Philly Freedom Tour guided history walk

Enjoy a slow-paced history-rich guided exploration of America's most walkable downtown.

Start: Love Park (16th and JFK)

Finish: Love Park (16th and JFK)

Distance: 5 -15mi

Where to find us: 16th and JFK Blvd

Optional endpoints: Many

Terrain: paved

Transit: Septa, Amtrak or Megabus. Free transfer at 30th St to Suburban Station for Amtrak travellers

Return: on foot or via Septa

Parking: Many lots and garages including 17th and Market or 15th and Cherry

Difficulty: Beginner

Category: history, urban

Coordinator: Charles Updike

Walk with us through the city of Brotherly Love and explore the scenery and oft-forgotten historic facets of a city that has shaped our modern world as much as any other. Where in history might one have seen the world's first steamboat, first computer, longest bridge, first television broadcast, first penitentiary, the tallest building, first department store, and much more? Join us and find out.

This scenic 15-mile walk through Philadelphia explores several neighborhoods and parks and visits a multitude of historic and cultural landmarks including: Fairmount Park, Philadelphia Art Museum, Boathouse Row, City Hall, South Street, Penn's Landing, Reading Terminal Market, Chinatown, Independence Mall, Elfreth's Alley, Eastern State Penitentiary, Society Hill and more.

The route is updated for 2026 and includes a lunch stop and lots of history and interetsing stories.

Free and open to public. Bring friends and family.

Highlights:- Fairmount Waterworks- Art Museum - Eastern State Penitentiary- Ben Franklin Parkway- City Hall- Chinatown- Independence Hall- Liberty Bell- Christ Church - Elfreth's Alley- Race Street Pier- Penn's Landing- Spruce Street Harbor Park- South Street- Society Hill- Washington Square

and a lot more!

Partners:

The East Coast Greenway Alliance is a non-profit organization developing a public multi-use 3,000 mile trail from Canada to Key West through New Jersey and New York. Donations and memberships help make this dream trail a reality.

Circuit Trails is 800 miles of interconnected trails in Greater Philadelphia in the making, already one of America's largest trail networks. Once connected, the Circuit Trails will be one of the nation's premier urban trail networks and it will provide multiple benefits to neighborhoods, communities and the region as a whole.

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