Until I visited Philadelphia I had never registered that this is really where the United States of America happened.
The founding fathers met here, the Declaration of Independence was signed here, the first US Presidential Residence was here, and the first American Flag was created here (more of that to come)—there are firsts everywhere in Philadelphia.
And with those firsts come photo opportunities! Not only does Philadelphia supply a large number of did you-know-interesting-quirky stories for a good Instagram caption, but it also serves up art, food, views, and more to create a highly photogenic city.
1. Mural Arts Program
Philadelphia has over 4,000 murals! That means it has more than anywhere else in the world. One of the highlights of my sightseeing in Philadelphia was the Mural Arts Program.
The Mural Arts program has been running for over 30 years and over 15,000 residents and visitors see this outdoor art gallery via their fantastic tours each year. The works in the Mural Arts Program are stunning.
2. All things Isaiah Zagar and his Magic Garden
South Philadelphia is home to a different type of street art. Isaiah Zagar is a local award-winning mosaic artist who has works on over 200 public walls in Philadelphia. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Zagar started working on applying his art to public spaces in 1991.
What makes Isaiah Zagar’s work quite unique is its often three-dimensional format and the heavy use of mirrors and glass to throw light in interesting ways depending on the time of day.
3. The Skyline from Loews
I shouldn’t really be writing about this one of the Philadelphia tourist attractions is meant only for paying guests. But once I went and saw it I couldn’t not mention it in a Philadelphia sightseeing post.
Loews Philadelphia Hotel is an upmarket property in the heart of Philadelphia. The 33rd floor at Loews Philadelphia Hotel offers a fantastic view of the city skyline and is best visited at sunset. There are several function rooms on the 33rd floor and a more general area.
4. Reading Terminal Market Philadelphia
Established in 1893, Reading Terminal Market is America’s oldest continuously operated Farmers Market. It is one of the top tourist attractions in Philadelphia. From a pure photography point of view, there are quite a few great opportunities at Reading Terminal Market.
5. The Italian Market
The Italian Market is an area rather than a classic covered market. The Italian Market area is 9th street between Christian Street and Washington Avenue. The area is filled with foodie businesses that have been passed down through the generations.
6. Penn Museum
Penn is one of the best-known museums in Philadelphia. There are nearly a million archaeological artifacts on display at the Penn Museum.
The museum includes everything from the Bull-headed Lyre from 2450 BC Iraq, one of the earliest musical instruments in the world, to a crystal sphere from 19th century China.
7. The Rocky Stairs and Rocky Statue
When it comes to things to do in West Philly you can’t miss paying homage to the Rocky movies. The infamous steps that Rocky runs up in the movie are the 72 steps outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is a lovely building – but needs good light to be interesting enough for a good Instagram post. If you are travelling with someone or can find a trustworthy looking stranger the quintessential shot is to be running up the actual stairs.
8. Philadelphia Sculptures
Philadelphia spends a lot on art – or it has a lot spent on art through required expenditure levels by developers. This means that quirky sculptures like a giant clothespin to figures of national historical significance. They do appear to be on most corners!
9. The Bourse
The Bourse was the first commodities exchange market in America. It is now the home of a number of very tasty food outlets who serve at all times of the day. There are some cute insta friendly food stalls at The Bourse.
But for me, the highlight of this lesser-known of the tourist attractions Philadelphia is when you look up and see the brilliant use of glass and natural light.
10. The Oldest Street in America
Elfreth’s Alley claims to be the oldest continuously inhabited residential street in America. Elfreth’s Alley is extremely cute and photogenic with its red brick buildings and colorful doors. It must drive the people who live here mad but I imagine that is offset by the improvement to their property prices!
11. The First Home of the President
The first US Presidential Residence was built in Philadelphia and was known as The President’s House. The President’s House was used until 1800 until the White House was created in Washington DC. The building was demolished in 1832.
In late 2000 the foundations were discovered. It is across the street from the Independence Visitor Centre. The area, located on Independence Square, is now an open-air museum and provides some nice angles for photos and one of the must-do places to see in Philadelphia.
12. America’s First Flag
The first American Flag was made by Betsy Ross in Philadephia. Betsy was a seamstress and it is claimed that this is where she was living when she designed the flag. The story goes that she was personally briefed by George Washington and 2 other founding fathers.
Find out more at Visitor Centre at Betsy Ross House.
13. The Liberty Bell
The world-renowned symbol of American freedom, The Liberty Bell, is in the middle of Independence Square and free to visit. Try to go for some late afternoon light and catch Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence was signed) behind it.
14. Battle of the Philly Cheesesteak
You have most likely heard about Philly Cheesesteaks. These meat and cheese sandwiches are a symbol of Philadelphia and there are extensive reasons why they taste better in Philadelphia than anywhere else (the bread is key, the provolone cheese, the water in the bread etc etc).
As you would expect, many claim to have the best cheesesteak in Philadelphia. However, the most common question around who serves the best cheesesteak is Pat or Geno’s? These two Philadelphia institutions are located across the road from one another.
Pat’s is where the cheesesteak started. The story goes that Pat had a hot dog van and the cheesesteak was his lunch. However, when a customer smelt the cheesesteak and asked to buy it he realised there was a bigger opportunity in cheesesteaks than hotdogs.
And it was, until Geno’s opened across the road in 1966. Many felt Geno was crazy for opening across the road from Pat’s. Geno’s view was that he wouldn’t need to do any advertising as his target market was across the road.
Well more than 50 years later both of them are still in business and appear to be doing quite well. The fact that the story of their rivalry makes for good copy can’t have hurt either….
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Amanda O’Brien is the creator and editor of The Boutique Adventurer. She has visited 80 countries and is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers as well as the IFTWTA. She is passionate about wine had has just completed Level 3 of the WSET. Born in Australia, she lives in London.