Images from a Visit to Independence Hall Part 1

Independence Hall. The tower is obscured due to a restoration project.
The building was completed in 1753 for the legislature of the
Province of Philadelphia.
(photos: TheHopefulTraveler)

Finally my 12 noon timed ticket entry to tour Independence Hall arrives. I'm actually a bit early and after passing through security (bags and jackets are inspected) a park ranger allows me to join the prior group of ticket holders. Tickets are free and must be obtained at the Independence Hall Visitor Center. This is important as the the center is two blocks north of Independence Hall.

I'm going to try something different and reveal this visit of Independence Hall through photos and captions. There is so much history behind the building that there is far too much to write about for a single post or even two.

Visit nps.gov for more information about the building. Click HERE to learn about the current restoration of the Independence Hall Tower. The attraction is open daily from 9am-5pm. Visit recreation.gov for advance ticket reservations which can be booked one year in advance; visit the Independence Visitor Center which opens at 8:30am and offers tickets with a timed entry on a first come, first served basis. Tickets are required except for January and February. See the next post or click HERE for part 2 of this post "Images from a Visit to Independence Hall".

Assembly Hall where the U.S. Declaration of Independence and
Constitution was drafted and signed in 1776. 

Supreme Court Room. The Assembly Hall and this room occupy the
ground floor of the Independence Hall.

Above four photos feature the Tower Stairwell. It leads to the Long Gallery,
a committee room and the former Governor's office. Access to the
bell tower is not open to the public.

The Long Gallery (pictured above and below): The room was used for
celebrations, concerts, dances and lectures in the 18th century. From
1777-1778, American prisoners of war were housed in this room during
the British occupation of the city. This room was the site of the a U.S.
District Court in the 1840s and 1850s. The court ruled on cases dealing with
Fugitive Slave Act.

Governor's Council Chamber on the second floor: The provincial council
was the highest legislative body in the Colony until 1776 when the
authority was vested in the Supreme Executive Council over which
Benjamin Franklin presided.

Independence Mall (pictured above and below): View from the Long
Gallery of Independence Hall gives visitors a view across the length of
the mall all the way to the National Constitution Center. The photo above
shows the Liberty Bell Center at left.