Philadelphia

I love Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! There are so many wonderful people, exciting entertainment, living historic locations, sports events, and more in the Philly region. ~ Welcome to my virtual trip to the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania!

"Philadelphia Montage" photo special thanks to Jleon 0310 at Wikipedia.

* Keys to the Community (Benjamin Franklin) by CPacker

* Liberty Bell by FlickrLickr

* Philadelphia Museum of Art by Rgordon6

* Philadelphia City Hall by Spikebrennan

* Independence Hall by Rdsmith4

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PopOut Street Map

* 30th Street Station

* Adventure Aquarium

* Benjamin Franklin Parkway

* Citizens Bank Park

* City Hall

* Historic Antique Row

* Historic Eastern State Penitentiary

* Independence Hall

* Independence Visitor Center

* Italian Market

* Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

* King of Prussia Mall

* Longwood Gardens

* The LOVE Statue/JFK Plaza

* Morris Arboretum

* Penn's Landing

* Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

* Pennsylvania Convention Center

* Philadelphia Museum of Art

* Philadelphia Zoo

* Reading Terminal Market

* Rittenhouse Square

* University of Pennsylvania

Rand McNally Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Street Map: Make it easier to travel by taking notes or tracing a path on this laminated map then wiping it clear for more travel adventures.

Old City Neighborhood of Philadelphia: Information about this section of the city.

Liberty Bell Info and a Liberty Bell lesson.

Philadelphia, PA panoramic view from Camden, NJ ~ photo credit thanks due to Parent5446.

Founder of Penn's Woods

William Penn ~ Senior & Junior ~ Pennsylvanians think of Mr. Penn the younger as the founder of the Philadelphia and the state of Pennsylvania. William, born in October of 1644 in England, was known as a strong defender of liberty and equality during a time when many religious groups were persecuted. His participation in the Society of Friends or Quakers led him to hope for a colony of religious freedom. He was granted a charter by King Charles II on March 4, 1681, for "territory west of the Delaware River and north of Maryland". The king named the colony Pennsylvania or "Penn's woods" in honor of Penn's father, Admiral Sir William Penn, who had been a Naval leader in England.

Founding Father, Politician, Scientist, Inventor, ...

Seamstress of the United States Flag

Explore your artistic side with a "broad" variety of Philadelphia music!

Located on Broad Street or "The Avenue of the Arts", the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is the home for many musical, theatrical, and dance troupes specializing in numerous fine arts. The center contains the: American Theater Arts for Youth, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Peter Nero & the Philly Pops, Pennsylvania Ballet, PHILADANCO, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Philadelphia Orchestra.

With all these wonderful groups and popular visiting artists, there is always something incredible happening at one of the Kimmel Center's theatres and stages!

The Kimmel Center consists of several performances centers including the beautiful, historic Academy of Music. I was blessed to be able to perform there in college as part of a chamber ensemble playing 'background music' for a benefit fundraiser for the Philadelphia Orchestra. It was such a special treat ~ especially when many orchestra members came over to compliment our music. (Very cool thing for a classical musician!)

If for nothing else, go to the Kimmel's beautiful roof top garden for a breathtaking view of the city! ~ Kimmel Center Photo from Wikipedia

Perhaps you prefer paintings, sculptures, and cultural displays! The Philadelphia Museum of Art houses all those things and more!

Home of over 200 galleries, you will enjoy paintings, sculpture, international rooms, and more. My sons both find the gallery of knights armor the most interesting, although I really like the Japanese tea room.

And, of course, everyone who has ever seen the "Rocky" movies recognizes the famous stairs of the Art Museum that Rocky victoriously ran! Statue ...

Did you know that there are over 3000 art murals on walls around the city? You can't help but notice them as you move throughout the city. Tours are even available to view the best ones!

Sports fans in Philly love to watch their teams all year! Enjoy an Eagles Football, Flyers Hockey, Sixers Basketball, Phillies Baseball, or Kixx Soccer game! Check out the Philadelphia sports teams at Philly Sports Line, Philadelphia Sports, or their individual teams links above.

Photo from Wikipedia

Hands-On Scientific Fun!

One of the coolest places to visit is The Franklin Institute! This huge science museum has tons of displays, experiments, shows, and galleries that make it exciting and unforgettable to learn about science and history. One of the wisest decisions we made was to have a family membership to the Franklin. We visited numerous times, but still found new things to enjoy with each visit.

Upon entering the building, one cannot miss this famous statue of the museum's inspiration, Benjamin Franklin! Read about his contributions to the world of science in the opening foyer. (If you have seen the movie National Treasure, you would recognize this area.) Inside the museum you will enjoy the electrifying Electricity gallery with numerous displays about how this power source is used in our world.

I can't imagine a more thorough way of learning about the circulatory system than walking and climbing through "The Giant Heart" which has lived in the Institute since 1954.

My children always enjoy 'riding' The Baldwin 60000 steam locomotive in the train technology and history room and 'flying' in the air and space displays!

Enjoy exciting shows at The Fels Planetarium, the Tuttleman IMAX Theatre, and the Franklin Theatre (3-D capabilities). Or, visit thetraveling changing exhibits such as King Tut, Titanic, and currently Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt!

The Franklin Institute on Facebook

The Academy of Natural Sciences Museum Homepage: You may find so many cool things about history, archaeology, and anthropology at this museum!

Changing Exhibits

Art of Science: A Many-Colored Glass - Art of Science features changing displays of works of art that explore the interplay between science and art. The current show, A Many-Colored Glass: Ethereal Images of Microsocpic Marine Life, features altered scanning electron micrographs of diatoms and dinoflagellates. It runs through October 31, 2010.

Library Treasures: Extreme Reads - Extreme Reads showcases the biggest, smallest, oldest, newest, thickest and most unusual book in the Academy's Library.

Future Exhibits: Cruzin' the Fossil Highway (October 23, 2010 - January 2, 2011) - Bizarre Beast Past and Present (January 29 - April 23, 2011)

Permanent Exhibits

Butterflies! - Live butterflies from Central and South America, East Africa, and Southeast Asia inhabit our tropical garden.

Dinosaur Hall - More than 30 dinosaurs and other Mesozoic reptiles are represented in Dinosaur Hall. In addition, budding dinosaur hunters can search for fossils in The Big Dig or meet with fossil preparators in the Fossil Prep Lab.

Dioramas - More than 35 dioramas present wildlife from Africa, Asia, and North America.

Live Animal Center - More than 100 live animals are used for educational programs, museum presentations, and special events. See where they live when they're not working.

Outside In - Our indoor Nature Museum for Children features hands-on activities and close encounters with live animals.

Other Exhibits: Captain Cook's Cannon, Egyptian Mummies, Marveling at Mollusks, Robert Peary's flag, Science at the Academy, and What Eats What.

Online Exhibits

Digital Collections - Digital Collections features natural history illustrations and archival materials from the collections of the Academy's Library.

Joseph Leidy - This extensive online exhibit presents the life and works of Joseph Leidy, an influential 19th Century paleontologist, anatomist, microscopist, and teacher.

Know Your Environment - Short publications on environmental issues are presented in Know Your Environment.

Thomas Jefferson Fossil Collection - Charles Willson Peale's "Mammoth," Cuvier's "Revolutions," Buffon's "American Degeneracy," Jefferson's "Giant Claw," and Big Bone Lick are parts of the story behind our third president's fossil collection.