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Independence Hall

Independence Hall

Independence Hall
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were signed in this historic building.
Duration: < 1 hour
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What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Plan your visit

The area

Address
Neighborhood: City Center East
How to get there
  • 5th St • 3 min walk
  • 8th St • 5 min walk
Reach out directly

See what travelers are saying

  • Steph S
    Bristol, United Kingdom94 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Brilliant visit
    Visits to the Independence Hall are in 20 minute blocks so overall it’s not a long visit, it’s a really unique place to visit while you are in the city. Special thanks to Julian who was our guide for our visit, he knew absolutely everything and you could tell he was passionate about history and the place itself. Definitely well worth visiting as like most things we found on our trip, it’s free to enter you just need to book tickets for a slot which you can do at the visitor centre across the road.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written October 9, 2023
  • Joni P
    Atlanta, Georgia261 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Essential U. S. history
    The National Park Service requires you to make your reservation in advance to visit this popular attraction. They charge only $1 a person which helps cover some of the costs of the security screening required to enter. Park Service tour guide Larry M. did an excellent job giving our group about a 20 minute tour of the two historic rooms.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 10, 2023
  • OBXLOKAL
    Manteo, North Carolina244 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Pre Purchse tour tickets and security
    Didn't take the tour, was planning too but.. there is a security check, metal detector. Had just gone through all that empty pockets, take off your belt at the liberty Bell, didn't feel like going through it again right across the street so we skipped the tour. You have to schedule tour in advance, about 20 minute tour or so, only $1 per person. I have no problem with the security, just didn't want to deal with it again so quickly. Was satisfied with pictures of the exterior!
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 4, 2024
  • Dean_Amy-2004
    Gettysburg, Pennsylvania8,398 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Tour
    Plan ahead during busy times by getting advance tickets. They are $1 on the Recreation.gov website or you can get them free of charge at the Independence visitor center. You have to go through security check, so they recommend arriving 30 min before your tour. There is also a non-ticketed tour in site of the first Congress. The park service does a great job with historic information and other “side stories”.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written January 13, 2024
  • tinylass
    Sheffield, United Kingdom6,167 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent visit with a very interesting and knowledgeable tour guide
    We visited on a Saturday in January so no need to book. There was a short line to go through security which took about 5 minutes. We wandered around Congress Hall first whilst waiting for the tour which was very interesting. Tour is free and was about 25 minutes. Larry (the guide) was excellent and kept everyone interested. He told us plenty of facts and to see the room where the Declaration was signed was fascinating. You have to pre-book every day apart from in January and February but there is no charge and I would highly recommend doing the tour.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 23, 2024
  • BF826
    Birmingham, United Kingdom97 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very Educational
    Definitely worth the visit, so educational really learn a lot and so cool to be able to see these very important rooms. Timed entry really helps things run smoothly. TIP time on the ticket is the time of the independence hall tour as soon as you go in, don't start exploring and miss your time slot but they do sometimes accommodate if not busy.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 24, 2024
  • Richie_I
    Blessington, Ireland284 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lovely building & grounds.
    Beautiful building. Got to visit and see the outside of this in March on a day-trip to Philadelphia. Sadly due to time constraints with traffic we could only see the outside. Glad i got to see it and one day i may go stateside again and visit again.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 12, 2024
  • christopherbO9687MP
    Acton, Massachusetts745 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great guided tours of site of United States' beginnings
    Independence Hall has great guided tours of the site of United States' beginnings. Our National Park Service tour guide gave us a history of the major rooms we visited and the artifacts on display. A must visit of any American History fan.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written April 24, 2024
  • moodblu
    West Valley City, Utah1,656 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing Heritage Site
    I am fascinated by the history of the forming of our country. I can really say little more that would be meaningful than has already been written or spoken about this building and the events that took place there. It took my breath away to stand in the Assembly Room where the Declaration of Independence, and later the Constitution were hammered out, written & signed. The National Park Ranger did an excellent job of presenting the background behind the events, and the outcome thereof. He also gave us background and history about the court chambers adjacent to the Assembly Room, and some about the pre-revolutionary justice systems. If you go, be sure to look at the beautiful architecture in the building, including the woodwork, window casings and the staircase at the hall between the rooms. Tours require a ticket, and a fairly tight security check, with no large bags, no weapons, and all bags subject to inspection. We loved our time at Independence Hall, a bucket-list site for me. If there was a cost for this site, it was covered in the tour group we were with.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 29, 2024
  • MeryMeCo
    Galesburg, Illinois934 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great ranger program
    This was the top historic attraction of our trip to Philadelphia. The reason why we came. It was easy to get our passes months in advance. We found out where we were supposed to go through security from the people at the visitor's center. We got there early and found another ranger program going on and tagged along to that one. We didn't see any signs for any of the other programs in that area. Our tour guide was wonderful asking questions to make us think of how the constitution was relevant in our lives today and not just a part of history.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 8, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles9,174 reviews
Excellent
5,911
Very good
2,403
Average
715
Poor
106
Terrible
39

pat l
Gainesville, GA1,099 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
I cannot express how amazing this visit was. I LOVE history and have wanted to be here on this tour for so long and being there did not disappoint. So, we reserved our tickets online - you have to pay $1 per ticket when you reserve rather than walk up, but it was completely worth it for us. Just pick a time that you know you can get there an hour before because that's when you need to pick up your tickets and get in line for the security into the area where your tour starts.

The Park Ranger will give you a tour, telling you about the events of 1770s that led to this place being so important to our nation. The building is mostly original so you can't touch anything, but are able to take plenty of pictures!

