Small-Group Public Walking Tour Exploring Philadelphia's Gilded Age to Now

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. One of the last old time food halls in the US. Created in the 1890's, Reading Terminal Market has undergone many changes over the years but remains a remarkable example of shopping from an earlier era.

   Passes by

2. First International Style Building in the U.S., PSFS was created during the depression as a collaborative design between a local architect and a Swiss one using principles developed by the Bauhaus and European architects.

   Passes by

3. The oldest art school in the US and a magnificent example of Frank Furness' architecture, this is one of his remaining High Victorian Gothic masterpieces. It opened just in time for the Centennial Exposition of 1876.

   10 min

4. View the exterior of this magnificent structure created just after the end of the Civil War in Romanesque or Norman Castle style. If you have time, reserve a tour of the interior rooms which are spectacular.

   5 min

5. Walk around this great 2nd Empire Baroque Building, the largest municipal building in the U.S. It is the tallest masonry bearing wall building in the world, and the statue of William Penn on the tower is the tallest on any building in the world.

   10 min

6. View the Market Street National Bank's Art Deco facade across the Street and then enter the John Wanamaker Building. We will see the Grand Court and its grand organ.

   Passes by

7. See the former Girard Bank Building then the Land Title Building across Chestnut Street. The Bank was originally designed by Frank Furness in his High Victorian Gothic style, but that was rejected. The Land Title building is the first in the city by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham who said:"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men`s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work..."

   Passes by

8. Great early example of 2nd empire baroque style and one of the only structures built in Philadelphia during the Civil War. The club was created to support the Union troops.

   Passes by

9. Once the grandest hotel in America designed by George Hewitt, once a partner with Frank Furness. It is Beaux Arts stylistically with a French chateau look at the top.

   Passes by

10. Original home of the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Academy of Music is based on La Scala in Milan and was originally an opera house. The Italianate façade was to be in marble, but brick and brownstone were substituted to save on the cost.

    Passes by

11. Great copy of the Strozzi Palace in Florence. Designed originally for Anthony Drexel's financial company, the exterior retains all the trimmings of Renaissance palazzos.

    Passes by

12. Two towers that broke the 548' height barrier. There had been a gentleman's agreement to build no higher than the City Hall statue of William Penn, but that changed in the 1980's with these two buildings, opening the way for a more modern skyline.

    Passes by

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 5 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Philadelphia

• Its from-price is 24% below the median of the 266 experiences we list in Philadelphia.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 100 of 266.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Philadelphia

Philadelphia is Pennsylvania's largest city and the birthplace of American independence, with Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, museums and markets.

Philadelphia was founded in 1682 by William Penn and was the capital of the United States for a decade in the 1790s. In Independence National Historical Park, Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776 and the Constitution drafted in 1787, is a World Heritage site, and the Liberty Bell is displayed nearby. Elfreth's Alley, a lane of small 18th-century houses, is among the oldest residential streets in the country.

Top-ranked sights in Philadelphia: Liberty Bell Center, Carpenters' Hall , President's House.

See all 266 experiences in Philadelphia