680). With 7,339 acres [2,970 hectares], 30 miles [48.3 kilometers] of marked trails, two lakes, and camping areas, the park makes a great escape for nature lovers. A nearby attraction is Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site (Pennsylvania 345, 5 miles [8 kilometers] S of Birdsboro. +1 610 582 8773. Adm. fee), a restored 18th- and 19th-century ironmaking village that cast everything from hollowware to Revolutionary War shot and cannons. You can see an audiovisual program at the Visitor Center, watch molding and casting demonstrations inside the restored buildings, and tour the houses and shops.

Daniel Boone Homestead, Birdsboro

Photograph © Pete Souza

A number of historic houses lie along the route back toward Philadelphia. North of Birdsboro, the Daniel Boone Homestead (400 Daniel Boone Rd. +1 610 582 4900. Closed Mon.; Adm. fee) preserves the 579-acre [234.3-hectare] farm where the famous frontiersman was born in 1734. It includes a Visitor Center, lake, picnic areas, and several 18th-century buildings that interpret the life of the Quaker Boone family and their contemporaries.
Next follow US 422 east and Pennsylvania 100 north to Pottstown, where a very different style of colonial life existed at the elegant Pottsgrove Manor (Pennsylvania 100 and W. King St. +1 610 326 4014. Closed Mon.), built in 1752 by John Potts, a colonial ironmaster and founder of Pottstown. Inside, the Georgian interior provides a backdrop for an extensive collection of two centuries of decorative arts. In the nearby town of Schwenksville, Pennypacker Mills (Pennsylvania 73 at Haldeman Rd. +1 610 287 9349. Closed Mon.) is a colonial revival mansion with family furnishings that reflect the Victorian age.

Peter Wentz Farmstead
Near the Philadelphia city line stand three houses that played roles in the quest for American independence. The Peter Wentz Farmstead (Off Pennsylvania 73 and Pennsylvania 363. +1 610 584 5104. Closed Mon.) in Worcester is where Washington planned the Battle of Germantown in the fall of 1777; at the Georgian Highlands (7001 Sheaf Ln. +1 215 641 2687. Mon.-Fri.; Adm. fee) in Fort Washington, Speaker of the House Anthony Morris entertained Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe; and, just south of Fort Washington, Hope Lodge (553 Bethlehem Pike. +1 215 646 1595. Closed Mon.; Adm. fee) is an early Georgian mansion that served as Washington’s surgeon general’s headquarters in 1777.

Germantown
Now take Bethlehem Pike south to Germantown Avenue, through the once fashionable enclave of Germantown—site of the 1777 Battle of Germantown. For a clearer picture of the battle, visit Cliveden (640 Germantown Ave. +1 215 848 1777. April-Dec. Thurs.-Sun.; Adm. fee). Home of colonial Chief Justice Benjamin Chew, the stone mansion stopped bullets during the battle. Today, the restored house serves as the Historic Germantown headquarters, which provides information on other historic sites in Germantown.

Horse sculpture in Fairmount Park

Photograph © Pete Souza

Reenter central Philadelphia by taking Lincoln Drive through a twisting, wooded ravine to Kelly Drive and Fairmount Park (+1 215 685 0000). With 8,579 acres [3,741.8 hectares], this park nestled on the Schuyl- kill River was home to the 1876 Centennial Exposition and includes colonial houses, outdoor music venues, waterworks, rock gardens, a horticultural hall, and a zoo. Miles of woods and riverside trails lead past the rowing clubs on Boat House Row.