Roadtrip Reality: Fifth Grade Tour of Philadelphia, PA

Fifth Grade Tour of Philadelphia, PA

Happy Monday friends! 

Recently we had the chance to spend a long weekend in Philadelphia, PA for the Army/Navy football game. We stayed with some friends, one of which is a 5th grade teacher. Imagine my excitement when he agreed to give us the 5th grade Philly tour! And if you’re new here, my son is a 5th grader :)   

If you’ve ever wondered how to tour Philadelphia with your kiddos this is the post for you! My son is currently studying the American Revolution in school so this trip couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. We enjoyed every part of it!

Make sure to head to the Independence Visitor Center first! They are super helpful and there is a lot of history in here too!

Independence Hall

We started at Independence Hall and reserved tickets for a free guided tour. Our tour guide was great and we loved hearing the historical accounts and being in the same building where the signing of the declaration took place!

The Liberty Bell

Of course the Liberty Bell was super cool! This is a free, self-guided tour and there is usually a staff member at the bell to give you a little history lesson.

Benjamin Franklin’s House + Printing Press

There is a  Benjamin Franklin museum (a small fee to enter) with the frame of where his house once stood. There are also a few relics from his time preserved there that you can read about. 

I think the printing press was my son’s favorite part of the tour and that part is completely free!

They actually print copies of the Declaration of Independence here and you can purchase one for a few dollars. We brought one home for his class!

Elfreth’s Alley

The architecture/design lover in me enjoyed Elfreth’s Alley, the nation’s oldest residential street, the most! Check out how gorgeous these front doors are. 

The homes along this beautiful little cobblestone street are still mostly residential, and the alley and museum are open to the public. You can see there is a lot going on here during the holiday season so it’s a great time to visit!

The Betsy Ross House

Betsy Ross, the person who sewed the first American Flag lived in this small white home below. We just checked out the grounds of the house but you can buy tickets for a small fee to tour the house and learn more. 

Visit a Museum

Unfortunately we ran out of time on our trip to tour all the museums but the Museum of the American Revolution will be top on the list for next time. I’ve heard really great things about it!

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is high on the list too!

Enjoy a Cheesesteak

Our friends took us to this cheesesteak cart which we’re told is the best and it was delicious!

Geno’s and Pat’s are also two authentic cheesesteak spots!

Buy a souvenir at Xenos Gifts

Go see Tina for a souvenir over at Xenos Gifts, the best little gift shop in the city!

Watch a game

Kevin’s son is a cadet at Westpoint so we attended the Army/Navy game to watch him march on the field. It was truly an amazing event and even President Trump was there!

This may not be on your agenda when touring Philly with your kids, but if you have a sports fanatic in your family there are SO many events happening here!

I hope you enjoyed this tour of Philly through the fifth grade lens. Have you guys ever been? What was your favorite thing?

Click HERE to see all of the places we’ve traveled in our Roadtrip Reality series!

Cheers!