Travel & Leisure voted Philadelphia as one of the must-see places to visit last year, so when preparing your travel bucket lists, perhaps it’s time you added this incredible American city to your dream destination list. Away from the more popular American destinations of New York and California, there is much to see and do in the ‘city of brotherly love.’ We have a few ideas for your bucket list right here, those essential experiences that you need to do at least once before you die.
Take a selfie outside the Liberty Bell
This international symbol of freedom chimed out in 1776 to summon the citizens of Philadelphia to hear the Declaration of Independence. It still stands as a monument for freedom today, especially amongst Civil Right Activists, so feel free to visit this historically charged symbol, taking a selfie with it to show all your social media friends that you are one with the activists of old. Sadly, you won’t be able to ring the bell yourself as it has been damaged over time, but you can still summon your besties with a tweet, and take a tour of the Independence Hall (where the famous speech was held) and soak in the historical significance of this place together.
Pose with Rocky Balboa
Not literally, he’s a fictional character, but there is a bronze statue of Sylvester Stallone’s famous character at the bottom of the stairs where he took his triumphant run of victory in the Rocky movie. After taking a snap with the statue, run up the steps yourself at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and pump your fist in the air in true Rocky style when you finally reach the top.
Get the Amish experience
A short while away from Philadelphia is the town of Lancaster, home to one of the largest Amish communities in America. If you have ever been fascinated by this religious community, you should find out what makes them tick by taking the Bird-In-Hand tour of the backroads and farmlands of Amish Country. Visit the farmer’s markets, try the foods, and get a sight and sound experience at their theater in Lancaster PA. Who knows, you may want to live out their simple lifestyle yourself when you finally return home.
Eat the authentic Philly Cheesesteak
Philadelphia is famous for its historical significance as a city, but ask any local for its claim to fame? Chances are they will point you to one of the food places that serve the city’s most famous food. These incredible sandwiches, consisting of cheese, steak, and onions, may not be among the most healthy foods you can find in Philly, but you should let go of your diet plans just so you can say you have actually eaten one of Philadelphia’s perennial foods.
Get your inner-nerd on
If we told you a science museum was fun and worth adding to your bucket list, you would think we were crazy. Well, you would be right, unless we were talking about The Franklin Institute. Named after esteemed scientist and statesman, Benjamin Franklin, this is one of the oldest science centers in the US. There are loads things to do, from playing classic video games to taking part in cutting-edge Escape Rooms, so this is one museum that is anything but boring.
There is so much more to do than what is mentioned here, but we hope we have given you a small taster as to why Philadelphia should be added to your bucket list. If you have visited the city yourself, let us know what you got up to, and give us a few ideas for our Philadelphia itinerary.
