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What should I see in the park?
Begin your visit at the Independence Visitor Center at 6th and Market Streets. Park rangers can provide you with suggestions for visiting the park depending on your interests and the length of your stay. For more information about park sites, see places to go. Does the park have an admission charge? Admission to most park sites is free. There is a $1 per ticket service fee for Independence Hall tickets. The Benjamin Franklin Museum charges an interpretive fee, and the National Constitution Center, a partner of the park, charges an admission fee. Read more about Fees and Passes on the park's web page. Where are the restrooms? Restrooms are located in the Independence Visitor Center at 6th and Market Streets and the Benjamin Franklin Museum (free required to enter the museum) located in Franklin Court between Market and Chestnut Streets and 3rd and 4th Streets. There are no public restrooms in the Liberty Bell Center or Independence Hall. What buildings require tours? Visitors to Independence Hall (year-round) and Congress Hall (March thru December) are required to join a ranger led tour. Other park buildings are self-guided. How long is the Independence Hall tour? The Independence Hall tour lasts about 20 minutes. Tours always include the Assembly Room, where the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were debated and signed. Are tickets required to visit Independence Hall? Timed entry tickets are required March through December. No tickets are required in January and February, except winter holiday weekends. Entrance is by tour only. Learn how to obtain tickets on the park's ticketing web page. Are tickets required to visit the Liberty Bell Center? No tickets are required to visit the Liberty Bell Center. Entrance is first-come, first -served. There is security screening at the entrance. What security measures are in place in the park? All visitors entering the Liberty Bell Center and the buildings on Independence Square are required to proceed through security screening, including a bag check. No weapons or pocket knives are permitted in the secure areas. Are the park buildings accessible? Most of the park buildings are accessible. At the Independence Visitor Center, visitors may borrow wheelchairs for use in the park. Assistive listening devices with amplification and audio description are available for park films. Check the accessibility section for more information on the park's accessibility services. What do you recommend for families visiting with children? There are many options for families to enjoy the park. The park offers Junior Ranger and trading card programs. To learn more about our programs, visit the park fun page or ask a park ranger at the Independence Visitor Center at 6th and Market Streets. Is the park stroller friendly? Strollers are permitted in the park buildings. What food services are available in the park? There is a cafe in the Independence Visitor Center at 6th and Market Streets, and many restaurants in the area of the park. Visitors may also choose to bring a bagged lunch and eat on one of the many benches in the park. Are there places to fill a water bottle in the park? Yes! The park encourages visitors to reduce single-use plastic products by using our water bottle filling stations. The water bottle filling station in the Independence Visitor Center at 6th and Market Streets is available year-round. Two nearby national park units also have bottle fillers: Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial and Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site. Is photography permitted in the park buildings? Photography, including flash and video, is permitted in the park buildings with the exception of the Great Essentials exhibit in the West Wing of Independence Hall. Flash photography is prohibited in the exhibit to protect light-sensitive documents. Due to safety concerns, tripod usage is prohibited throughout the park. No photography is permitted in the security screening areas. Is the park pet friendly? Pets are permitted on park grounds providing they are leashed. Pets are not permitted in any park buildings. Please remember to pick up after your pet. Service dogs are welcome in all buildings. Where can I get my National Parks Passport book stamped? The stamp for Independence National Historical Park is available at the ranger's desk in the Independence Visitor Center at 6th and Market Streets. How do I get there?
Check out the Directions web page. Where can I park my car? Parking is available at the Independence Visitor Center located at 6th and Market Streets. Enter this underground garage on either 5th or 6th Street, between Market and Arch Streets. Parking is also available at the parking garage on 2nd Street between Chestnut and Walnut Streets. Fees apply. Which Market-Frankford El stop is closest to the park? The 5th Street stop is located at 5th and Market Streets, just steps away from the Independence Visitor Center. Which PATCO station is closest to the park? The 8th Street station is at 8th and Market Streets, two blocks west of the Independence Visitor Center. Which SEPTA Regional Rail station is closest to the park? Jefferson Station is located at 11th and Market Streets, just 5 blocks west of the Independence Visitor Center. Is this the real Liberty Bell?
Yes, the bell on display in the Liberty Bell Center is the one and only original Liberty Bell. There are many replicas of the Liberty Bell, including the Justice Bell or Women's Liberty Bell used during the struggle for women's suffrage. How did the Liberty Bell crack? There is no historical record of how or when the Liberty Bell cracked. The crack became noticeable in 1846. It was repaired using a technique called "stop drilling" which involved widening the crack. The repair job failed while the bell was ringing in honor of Washington's Birthday Holiday on February 23, 1846. Read more about the Liberty Bell on the park's web page. How much does the Liberty Bell weigh? The Liberty Bell weighs just over a ton at 2,080 pounds. The clapper weighs 44.5 pounds and the yoke (made of American elm) weighs 200 pounds. How much of Independence Hall is original? Although almost 300 years old, Independence Hall contains a lot of original building fabric. With the exception of the wooden steeple, the rest of the exterior is mostly original. Much of the interior architectural woodwork in the first floor hallway and stair hall remains intact. Do I need to have a permit to take wedding photography in the park?
Yes, a special use permit is required for wedding photography. See our Special Use Permit page for more details. There are several different permits, including special events, public assemblies and filming permits. Is it possible to rent out Independence Hall, or one of the other historic buildings? No, the National Park Service does not rent out historic structures, nor do we have rental space available. You may wish to contact the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation or the National Constitution Center. They have rental facilities available. Does the park allow flags to be flown over Independence Hall, or does the park give away flags that fly over the Hall? No. The park flies the U.S. flag, but we do not give these flags away. Can the park donate/contribute anything to my organization for our fundraising cause? As a national park and federal agency, we are not permitted to donate items to associations, organizations, schools, churches or the public in general. Plus, there are no admission fees to our park or any of our attractions. Do you have an e-mail or mailing list to notify the public of park closures or any public service announcements for the National Park Service? While there is no specific list for this purpose, we do post announcements on our Twitter and Facebook pages. For weather closures or other general information, please call 215-597-8787. |
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Last updated: June 2, 2024