Liberty Bell and Independence Hall - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Independence Hall

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Independence Hall is a historic civic building in Philadelphia, where both the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted by America's Founding Fathers. The structure forms the centerpiece of the Independence National Historical Park. Independence Hall was named to the National Register of Historic Placesin 1966 and as a World Heritage Site in 1979.

The building was completed in 1753 as the Pennsylvania State House. It served as the first capitol of both the United States and of the Province and later the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It was the principal meeting place of the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1781, and was the site of the Constitutional Convention, at which the U.S. Constitution, the longest-standing written and codified national constitution in the world, was ratified on June 21, 1788.

A convention held in Independence Hall in 1915, presided over by former U.S. president William Howard Taft, marked the formal announcement of the formation of the League to Enforce Peace, which led to the League of Nations in 1920 and the United Nations in 1945, a quarter century later.

Gallery of photos

(Photos by Pamela and Hannah Childress)

Liberty Bell

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The Liberty Bell, previously called the State House Bell or Old State House Bell, is an iconic symbol of American independence located in Philadelphia. Originally placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now renamed Independence Hall), the bell today is located across the street in the Liberty Bell Center in Independence National Historical Park. The bell was commissioned in 1752 by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly from the London firm of Lester and Pack (known subsequently as the Whitechapel Bell Foundry), and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof", a Biblicalreference from the Book of Leviticus (25:10). The bell first cracked when rung after its arrival in Philadelphia, and was twice recast by local workmen John Pass and John Stow, whose last names appear on the bell. In its early years, the bell was used to summon lawmakers to legislative sessions and to alert citizens about public meetings and proclamations.

Gallery of photos

(Photos by Pamela and Hannah Childress)

Coversations/Things we learned:

This location is a place every American and visitor to the United States should see. The Liberty Bell is located just north of Independence Hall and both are within walking distance of each other. The Liberty Bell can be seen inside the Liberty Bell Center with no reservations required but inside Independence Hall is done by tour reservations on the National Parks website which is on this post.

Contact Information:

Park location and contact:

143 S. 3rd Street

Philadelphia, PA 19106

Phone: (215) 965-2305

Web page

https://www.nps.gov/inde/planyourvisit/independencehall.htm