What are some great things to see and do in Philadelphia?

Things I must see in Philadelphia, PA?

• Hello, I am going to Philly ( PA ) in a couple of days. What are the things MUST I see there ? I love animals, so I am planning to visit the zoo. How is it ? What are the museums and historic places to visit there ? And where can I find the BEST Philly Cheesesteak ?

• Answer:

  The zoo is great; it's the first in the country. It's fairly small - you could run through it in two hours, but even if you took your time, it would last about four. The primate house unfortunately burned down about ten years ago, so there's a relatively new one now. The newest exhibit is Big Cat Falls, which is pretty nice. If they're running the Zoo Balloon (which I don't think they do in this weather), it's a great view and a decent (recorded) short explanation of Philadelphia history and geography. OTHER: - Get to the Art Museum, even if you don't go in. It has the famous Rocky steps and one of the best views of the skyline. - The Ben Franklin Parkway connects the Art Museum to City Hall. It's about a half hour walk, but will take you past other museums (Rodin, Natural History, Franklin Institute - science), the Free Library, and Logan Circle, which has a large fountain designed by one of the Calder family (the son of the man who designed the statue of William Penn on top of City Hall). Right before City Hall, you'll also get to see the relatively famous (especially among skateboarders) LOVE Park. - City Hall itself is one of the most underrated attractions. If you're into architecture, engineering, history, or politics, you really must see it. All three branches of Philly government meet there; it's the biggest municipal building in America and the largest free-standing masonry building (no steel skeleton) in the world. Also, it has the tallest statue on a building in the world (Penn). They do tours every weekday at 12:30 for $8 or $10 - I forget which. - Reading Terminal Market is a nice lunch stop, and you can buy produce and other products from local farmers, including Amish. - If you want to see Independence Hall, it's free, but you'll need timed tickets. If you're a small group, you can probably get them day of, especially in non-tourist seasons like this. The Liberty Bell is also free, and you don't need any tickets. Be aware that there is light security (bag checks) at both places, and they sometimes make you throw out water bottles. - If you're into history or politics, The Constitution Center is pretty nice & should only take an hour and a half. - You should take a walk up and down South Street to see how it has always been at the center of subcultures and counterculture in Philly, from beatniks to hippies to punk rockers, and there are remnants of each still there. While we're on it, tourists go to Pat's or Geno's in South Philly for cheesesteaks, but Jim's on South is probably the best. Depending on how long you're here, check out: Rittenhouse Square, the Aquarium in Camden, The Ben Franklin Bridge (if you're not scared of heights, you can take a quick walk out onto it), the beautiful neighborhoods of Society Hill, ice skating at Penn's Landing ($8), and the biking/walking trail along the Schuylkill River behind the Art Museum. Finally, one of the best things about Philly is that you can get almost literally everywhere on this list by walking less than an hour from the center of the city - City Hall.