Union League of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Union League of Philadelphia is a private club at 140 South Broad Street in Center City, Philadelphia, founded in 1862 to support the Union cause and Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. Its Second Empire clubhouse, finished in the mid-1860s, is one of the grandest buildings on Broad Street. It still works as a members' club today.

The story behind it

The league began as a patriotic society for Philadelphians who backed the Union government in the Civil War, and its clubhouse on Broad Street was built soon after. The building has been extended over the years, but its stately street front has stayed a landmark of the avenue.

The club sits on a boulevard with a long civic story. A few blocks south stands the Academy of Music, opened in 1857 and still the oldest opera house in the United States used for its original purpose. In the late nineteenth century Philadelphia was known for machine politics, run by Republican bosses such as James McManes and later Boies Penrose. In 1903 the journalist Lincoln Steffens called the city "corrupt and contented". Civic clubs like the Union League grew out of that world of reform and public argument, and today Broad Street is branded the Avenue of the Arts.

What to look for

• The Second Empire style of the clubhouse, with its ornate stonework and tall windows, makes it stand out among the newer buildings on Broad Street.
• The grand entrance on Broad Street shows how seriously the club took its public image in the 1860s.
• The wider block gives a sense of how Broad Street mixes old civic institutions with theatres, hotels and restaurants.
• A short walk south brings you to the Academy of Music, whose Victorian character makes a good comparison with the club's architecture.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 10 to 15 minutes to see the exterior and take photographs, longer if you pair it with the Academy of Music and the nearby blocks.
• The Union League is a private club, so you cannot simply walk in. Check current opening hours and any public tours or events before you plan to go inside.
• Morning and late afternoon light suits photographs of the facade, and Broad Street is quieter outside weekday rush hours.
• City Hall, Rittenhouse Square and the theatres along Broad Street are all within a short walk, so it combines easily with a wider stroll.

See it on a quest

The Oz Escape in Philadelphia, Center City is a good way to see the Union League as one stop of a longer walk through Center City. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia takes you on foot through the Rittenhouse Square area and past this landmark. You hear the story of each place as you reach it and solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Christmas Operation: Sleigh Down in Philadelphia is a festive route that passes the Union League among other Center City sights. The app explains each stop as you get there, and you solve a puzzle in the street. One ticket covers the whole group.