Philadelphia is where the United States was born: both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed here. Today the city mixes 18th-century brick lanes with giant murals, busy food markets and a serious sandwich culture. Here are the facts and stories that make it special.
10 fun facts about Philadelphia
- The city of brotherly love: William Penn founded Philadelphia in 1682 as a haven of religious tolerance and gave it a Greek name meaning 'brotherly love'.
- Where the nation began: the Declaration of Independence was adopted in Independence Hall on 4 July 1776, and the Constitution was drafted in the same room in 1787. The building has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
- A bell that cracked straight away: the Liberty Bell, cast at the Whitechapel foundry in London, cracked soon after it arrived in 1752 and was recast twice by two local craftsmen, John Pass and John Stow. Abolitionists gave it its name in the 1830s.
- Capital for ten years: Philadelphia was the capital of the United States from 1790 to 1800, while Washington, D.C. was being built.
- A city of firsts: Pennsylvania Hospital, founded in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin and Dr Thomas Bond, is often called the nation's first hospital, and the Philadelphia Zoo opened in 1874 as America's first zoo.
- Pennies for Franklin: Benjamin Franklin is buried in Christ Church Burial Ground, and visitors toss pennies onto his grave, a nod to the saying 'a penny saved is a penny earned'.
- A street lived in for three centuries: Elfreth's Alley in Old City is often called the oldest continuously inhabited residential street in the United States. Its 32 houses were built between 1728 and 1836.
- The curse of Billy Penn: for most of the 20th century, an unwritten rule kept buildings lower than the statue of William Penn on top of City Hall. After One Liberty Place broke it in 1987, fans blamed a curse for the city's long wait for a major sports title, which ended with the Phillies' 2008 World Series win.
- The Rocky Steps: the 72 steps up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art became famous in the 1976 film Rocky. A bronze statue of the boxer, made for Rocky III, now stands near the bottom.
- A city of murals: since 1984, the city's Mural Arts programme has helped create more than 4,000 murals on walls across Philadelphia.
The legend of Betsy Ross
Americans grow up hearing that Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia upholsterer, sewed the first Stars and Stripes after George Washington visited her shop in 1776, and that she showed him how to cut a five-pointed star with a single snip. The story was first made public in 1870 by her grandson, William Canby, and no documents from the time confirm it. What is documented is that Ross was a skilled flag maker who was paid for making flags for the Pennsylvania navy in 1777. The little house on Arch Street where she is said to have lived still draws visitors from across the country.
Independence National Historical Park, explained
The blocks around Independence Hall form a national park run by the National Park Service. Besides the hall and the Liberty Bell Center, it includes Congress Hall, where John Adams was sworn in as president in 1797, and Carpenters' Hall, where the First Continental Congress met in 1774. In 2026 the city marked the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and these streets were at the centre of the celebrations.
What to eat in Philadelphia
- Cheesesteak: thinly sliced beef and melted cheese in a long roll, said to have been created by Pat and Harry Olivieri in 1930. Order it 'wit' or 'witout' fried onions.
- Roast pork sandwich: the city's other great sandwich, with roast pork, broccoli rabe and sharp provolone.
- Soft pretzel: twisted into a figure of eight and sold in bakeries and from street carts.
- Water ice: a smooth Italian-style ice in flavours such as cherry and lemon, a summer favourite.
- Scrapple: a Pennsylvania Dutch breakfast slice of pork and cornmeal, fried until crisp.
Good to know before you go
- Independence Hall can only be visited on a timed tour. Reserve your ticket online in advance, as same-day tickets can run out in peak season.
- The Liberty Bell Center, across the street, needs no reservation, but expect a security check at the entrance.
- Reading Terminal Market, opened in 1893, is a good place to try many local foods under one roof.
- Philadelphia is under two hours from New York by train, so the two cities are easy to combine on one trip.
Explore Philadelphia with World City Trail
Our Philadelphia scavenger hunt turns these sights into a game you play on your phone. The route leads you through the main sights of the historic centre and takes around three hours, with about 63 minutes of walking.
At each stop you solve a puzzle and hear a short story, at your own pace. You can start whenever you like and play in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish or Portuguese.
Play the Philadelphia scavenger hunt →
Facts checked in October 2026.