Sometimes when dropping into a new town discovering the surprises are just as exciting as the intended destination. This was the case during our visit to Philly. Rich in American history and references from the musical Hamilton we booked our tour of Independence Hall well in advance. As we waited in the courtyard for our time slot, we conversed about personal freedoms with diverse Americans from around the USA including celebratory new citizens and others with more distant ancestry. In Independence Hall be saw where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were both signed. We also received a tour of Congress Hall the room where Congress met for 10 years when Philadelphia was the capital. As babies cried and children tried to jump on the antique furniture The National Park rangers brought alive the abstract distant events in history with their theatrical storytelling.
Next, we walked across the street to Independence National Historic Park to see the Liberty Bell. As we lingered, we learned about the Bell through the entertaining exhibits. It was amazing to see how an unspectacular State House bell became a symbol of liberty for so many people and movements. With an appreciation of kitsch souvenirs I loved seeing how the bell was later transformed into an American icon of manufactured merchandise from dishes to pencil sharpeners. The hour and twenty minute wait was well worth it because when we reached the front of the line, we were given private time to inspect the repair that creates the famous crack.
The next stop was the NPS Visitor Center to complete the Jr. Ranger Program. Here we encountered a ranger playing a card game with visitors young and old. The game involved testing visitor’s knowledge of famous politicians and events and for each correct answer the players were given collector cards with famous, people, places and historic events. We were able to accumulate more than a dozen and were surprised by how much we had learned in just a few hours.
Upon returning to our car we notice we were parked in front of a sign that stated, “Benjamin Franklin is buried here”. Although on any other day my favorite inventor’s gravesite would have been a welcome visit we were starving, and a headstone was no competition for a cheesesteak sandwich. The closest place was Sonny’s an old city classic just a 5-minute walk away. We ordered the classic beef for each of us, but we each chose a different cheese American, Cheese whiz and mozzarella. As we ate we watched bikers showing off their moves and customization skills on the mostly empty Sunday afternoon street.
Rejuvenated we drove to the popular now hip South Street neighborhood not far from Independence Hall. This is where we found our biggest surprise- Philadelphia Magic Gardens. Our first spotting was an unexpected, impressive explosion of mosaic on the façade of a building. As we walked around, we realized the much of the neighborhood was an immersive multimedia art environment made with mosaics. We later learned that folk artist Isaiah Zager dedicated 50 years of his life to making mosaic murals out of ceramic and mirror shards, bottles, and found objects such as bike wheels. They adorn over 200 buildings in this South Philly neighborhood. It was late in the day and the tours were over and gallery showcasing his and other artists work were closed but there was so much folk art to see just walking around. Our day in Philadelphia was well worth the stop and filled with so many unforgettable moments.
