Car Hire Philadelphia - Mini guide to Philadelphia

Philadelphia - the ‘city of brotherly love’ and the home of American democracy.

The first thing visitors discover about Philadelphia is that it's a ‘walking’ town - most places are within a mile of the City Hall, on pleasant, tree-lined streets with a rich mix of architecture, ranging from Colonial to Victorian to Bauhaus, sometimes within the same block.

Independence National Historic Park (locally touted as ‘America's most historic square mile’’) is a good place to start sightseeing in Philadelphia. Here you can see Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were adopted. Across the green is the Liberty Bell Pavilion, constructed for the bicentennial and open 365 days a year. The bell hung in Independence Hall when it was the Pennsylvania State House and called the Assembly to meetings.

At Franklin Court (between 3rd, 4th, Chestnut and Market streets) you can catch a glimpse of Benjamin Franklin's Philadelphia. Staying with that period, Elfreth's Alley is believed to be America's oldest residential street with colonial-style houses dating back to 1728.

The Franklin Institute Science Museum and Futures Center, which is situated on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, brings a futuristic aspect to the historic city centre. The Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum on 7th is also worth a visit. Don’t forget to take a stroll down the Avenue of the Arts with its theaters, restaurants and concert hall. The Academy of Music’s 19th-century ambiance is the avenue’s highlight.