These are the ten most popular tourist attractions in and around the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. All of these places are great to visit, highly entertaining and also very educational. I live near Philadelphia and have visited all of these tourist attractions and personally recommend each one to you.

Philadelphia is a city filled with great history and many wealthy people made their homes in and around the city in its early days and contributed to funding and building many of these tourist attractions. If you love American History than the city of brotherly love as Philadelphia is called is a must visit for you.

Liberty Bell

Image Source by Tony the Misfit

The Liberty Bell attracts some 4 million visitors a year. It is located in a glass building in Independence National Historical Park where visitors can see the famous crack in the Liberty Bell.

Eastern State Penitentiary

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Some 3.5 million people a year visit the Eastern State Penitentiary which served as a prison from 1829 until 1971. Such notable criminals as Al Capone and Willie Sutton served their time in the jail and Charles Dickens visited the castle-like prison in 1842. Located at 2027 Fairmount Ave the Eastern State Penitentiary is supposedly haunted and open daily for public tours.

Independence Hall

Image Source (The building looks much the same today)

Located in Independence Historical Park in Philadelphia is Independence Hall where the Continental Congress used to meet during the American Revolution. Both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and passed in Independence Hall. It doesn't get much more historic than that.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

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Sylvester Stallone famously ran up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art while training for his big fight in the movie Rocky. The museum contains a first class collection of artwork and is located at the end of Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Valley Forge

Image Source (George Washington at Valley Forge)

Valley Forge is located about 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia and where George Washington and his 12,000 Continental troops spent the winter of 1777-1778. The British occupied Philadelphia that winter and Washington stayed at Valley Forge to keep them bottled up in the city. Some 2,000 troops died at Valley Forge that winter from diseases and the Valley Forge National Historical Park serves as a reminder of their sacrifice.

Fairmount Park

Image Source (Fairmount Water Works in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia)

Located on both sides of the Schuylkill River is beautiful Fairmount Park consisting of museums, gardens, the Fairmount Water Works which date to 1812, numerous hiking and walking paths and many historic houses open to the public. Millions of people visit Fairmount Park every year.

The Franklin Institute

Image Source (Giant heart exhibit at The Franklin)

The Franklin Institute is a great science museum loaded with mind expanding fun exhibits that adults and kids will love. The Franklin Institute is located along Benjamin Franklin Parkway and is visited by some 1 million people a year.

Longwood Gardens

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Longwood Gardens is one of my personal favorite places to visit as it contains one of the largest and best conservatories in the world. The conservatory is over 4.5 acres large and contains well over 5,500 different types of fauna. Also on the grounds are 20 outdoor gardens and a huge fountain structure which is lit at night for beautiful water shows. Longwood Gardens is located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania about 20 miles southwest of Philadelphia and is visited by some 1 million people a year.

Citizens Bank Park

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Some 3.8 million people attended Philadelphia Phillies games at beautiful Citizens Bank Park located in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex.

Philadelphia Zoo

Image Source by Art G

The Philadelphia Zoo was the first public zoo in the United States dating back to 1874. Today the zoo is over 42 acres large and contains over 1,300 animals including my personal favorite the snow leopards. The Philadelphia Zoo is located at 34th Street and Girard Avenue in Fairmount Park along the Schuylkill River.

For more see Tallest Buildings in Philadelphia

19 Beautiful Famous Castles in Pennsylvania

Sources:http://www.visitphilly.com/