Independence National Historical Park
The park represents the founding ideals of the nation, and preserves national and international symbols of freedom and democracy, including Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. The Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were both debated and signed inside Independence Hall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
About under an hour from Philadelphia and 2 hours from Baltimore by car.
Alerts
- InformationLimited Restroom Availability
Restrooms are available at the Independence Visitor Center at 6th & Market Streets, the corner of 5th and Chestnut Streets, and the Benjamin Franklin Museum (museum entrance requires a fee) in Franklin Court.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here. The tours below are the exception.
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Tours & reservations | ||
| Independence Hall ↗Mar–DecEntry to Independence Hall is by timed ticketed tour only. | $1 | |
Admission to most park sites is free. Entrance to Independence Hall is by both guided and self-guided tours. Guided tours require tickets that can be reserved through Recreation.gov for a $1 per ticket handling fee. Interagency passes do not apply to these fees. The Benjamin Franklin Museum charges an interpretive fee and the National Constitution Center, a partner of the park, charges an admission fee.
Entrance to Independence Hall is by guided or self-guided tour. No tickets are required from 9 am to 9:50 am. Reserved tickets are required for tours from 10:00 am to 4:20 pm.
Hours
| Independence National Historical Park | Daily · 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day | Closed |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Independence Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
The Independence Visitor Center is located at 6th and Market Streets. Pick up a park map, plan your visit, and watch films in the Independence Visitor Center. Ask knowledgeable park rangers about programs, walking tours and special events.
Explore
Things to do
- Find the Perfect Souvenir5-20 Minutes
Browse the shelves in the America's National Park Stores in the East Wing and Old City Hall for that perfect gift - for yourself or others. Participating in the NPS passport program? You can add to your stamp collection here!
Opens on the Park Service site - Tour Independence Hall20-35 Minutes
Take a ranger-led tour of the birthplace of the United States. Hear stories of conflict, compromise, and the complicated business of making a nation.
Opens on the Park Service site - Become an Independence Junior Ranger5-120 Minutes
There are three ways to become a Junior Ranger at Independence National Historical Park. Ready for the challenge...and the fun?
Opens on the Park Service site - Play the Virtual Glass Armonica30-60 Minutes
Of all his inventions, the one Benjamin Franklin enjoyed most was the glass armonica. Give it a try at the Benjamin Franklin Museum, where you can explore Franklin's life and legacy through his character traits (fee applies).
Opens on the Park Service site - Hear the Centennial Bell Ring1-5 Minutes
Do you hear that? Look up! Listen to the Centennial Bell ring each hour at the clocktower of Independence Hall.
Opens on the Park Service site - Take a "Bell-fie"15-55 Minutes
Come see the international symbol of freedom in all its glory. Learn about the Liberty Bell's legacy as a symbol of protest and celebration, from its humble beginnings as the State House bell to its use as a rallying cry to end slavery and an…
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 10Hide
- Listen for the Sound of Sticky Ink10-20 Minutes
Discover the pivotal role that the printed word played in the American Revolution and the founding of the nation as rangers demonstrate printing—18th-century style.
Opens on the Park Service site - Stand in Abraham Lincoln's Place15-20 Minutes
President-elect Abraham Lincoln made a stop at Independence Hall in 1861 as he journeyed to Washington D.C. for his inauguration. Today, a plaque outside Independence Hall indicates where Lincoln stood when he raised the flag that day.
Opens on the Park Service site - Get the B. Free Franklin Cancellation5-15 Minutes
Get the same cancellation on your stamp that Franklin used when he was postmaster. There's cool and then there's "B. Free Franklin" cool.
Opens on the Park Service site - Walk in Ona Judge's Footsteps5-15 Minutes
Find the footsteps in the ground at the President’s House Site. They represent Martha Washington's enslaved maid's flight to freedom. Look for Oney Judge’s name, and the names of eight other enslaved servants, on the wall nearby.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Independence Park Walking Tour10/1410:00 AM · runs through Nov 1 · freeMeet the ranger on the east side of the Liberty Bell Center, near the Bell viewing window adjacent to Chestnut Street.
- Philadelphia's Famous Founding Father - Benjamin Franklin10/1402:15 PM · runs through Oct 31 · freeFranklin Court has two entrances. One is next to 318 Market Street, between 3rd and 4th Street.
- Movies on the Mall10/1605:30 PM · freeIndependence Mall, Market Street between 5th and 6th Streets
- B.A.R.K. Ranger10/2408:00 AM · freePemberton House Garden, 316 Chestnut Street
- Free Entrance to the Benjamin Franklin Museum01/1709:00 AM · freeBetween 3rd and 4th Streets and Chestnut and Market Streets
News
- Historic First Bank of the United States Building to Reopen July 1 ↗2026-05-01
Independence National Historical Park and Independence Historical Trust will hold a public ribbon cutting on July 1 to celebrate the multi-year, $43 million renovation of the historic First Bank of the United States.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for the Mid-Atlantic
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Activities
Weather & climate
Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Snowfall is highly variable, with some winters bringing only light snow and others bringing several major snowstorms, with the normal seasonal snowfall standing at 22.4 in (57 cm). Precipitation is generally spread throughout the year, with eight to twelve wet days per month.
Questions people ask
Does Independence charge an entrance fee?
No. Independence is free to enter, though some tours and ticketed sites inside charge separately.
Source: National Park Service
Do I need a reservation to enter Independence?
Entrance to Independence Hall is by guided or self-guided tour. No tickets are required from 9 am to 9:50 am.
Source: Timed entry, by park
What are the hours at Independence?
Standard hours are 9:00AM - 5:00PM, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Independence right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Limited Restroom Availability.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Independence?
1,926,580 recreation visits in 2025, number 46 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Independence?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
When was Independence established?
1948. It covers about 0.1 square miles.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the weather like at Independence?
Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Snowfall is highly variable, with some winters bringing only light snow and others bringing several major snowstorms, with the normal seasonal snowfall standing at 22.4 in (57 cm).
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
More in Pennsylvania
