Late October, Old City Philadelphia. What a perfect combination, chosen not by my friend and I, but by the band whose tour dates did not include Washington, D.C., causing us to contemplate an Amtrak trip to attend their concert on a Thursday night at Union Transfer, and remain in town for the duration of the weekend to play tourists in one of America’s most historic cities. We exited the 30^th Street Station midday and grabbed a cab, already absorbing patriotic feels from the birthplace of the United States of America’s founding documents.

Our beautifully modern hotel, the Philadelphia Marriott Old City (which still appears on some maps as the Sheraton Society Hill) is pleasantly situated in a relatively quiet, cobble-stoned quarter of the waterfront district at the convergence of Walnut and 2^nd Streets. Our room overlooked an architecturally charming portion of Walnut Street. There were several other chain hotels in the vicinity, but ours seemed to be nestled a bit off the main thoroughfare, which helped us shake off the high activity of our days. Every major history-related tourist attraction that we were interested in seeing was within a 10-15-minute walk. We were happy with our decision not to purchase hop on/hop off shuttle tickets. Tip: Be prepared to hear cabbies and Uber drivers’ opinions about driving on cobblestones.

Before heading out on Friday morning we secured our ghost tour tickets for both Friday and Saturday nights via Viator.com. Our visit was very close to Halloween, after all. Then, we aimed for the Independence Visitor Center to get our bearings. There are two information desks in the center’s immense lobby—one where you can ask general questions and obtain maps of the area, and a second one run by the National Park Service where you can get your free tickets to Independence National Historic Park (which is just steps away and includes Independence Hall). When we arrived around 11:00am, the first available tour was 2:30pm. Knowing we would want to eat lunch and walk to some of the historic attractions, we asked for an after 4:00pm ticket time to avoid feeling rushed. Tip: There is a Hershey’s Kitchens Café in the visitor center lobby; it’s hard to pass by without buying a treat.

We decided to approach the landmark sites in a clockwise formation, walking past the visitor center in a general northeast direction, and passing Franklin Court on the way up to the Betsy Ross House. There is a charming statue in the tree-lined courtyard there and we saw school children eating packed lunches at the tables as we approached the gift shop to purchase our tickets for the house tour. Tip: It should be noted that while the sidewalks were by no means packed with people, this attraction and the ones we visited afterward proved to have a people-clumping effect that reminded us we were not the only tourists in town.

Our next stop was Elfreth’s Alley, which is simultaneously reminiscent of Colonial Williamsburg and Old Town Alexandria. If you walk to the far end of the row modernization immediately kicks in with a freeway that the founding fathers couldn’t envision; however, the street is fun to walk down, especially with Halloween decorations on the doorsteps. Tip: The museum entrance fee is nominal but cash-only. We did not have the proper amount and had to skip it.

At Franklin Court, you can purchase a ticket from the National Park Service and proceed downstairs into the Benjamin Franklin Museum, an inspiring presentation of Benjamin Franklin’s inventions, writings and philosophical ideas combined with interactive experiences. Outside, there are modern cement structures that belie the wonder beneath the courtyard; you can peer down into original building foundations. We were sure to also visit Franklin’s grave in the nearby Christ Church Burial Ground. Tip: There are actually five signers of the Declaration of Independence buried in that cemetery.

One of the National Park Service employees at Franklin Court asked us if we had been to Independence Hall yet, and we said we had late afternoon tickets. He advised us to go through security an hour prior to ensure we would have time to see all of the exhibits before queuing up for the Independence Hall tour; he said our late day tour would have us exiting near closing time. This was valuable advice that we acted on after visiting the Liberty Bell. There was a fairly long line at the Liberty Bell’s enclosure, but admittedly, after passing through security, we ignored the exhibits and headed directly for the bell itself. Due to the number of visitors, it was a bit difficult to obtain the obligatory photo of the bell’s famous crack without strangers standing in front of it. Tip: The enclosure is made of glass and the bell is truly beautiful when it is lit up at night. You can get a photo of the non-cracked side from outside the enclosure after dark but may have to find the perfect angle to avoid glare, though I loved getting the clock tower reflection.