The tour lasts less than an hour, but is just amazing.
Written January 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ritapeterson2
Philadelphia, PA10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019 • Friends
You must get timed entry tickets during popular months at the Visitors Center on Market and Fifth. It is free entry an they allow a good number of folks to enter at a time. There is security screening first and then you will be ushered in and given a tour guide. Some allow you to ask questions. This is America’s history and impacting to stand where our founders gathered to birth our country.
Written March 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Andy Y
Sunderland, UK23 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
I would recommend booking a tour of Independence Hall online on the National Park Service website as it can be busy if you try to turn up on the day. You have to pay a $1 but it saves queuing up early and there was plenty of availability.
The tour itself is very short, there are only two rooms you can visit inside of the main Hall but there is a tour guide who will explain what the rooms were used for (one is obviously the court room, the other room has a little more history to it). The guides were very knowledgeable and entertaining and it was nice to learn more about the history of American Independence, as a Brit I feel ignorant not knowing it too well previously.
There are a couple of other smaller buildings to the side of Independence Hall which are worth a visit, one holds copies famous documents, like the declaration of independence.
Also if you're lucky there was a re-enactment outside the hall every couple of hours when we visited, I think it was more aimed at Kids but the staff were all in character and it seemed like it would be fun - we didn't hang around.
Written July 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

cbpilot
Menifee, CA98 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2022
We visited in January, and crowds were minimal. Tour groups to the inside of Independence Hall were limited to 17 people. Free tour lasted about 25 minutes. Tour was excellent and we learned a lot about our history that we did not know. The tricky part about Philadelphia is the parking. The city parking is not friendly to tourists. On street parking is reasonable if you can find it, but read the signs carefully as available hours vary and we got a $75 ticket for being 15 minutes late while on the 25 minute tour. Parking lots are plenteous but outrageous charging between $11-15/hour.
Written January 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lisa S
Indianapolis, IN118 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2020
Thankfully Independence Hall and a few other key sights are still open while Covid is still hanging around. Independence Hall used to allow 70 people in on each tour and currently only 9 at a time are allowed inside. We went during a time when there weren’t a lot of tours, so even with 9 at a time, we didn’t have to wait long. We heard from one of the park rangers that weekdays are shorter lines than weekends. Another tip when visiting the old city is to plan your visiting day of the week around what you want to see. Check the websites ahead of time as several things we found had only partially re-open Wednesday-Saturday.
Written November 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CaptMancuso
North Garden, VA272 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
This should be on the list of things to see for every American and a must see for any student of American history.
The National Park Service does an outstanding job of running the operation and the Rangers are very knowledgeable. The tour inside Independence Hall is 20 minutes long and you get to see a good portion of the interior. Frankly, that’s about the right amount of time.
After seeing Independence Hall, you are free to walk around the rest of the area and take a guided tour of Congress Hall (worth it). There is no extra charge, and you can spend as little or as much time as you wish. However, once you leave the compound, there’s no re-entry without a new reservation.
A few negatives that must be mentioned.
Due to the world we live in, there is a TSA style security checkpoint. It’s quick and they get the tour groups through efficiently but it’s still a bit annoying that we must have this at a historic site.
You cannot just walk up and get in line; you must purchase the tickets on-line and reserve a time slot. The ticket fee is minimal. This appears to be more about tracking who is visiting, how many are visiting and control of the visitor load than the desire to make a profit. The process isn’t difficult (although you will need access to the internet). They read the QR code off your smart phone, so no paper ticket is needed.
Written June 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Will
Marietta, GA85 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
This is one of Philadelphia's obvious must-see locations. The beautiful architecture of the building is very well preserved, and is a truly awe-inspiring experience to stand in the room where the United States of America was born, and the revolutionary structure of government was first set forth. Our Park Ranger tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable, and though the tour length is on the short side, I would say it was still well worth the wait. Timed tickets (booked on Recreation.gov) are required, which keeps the crowds down and the tour groups a manageable size. A visit to Independence Hall is truly an experience every American should have at some point.
Written July 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ramblinggirl67
Atlanta, GA1,141 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2021 • Friends
Current protocols indicate that you need to reserve your ticket ahead of time to attend a scheduled tour. We got our tickets about a month in advance. They’re only $1- just to reserve your spot as space is limited due to covid. No tickets were remaining for the weekend that we were there so be sure to plan ahead. With your ticket, you get a guided tour by a park ranger, lasting about 15 minutes, of two important, historical rooms in Independence Hall. We felt that it was well worth it.
Written September 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ellen P
20 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022
Touring Independence Hall is a must. The tour only lasts for 20 minutes so well worth the time. You only get to see the 1st floor but the tour guide is full of information. You HAVE to have a ticket to get in but the tickets are free at the visitor's center. If you get your tickets on line, you pay a $1 service fee per ticket. They want you there 30 minutes in advance to allow time to enter thru security. Once you park your car, look for the "information" building and they will guide you to the check in location at the Hall. You have to go thru Security check in and you enter into the back courtyard of the Hall. Most of the security people and the Park Rangers are all crabby and act like they hate their jobs. But stronly advise this quick tour. Well worth the time.
Written September 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John C
Starkville, MS844 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
We carved out a half day at Independence National Historic Park to end our first trip to Philly. Needless to say, Independence Hall was the centerpiece of that half day. No matter what we did, my photographic senses constantly gravitated back to this historic building. We took the tour early in the morning (9:40) which, after seeing the lines after we came out, was probably smart. The tour only lasts about 45 minutes but is incredibly informative. Afterwards, you do have to leave IH itself, but can remain on its grounds for as long as you want (until you exit the barriers immediately surrounding it). And there are other things to see while still there - such as Congress Hall - so make sure to research before your visit. Simple stated - there's just an incredibly awesome feeling while standing in the building where the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were deliberated and signed, and our nation was founded.
Written January 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Independence Hall, Philadelphia

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