Republican Atheists’ President visited Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
I decided to take a pit stop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for two days before heading to New York. I am glad I stopped by. What a wonderful city full of history!
This was my first time visiting Philadelphia, otherwise known as “Philly” to locals. I knew very little about the city, and had no idea what I would do while there. However, with a simple Google search, I found there are plenty of places to visit.
I re-jogged my memory on the history of Philadelphia and learned that it was actually a temporary capital city of the United States before the capital was officially moved to Washington D.C. on July 16, 1790. It is also where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed, specifically in a structure that is now known as Independence Hall (originally known as Pennsylvania State House), originally completed in 1753. The Independence Hall is a part of the Independence National Historical Park.
I walked by Independence Hall, a structure made mostly of bricks that is surrounded by newer high rise buildings near the center of the city. It looked a bit out of place being in a metropolis. I tried to imagine how it was before cars and huge buildings came about. I also recalled the movie National Treasure with Nicolas Cage when he climbed the steeple to search for clues for treasure. Tours are available to enter Independence Hall, but must be made in advance since it is a popular tourist site.
A short distance from Independence Hall is a structure, known as the Liberty Bell Center, housing the famous Liberty Bell. This large bell, first cast in London, was hung in the steeple of Independence Hall in 1752. It was eventually removed in 1828 when the steeple was reconstructed. The bell rang to call lawmakers to legislative sessions and notify citizens about public meetings. The bell cracked after first arriving in Philadelphia, and multiple efforts were made to repair it. However, the bell was never fully repaired and the crack continued to grow, and is now included in many images of the bell. Now the bell serves as a symbol of freedom after being adopted by abolitionist groups, and has been visited by people like Martin Luther King Jr., the Dalai Lama and others.
I was fortunate the day I visited to be able to listen to a Civil War marching band play patriotic songs while marching in the open area outside of the Liberty Bell Center. A leader of the band yelled to an audience that the band was from Michigan and stopped in Philadelphia while touring. They wore Civil War uniforms and banged drums and played flutes.
Not far from this site was the National Constitution Center, a massive structure that houses information, such as films, photos and more, about the Constitution. I did not enter due to lack of time, but perhaps there will be another chance.
This historical district is full of other neat sites, such as the Betsy Ross House, Museum of the American Revolution, the burial site of Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Franklin Museum, National Liberty Museum and much more. There are also signs placed throughout the city that note historical sites and people who played a role in the city and development of the nation.
I later made it to the historical Eastern State Penitentiary, the world’s first “true ‘penitentiary’ prison, a prison designed to inspire penitence, or true regret, in the hearts of prisoners,” according to the location’s website . I was particularly drawn to this location because it offered a self-guided audio tour narrated by Steve Buscemi, one of my favorite actors. It was the largest prison museum I have visited. The prison consisted of long halls lined with cells, a decayed medical department and other facilities. One of its most popular points was a cell room used by Al Capone.
The city of Philadelphia is lively and fun to walk around. I even compared Philly cheese steaks from two classic restaurants that are located across from one other – Geno’s Steaks and Pat’s King of Steaks. They counter each other over who makes the best Philly cheese steak.
Visiting Philadelphia is a must! I would love to visit again.
Lauren Ell is President of Republican Atheists. She is a business owner, consultant, marketer and communications strategist. Contact Lauren Ell here. Follow Republican Atheists on Facebook and Twitter.
