In Philadelphia (King of Prussia, Franklin Park, Gettysburg: how much, high school, camping)

[michiganmoon]

Hi,
I am leading a week long high school field trip out of the state of Michigan. We will be camping at the youth campground in Gettysburg on the battlefield when we decide to go into Philadelphia for a day. My questions are...

#1 Is it true that taking Highway 30 (the Lincoln Memorial) is a nice scenic route and is easy to get in and out of the city. I would avoid the toll fare costs from the PA Pike.

#2 We plan on seeing Constitution Hall and the Liberty Bell, etc... Is there an easy parking structure nearby from off Highway 30. Any tips about using Highway 30 to get to the Liberty Bell / Constitution Hall?

#3 We plan on stopping by Valley Forge on the way to Gettysburg.

[rainrock]

Rt 30 is very nice but as you get close to the Philly area traffic ties up quite a bit. Your best bet would be to take 30 E into Exton, at Exton take 202 N to King of Prussia/Valley Forge.By the way King of Prussia has the biggest "shopping mall" in the country I believe, nice place to unwind grab some lunch. Then after you see Valley Forge jump on 76 E into Philadlephia(at that point there is no toll into the city)


Look into the Independence National Historic Park website for parking info.

Check out the Museum area as well(Ben Franklin Parkway) The Philadelphia Museum of Art is a blast .

Good luck.

[juniperbleu]

There's a parking garage directly underneath Independence Mall. I want to say that the entrance is on 5th Street between Market and Arch, but I haven't driven there in a little while so check. I don't remember how much it would be, but for parking as a group it's your best bet for convenience. The elevator goes straight up to the Visitors Center. To get there, your best bet is to take I-76 East to I-676 (2 left lanes), and then take the exit for the Ben Franklin Bridge/6th Street. Make a right onto 6th and then you can just essentially go around the block (except it's the park) to get to 5th.

[Bookmen]

How large a group are you bringing? If you are bringing a bus, there is an unloading area for busses and an off-site parking lot. Information is on the National Park Service web site.

By "Constitution Hall," I assume you mean Independence Hall. (The National Constitution Center is also here.) Although free, timed admission tickets are required for Independence Hall, also available on the NPS web site. Tickets are not necessary for the Liberty Bell pavilion, but security lines can be long.

[bryson662001]

You are planning a lot for one day. Definetly leave Rt 30 at Rt 202 east of Exton. From that point east it is solid suburban sprawl and will take forever. Take 202 east to I-76 to get into the city. Skip the mall and don't waste alot of time in Valley Forge either. There is a garage under the visitor center which is at 6th and Market St.