Weekend in Philadelphia

My wife and I both work full-time, and my wife is also in graduate school, so we decided to take a weekend trip to Philly to get away from some stress and do some of the things that we have talked about for a while. We first stopped at the Reading Terminal Market, which is a large collection of different restaurants and shops, to get some food before starting. There are several museums that are suitable for all ages (Academy of Fine Art, etc.) and also several places that are aimed at children (Franklin Institute, etc.) that can still be enjoyable by adults.

Quick Tips:

Look for deals online before you go. By booking a hotel or making dinner reservations online, you can save considerable money. Also, research what you would like to do... it can make it a lot easier when you are in the city to know exactly where you want to go. Once there, look around for the free newspapers. These have lots of coupons and offers that can save you further money during the trip. Also, don't get too ambitious planning activities. You will always find things you didn't know about but want to go to.

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking around Philadelphia is fairly easy. I would suggest getting a small map of the city, but if you have this you won't have any problems getting around. For longer distances, I suggest either a taxi or bus. If the weather is nice, however, even long walks around the city can be enjoyable.

This is one of the 'must-see' sights when visiting Philadelphia. The PA Academy of Fine Arts is pretty unique in that it is also an art school (associated with UPenn). As such, there have been several famous artists that have studied here. The museum itself is quite an incredible building. It has been the museum's since around 1880, and has many interesting architectural details, such as large arches as you approach the building, to pocket doors separating the galleries, to exposed steel beams (they were designed this way).

For us, the best part of the museum was the gallery of George Washington paintings. As you walk through this gallery, you will see several portraits of Washington done by different artists. It is very interesting to compare them to each other, and see how different people rendered Washington differently. For those that choose to, there are also audio tours and guided tours available.

This is one of the newer attractions in the city, located near the main visitor center, and is definitely something to check out. The first thing you will notice when you enter is the display of all 50 state flags of the US. It's interesting to walk around and see what they look like. You will probably be surprised to see what your own state flag looks like if you don't know beforehand. There is a theater that is used for an A/V presentation towards the rear. One piece of advice is to show up plenty early, purchase your tickets, then walk around the Center and look at the exhibits. This will save you some time waiting in line just prior to the show. The other main portion of the Center is called the Hall of Signers. This is a rather unique exhibit, as it houses life-size statues of all the signers of the Constitution. There are also several computer terminals around the Hall where you can learn more about the people who signed.

The King of Prussia Mall is located approximately 15 miles outside the city, but is worth the drive to visit. There are 2 parts of the mall, the Court and the Plaza. Both of these contain 2 floors of shops, and are located just across the parking lot from each other. There is a wide range of shops, from common stores such as Sears, all the way to designer shops such as Armani, and everything in between. Whatever you are looking for, you are sure to find it in a store here. There are also 2 food courts (a large one and a smaller one), along with several sit-down restaurants scattered around the mall. Best advice when visiting here is to bring your walking shoes. The malls are quite large, and your feet will be tired by the end of the day.