Philadelphia City Hall, Philadelphia, Besucherguide & was in der Nähe unternehmen

Philadelphia City Hall is the seat of city government in Center City, Philadelphia, and one of the grandest civic buildings in the United States. Built in the French Second Empire style and crowned with a bronze statue of city founder William Penn, it stands on Penn Square at the crossing of Broad and Market Streets, and it still shapes the skyline and the street plan around it.

The story behind it

The statue of William Penn on the tower was sculpted by Alexander Milne Calder and raised into place in 1894. It is often described as the largest statue atop any building in the world. Calder's sculptures cover much of the building, but Penn is the one everyone looks for. The Quaker founder stands with his gaze turned northeast, toward the riverside area where, according to tradition, he made his treaty with the Lenape people. That treaty became a symbol of peaceful dealings between the first colonists and Native Americans.

For most of the twentieth century a so-called gentleman's agreement kept every other building in Philadelphia lower than Penn's hat. When taller towers finally went up, a legend grew that the city's sports teams had been cursed for disrespecting Billy Penn. It is a piece of local folklore that Philadelphians still enjoy telling.

What to look for

• Look up at the top of the tower to see William Penn himself, a bronze figure with an outstretched hand, and notice which way he faces.
• Study the carved figures, sculpted reliefs and ornate details across the facade, much of it the work of Alexander Milne Calder.
• Walk into the central courtyard through one of the arched passages and take in the scale of the building from inside its square.
• Check the steep mansard-style roofline and the clock tower, the clearest signs of the Second Empire style.

Tips for your visit

• You can see the exterior and walk through the courtyard for free, and twenty minutes is enough for a good look around the base.
• Tours of the building and the tower have been offered to visitors, so check current opening hours and availability before you plan to go inside.
• Morning and late afternoon light are kind to the facade, and the statue is easiest to photograph from the street at a distance, not from directly below.
• Reading Terminal Market and the shops and cafes of Center City are a short walk away, which makes City Hall an easy anchor for a half day on foot.

See it on a quest

Ben Franklin's Murder Mystery Tour. - Philadelphia is a good way to see City Hall as part of a longer walk through the area. You reach it on foot as one stop on the route, the app tells you about the place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle in front of the building. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.

Dorothy’s Quest: The Trials of Oz in Philadelphia also passes City Hall, with an Oz theme running through the walk. As you get to each place, the app gives you its story and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you, so you notice details you might otherwise walk past. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.