31. Philadelphia Holocaust Memorial
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Description: Erected in 1964, this moving memorial to the victims of Hitler’s Holocaust was built by architect Nathan Rapoport, who also designed the Memorial to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in Poland and one at Yad VaShem in Jerusalem.
32. Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Description: Dedicated in 1987, this granite memorial featuring 2 walls—one inscribed with the names of the 646 Philadelphians who gave their lives during the Vietnam War, the other scenes from the war itself—is a place for families of veterans and the general public to remember and pay tribute.
33. African American Museum in Philadelphia
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (215) 574-0380
Address: 701 Arch St.
Description: Opened in 1976, this museum features 4 galleries filled with exhibits exploring the history, politics, culture, and achievements of African Americans in and beyond Philadelphia through everything from personal possessions to personal journals, photographs to paintings and sculptures. Open Wed to Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun noon to 5 p.m. Open on Martin Luther King Day with related programs.
34. Eastern State Penitentiary
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (215) 236-3300
Description: It’s creepy, not quite kooky, mysterious, and spooky . . . very spooky. Mob boss Al Capone slept here for 8 months, bank robber “Slick Willie” Sutton for 11 years. Now this National Historic Landmark, which housed bad guys for 142 years, is a crumbling chamber of horrors that offers tours year-round, but particularly during Halloween when it becomes, according to AOL, “the #1 Haunted House in America.” On Bastille Day, a local restaurateur dressed as Marie Antoinette stands on the walls and tosses Tastykakes (Philly’s fave packaged cakes) to the masses below. Open every day 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
35. Independence Seaport Museum
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (215) 925-5439
Address: 211 S. Columbus Blvd. and Walnut Street
Description: If you (or your child) have ever wondered how a boat floats, the hands-on exhibits here will help you learn the answer. You’ll also have the chance to unload cargo with a miniature crane, experience the cramped conditions immigrants in steerage had to endure to get to America, watch wooden ships being built and restored in the boat shop, and tour 2 historic ships—the Olympia, Admiral Dewey’s Spanish-American War flagship and the nation’s oldest floating (1892) steel warship as well as the World War II submarine Becuna—birthed in the adjacent marina. Every Sunday, instead of the regular admission price you may “Pay What You Wish.”
36. Mummers Museum
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (215) 336-3050
Address: 1100 S. 2nd St.
Description: If you can’t be here on New Year’s Day to see the fancily feathered string bands do their annual march through the downtown city streets, as they have since the turn of the 20th century, be sure to visit this homage to ostentation and celebration of the strut. Open Oct through Apr Wed to Sat 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; May through Sept Wed to Sat 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. But if you can, visit on a Thurs evening at 8 p.m. from May through Sept for a free outdoor string band concert and Mummers Strut dance lesson.
37. Mütter Museum
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (215) 563-3737
Address: 19 S. 22nd St.
Insider Pick:
Description: You’re going to be either riveted or revolted by the more than 20,000 anatomical anomalies that include a jaw tumor from President Grover Cleveland, the largest colon on record, the tallest skeleton in North America, and the connected livers from conjoined twins Chang and Eng. This museum was founded to educate future doctors about anatomy and human medical anomalies—so don’t say I didn’t warn you. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
38. National Liberty Museum
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (215) 925-2800
Address: 321 Chestnut St.
Description: In addition to tributes to more than 2,000 heroes past and present from every walk of life, this museum depicts the “beauty and fragility of freedom” with one of the world’s largest collections of contemporary glass sculptures including the 21-foot-high Flame of Liberty by Dale Chihuly. Open Tue to Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun noon to 6 p.m.
39. Penn Museum
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (215) 898-4000
Address: 3260 South St.
Description: The history of humans is explored through 3 floors filled with nearly 1 million objects and artifacts from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Bible Lands, Mesoamerica, Asia, the Mediterranean world, the Americas, Africa, and Polynesia. This museum is a true gem. Open Tues 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wed 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Thurs through Sun 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
40. Philadelphia Doll Museum
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (215) 787-0220
Address: 2253 N. Broad St.
Description: The only known museum in the US that presents black dolls (more than 300 of them) as a reflection of life, culture, and perception throughout history. Open Thurs to Sat 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sun noon to 4 p.m.
41. Philadelphia Folklore Project
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (215) 726-1106
Address: 735 S. 50th St.
Description: Over the past 20 years, PFP has been dedicated to researching the histories, experiences, and traditions of “ordinary” local people and sharing them with the community at large through exhibitions, concerts, and workshops at its galleries as well as on the road. Open Tues and Thurs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept through June.
42. American Helicopter Museum
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (610) 436-9600
Address: 1220 American Blvd.
Description: You can feel like a copter captain when you take the controls of one of the 35 civilian and military helicopters or experimental aircraft on display at this one-of-a-kind museum. Trace the evolution of rotary wing aircraft from the earliest to the V-22 Osprey through films and exhibits. Junior pilots are also included in the hands-on fun. Open Wed through Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., opens at noon on Sun, and by appointment only Mon and Tues.
43. Longwood Gardens
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (610) 388-1000
Insider Pick:
Description: One thousand fifty acres covered with 11,000 plants in 20 indoor and 20 outdoor gardens as well as woodlands and meadows. And don’t forget the dancing fountains, the more than 80-year-old 62-bell carillon, 1929 organ, or large and architecturally astounding tree houses at this oasis that was owned by DuPont chemical company heir Pierre S. du Pont from 1907 to 1954. Kids will love playing in a garden designed just for them, and the gardens host many special events throughout the year. Opening and closing times vary by season.
44. Museum of Mourning Art
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (610) 259-5800
Address: 2900 State Rd.
Description: Enter the stone gates of suburban Philly’s Arlington Cemetery, walk through the graveyard, and enter the funeral home, a full-scale replica of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Inside, you’ll find 200 artifacts, mostly from the 17th and 18th centuries, including a horse-drawn hearse, 70 pieces of mourning jewelry (one ring was made with Washington’s hair), a 400-year-old instruction manual for getting into heaven, and the pièce de résistance, an early trip-wired gun to foil grave robbers. Open by appointment only.
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.