12 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Philadelphia Philadelphia is
one of America's most important historical cities. At
Independence Hall on July 4, 1776 the Declaration of
Independence was adopted and in September 1787 the Constitution
was drafted. A century earlier, William Penn, a prominent
Quaker, was the catalyst of the cataclysmic changes which
transformed these British colonies into an independent nation.
He founded Philadelphia, meaning "city of brotherly love" in
Greek. The city became a battleground during the ensuing
Revolutionary War, and afterwards became the unifying center of
the newly independent states. Today, modern office towers and
streets exist side-by-side with narrow cobblestone streets.
Independence Historic National Park is a highly concentrated
strip of early buildings and sights, including the Liberty Bell,
Franklin Court and Independence Hall. To the south lies Society
Hill, the city's original residential area. Many of the
eighteenth-century buildings have been handsomely restored.