Our Trip to Freedom's Birthplace....And prison

Just last week the family and I went to Philadelphia overnight to view the historic sights. I have always wanted to go, but was unsure how eager the girls would be. This was the first time they had been to a big city, but they loved it.

Our first stop was the Franklin Institute, located slightly west of the immediate downtown area. Greeting you as you enter the Institute is a giant statue of a seated Benjamin Franklin. The first exhibit we went to was the Giant Heart. This almost 2 story model allows people to walk through a human heart, following the path blood takes. Kaeli actually went through there twice. We spent the remaining day visiting the remaining exhibits and taking a double-decker bus tour of Philly.

The next day we toured Indepence Hall, Congress Hall, the Liberty Bell, Ben Franklins' grave, Betsy Ross' house, and the National Constitution Center. I was most excited to visit Independence Hall, the site where the U.S. Constitution was debated and ratified. We toured Congress Hall first, where the House met on the first floor and the Senate on the 2nd. To see the actual room where the Founding Fathers met and signed the Declaration of Independence was awesome.

After this we went to see the Liberty Bell, which is now sitting in its' own museum.

The National Constitution Center had life-sized bronze statues of the Declarations' Signers, which the girls thought was very cool.

Our last stop was Eastern State Penitentiary, located on the outskirts of the city. Closed in 1971, the prison is now a tourist spot and rumored to be haunted. It was a great visit. I highly recommend it to people. Here is a hint: Use the City Pass tickets!