In these challenging economic times when consumers are scaling back and pinching their pennies extras like vacations and travel are the first to go. If you have to be frugal with discretionary spending, try not to plan a summer sitting in the backyard on a lawn chair dangling your dogs in a kiddie pool while knocking back a rolling rock, there are many options for sight-seeing if you live in or around Philadelphia. With a little effort you can find lots of free things to do in the City of Brotherly Love. Here are just a few places to visit to get you started.
The United States Mint
Independence Mall
Philadelphia, PA 19019
usmint.gov
No money of your own, check out America's first production facility for the nation's coinage where you can see money actually being made. Why not learn about the history of the monetary system and the role of America's bank, the Federal Reserve. Free of charge public tours are available everyday.
Elfreth's Alley
Old City
Philadelphia, PA 19106
elfrethsalley.org
Opened in 1702, Elfreth's Alley is one of oldest surviving streets in the city. For 300 years, this neighborhood was home to the working classes and immigrants who eked out an existence in the conditions of 18th & 19th century urban life. Walk down the alleyway to see 32 homes restored by the Elfreth's Alley Association. There is a fee to go inside the homes but the stroll down the street scattered with artisans and street performers is free.
Love Park
15th St and JFK Blvd
Philadelphia, PA 19102
ushistory.org/lovepark
For love or money? You can decide by the fountain at JFK Plaza located in the heart of Center City's business district as you gaze up at Robert Indiana's famous Love Sculpture. The iconic image has been photographed and replicated the world over from the skateboarders, now banned, who used the park to practice their high-flying tricks to the cover of the Erich Segal classic, “Love Story.”
Tall Ship Gazela
301 S Columbus Blvd
Philadelphia, PA 19106
gazela.org
Along the Delaware River at North Penn's Landing you can visit the tall ship Gazela Primeiro. Built in 1883 in a shipyard in Portugal, the non-profit organization Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild are the owners of this once seafaring vessel among others. Free to visit, donations are accepted. If you drive there, you may have to pay for parking
Edgar Allen Poe National Historic Site
532 N. 7th St
Philadelphia, PA 19123
nps.gov/edal
Fans of the author Edgar Allen Poe will get a rare treat visiting the home where he published a number of his widely read stories. At the entrance to the museum, you are greeted by a statue of a raven, an obvious reference to the famous poem. Inside, the house is maintained to look decadent and eerie an homage to his literary legacy.
Eastern State Penitentiary
22nd St and Fairmount Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19120
easternstate.org
Not free but worth the $7.00 admission fee, the Eastern State Penitentiary was built to rehabilitate its inmates using solitary confinement and hard-labor. Once there, you can tour the cell block that once was the home to gangster Al Capone. Closed in 1971, the abandoned prison stands as a reminder of America's early penal system.
