Philadelphia/Harrisburg, PA

What to do in Philadelphia/Harrisburg, PA

Independence National Historic Park

"America's most historic square mile," is a treasure chest of American history. It is home to Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the US Constitution was written eleven years later. The hall overlooks the pavilion that holds the Liberty Bell that once rang in celebration of George Washington's birthday.

Day Trip to Atlantic City

The beachfront casinos, lavish hotels and nightly shows provide all-day, all-night entertainment for singles or families. The rejuvenated city offers many package deals, and it is easily accessible by either public or private transportation. Summer months are best for enjoying the historic boardwalk of this seaside getaway.

Day Trip to Lancaster County

The area known as "Amish Country" is centered around the city of Lancaster, site of the nation's oldest continually operating farmer's market. As you drive through the lovely, peaceful countryside, you'll see horse buggies crossing the road and farmers working the soil with horse-drive plows. This glimpse into the simple, machine-free lifestyle of the Amish is a time-warp into the "days of yore," when life was slower and the land was a vital part of everyone's life. The high quality furniture, quilts, and edibles produced by the Amish are wonderful mementos of your visit.

Day Trip to Hershey

Yes, as in the chocolate. Temptation is a way of life in this candy store city! It's the home of the world's largest chocolate factory, where even the streetlights are shaped like Hershey's Kisses. Hershey Park has amusement rides and a tour of a simulated chocolate factory. It's a fun day-trip for kids and kids-at-heart.

Avenue of the Arts

Formerly Broad Street, this roadway is a hub of cultural activity where you'll find the Academy of Music, the Merriam Theater, the Wilma Theater and the Philadelphia Clef Club. The restaurants match the arts centers in sophistication and quality. Further up the street is the oldest art institute in the country, the ornate Museum of American Art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

If you've seen the movie Rocky, you'll recognize the 99 steps leading up to this museum. One of the many fine collections along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, is this fine art institute with 200 galleries housing over 300,000 international works of art, including paintings by van Gogh, Cezanne, and Picasso.

The Rodin Museum

Also along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, this collection is the best collection of the sculptor's work outside of France, and includes his Gates of Hell.

Edgar Allan Poe National Historical Site

Literary types enjoy visiting the home of this legendary writer. Although the author only lived here for one year, some of his best-known works were published during that time, including "The Telltale Heart." A neighboring house has Poe exhibits, a small library, and a brief film.

Chestnut Hill/Germantown

If you like interesting architecture, you'll enjoy this quaint neighborhood. Along the cobblestone Germantown Avenue are more than 100 shops and restaurants, while the surrounding residential area has many Georgian and Victorian homes open to the public.

South Street

In the 1960s, a song proclaimed South Street as the "hippest spot in town," and it still is. Visit the funky side of Philadelphia and enjoy the many craft shops, ethnic restaurants, avant-garde galleries, cafés, tattoo parlors, and New-Age bookstores that give it its Bohemian flavor.

Mutter Museum

Morbid curiosity brings people through the doors of this ghoulish museum in the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. On display are collections of old medical instruments, severed body parts, and pickled organs. The college values it as a dramatic lesson in medical progress.

Shopping

Whether you favor antiques or the latest Italian shoes, Philadelphia has a shop for it. The dealers on Antiques Row tend to carry high-end collectibles, while the Antique Marketplace houses over 100 dealers with stalls carrying everything from dolls to dishes. Lower-priced trinkets from the 1950s and 1960s are sold in the South Street area. Liberty Place and Rittenhouse Square are home to modern, up-scale goods.