Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Exploring America’s Nationalism, One Monument at a Time

It’s hard to not wax poetic, or even nationalistic, when you visit the liberty bell and Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

Both exhibits are free, although there are some rooms to see at Independence Hall that seemed to cost money. But everything I saw definitely didn’t cost me anything.

Besides standing outside in the bitter winter cold that is the northeast, seeing the liberty bell is nothing more than that–a bell.

The purposefully incomplete building where the Liberty Bell stands…and where you stand while waiting your turn in the bitter cold.

There are small placards and other tidbits of information to read, but as a museum, it’s quite limited. And still, there were always lines, even in the dead of winter.

Some archeological remains at the Liberty Bell site.

Independence Hall allowed me to more freely meander, although there were always National Park Service personnel, and various other officials (e.g. police) wandering around. I felt safe and unsafe at the same time.

 

Still, it was fun to visit. Although I had just as much nostalgia over seeing other less crowded buildings and cemeteries in the nearby area.

A good patriotic walk!