A visit to Independence Hall was everything I thought it should be: a beautifully situated oasis of history that is exceptionally well-preserved and supported by staff who are enthusiastic in their respect for the site’s legacy. After going through the additional onsite attractions, such as the Great Essentials Exhibit in the West Wing, we sat on a bench under the trees in the park and waited for our turn to line up for the tour. Once inside, a National Park Service employee discussed the history of the landmark and provided some highlights before leading us into the main hall. The guide identified important artifacts and shared some anecdotes about the founding fathers. For me, the best part of the experience was a dedicated moment of silence during which the tour group was encouraged to reflect on what the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution means to us, allowing it to sink in that both documents had significant ties to that very room. Tip: Independence Hall is guarded 24×7 by visible security personnel. The guards will yell at you if you stumble onto the wrong side of the building trying to find your way off-site. We knew they were just doing their job.

We attended the first of the two ghost tours Friday night. This one was called Haunted Philadelphia: Spirits of ’76 Ghost Tour and was offered by Grim Philly Twilight Tours. Our guide was professional, friendly, and really knew her town. She led us through historic streets and didn’t disappoint when she told us creepy ghost stories from yesteryear. It was during this tour that we were able to capture photos of the lighted up Liberty Bell. On the way back to our hotel, we stopped for dinner at Lucha Cartel on Chestnut Street. It was very loud in the restaurant and only a little quieter outside where we were seated, but the food was delicious. Tip: Order the nachos. We were still talking about them for days afterward.

My friend had family members in the local area and on Saturday she joined them for a trip to the Philadelphia Zoo. I chose to visit to the Museum of the American Revolution, which was in close proximity to the hotel. It was serendipity that I’d timed my arrival such that upon purchasing my entrance ticket, I was in a position for the clerk to up-sell me to the guided tour rate. It was well worth the extra $10.00 to be led through the unique exhibits, hearing stories tied to specific artifacts by a costumed interpreter. After the tour completed, I went into one of the museum’s theaters to watch the program dedicated to George Washington’s Headquarters Tent. There was another large exhibit in the museum that I walked through unguided and I spent some time in the large gift shop, which had an excellent selection of books and merchandise. Tip: I needed a handkerchief for the Washington’s tent exhibit, but that might have been because I hadn’t had lunch yet. I hadn’t expected the “surprise ending”.

As for the seamier side of the Old City, after the museum I took a walk over to South Street, which was a strip of mostly storefronts and bars reminiscent of Bourbon Street in New Orleans. It was mid-afternoon and I felt safe on my own. There were young families walking around, many of them in costume. On my way back to the hotel, which led me toward the waterfront, I discovered a fall festival in full swing, which seemed to explain the families and costumes. Saturday night my friend and I took the second of the ghost tours, called Dark Philly Adult Night Tour. As the name suggests, it was R-rated and children are not allowed. Our tour guide told us about the saucier stories of historic Philadelphia with a lot of humor but nothing overly shocking or offensive. But, make no mistake, the Old City knows how to party. Tip: The ghost tours draw a lot of interest, so book early to get the tour and time you prefer.

A long weekend seemed to be the perfect amount of time to spend in the Old City. By Sunday we were satisfied that we’d seen the most important sites without being rushed and we had a solid feel for the overall hospitality of historic Philadelphia. Both of us could think of reasons to return in future; one of them being the Escape the 1980s escape room that we saw advertised too late to take advantage. The train home midday Sunday was absolutely full but operated on time and proved to be a great way to avoid a driving vacation. If you are a lover of American history, a visit to Philadelphia is a must and its lively combination of old and new attractions provides a wide variety of entertaining experiences.