The visitor center was full of info, alot of things to wander thru to see. Its located in the heart of Independence park, across from the Liberty bell entrance. They had a few staff members that you could more info in needed, free maps available. Clean restrooms, gift shop and a place to sit and enjoy your snacks. I recommend to park in a parking deck and walk or take the bus around the city. Great place to just take a break from your day of touring, we enjoyed! read more

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We just walked through the visitor center on our way to the Christ Church Burial Ground from the Liberty Bell Center. I think it's meant to be the start of any visit to Independence National Historical Park. We kind of did things in reverse that day. It's where you can stop for maps and attraction information. The park rangers are so very helpful in answering any questions that you may have. There are also interactive exhibits as well as films being shown about the city. The restroom facilities are spacious and clean. There are many photo ops including one with a life-size prop of the furry green Phillies mascot. The gift shop and café was also nice to see. It was a nice little break after visiting the Liberty Bell on a hot & sunny day. I guess you should try to make it your first stop for informational purposes. Although, we found it to be a quiet and restful retreat after a long morning of exploration. read more

Independence Visitor Center - Independence Visitor Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Lots of good information on both the city and the National Park run sites in the immediate area. The Rangers at the NP desk were helpful answering questions and giving advice. There are some exhibits on the Liberty Bell and the Independence Hall. There is a movie but it is more about Philadelphia tourism not the NP. There are bathrooms and if course a large gift shop. read more

Great place to take a break from all of the walking around the square. Also this is where the public bathrooms are located. You can get food and drinks here also . Short walk to the liberty bell read more

I was at the visitor center for a Phambassador event. The event space is on the second floor. Stairs in an elevator are both available. The space at the top of the stairs is a good size. It had the check-in table and some photo ops. There's also a balcony that you can go out and look onto Independence Mall. The main space is large. There were a lot of tables, but it didn't seem crowded. Bathrooms are available on the first and second floor. They are clean. There's also a gift shop on the first floor and information in a little café along with a theater and some exhibits. It is a great addition to the historical area read more

Located just across the Liberty bell entrance, I recommend you make a stop here get a map, instructions and then staff here is very friendly and helpful. There are multiple desks make sure you go to the park service desk. They have restrooms inside. The parking is usually full. All the slots for the day were full when we go there so plan ahead !! read more

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we were in philly for the day and wanted to see the city's cultural and historical landmarks. i was researching online and saw the tickets for the big bus tour were avail for purchase online and also avail at the independence visitor center. i had a bunch of questions so, in person we go.. another perk is they have a parking lot! its a paid lot but beats searching for nearby parking. the visitor center was easy to locate and has a nice gift shop, clean bathrooms and the staff at the info desk were all really nice and patient with everyone! they have to interact with so many people from all different walks of life parking: underground self parking garage. Parking Rates: Up to 1 hour: $14 Up to 2 hours: $22 Up to 12 hours: $26 Up to 24 hours: $30 Lost Ticket: $30 Monthly: $300 *they have different prices, so def check their website read more

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Every city needs a visitor center like this! It's designed well, spacious, and comes with restrooms, a cafe, info booths, exhibits, and even people in period dress acting as famous roles. While there, I spoke with Bishop Richard Allen, the founder of the AME denomination. read more

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So this serves as a major information pub for a lot of the tourist stuff in Philadelphia and it's incredibly helpful. They helped guide me when I had questions about my City Pass, including where to use the Phlash and the Hop on and off buses. Also help you set up other tours and a very nice gift shop. Very easily found and lots of helpful employees. Being open early at 9am was also great read more

Been to the Independence Visitor Center several times while in town for weekend trips. Gift shops inside, Phillies Phanatic, Rocky and Ben Franklin statues to pose with... Great place to get some souvenirs while in town. Staff in the shops are friendly and helpful. Restrooms are available too. The is an info desk as well in case you want to know what tours or popular sites or things to do while in the city. read more

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The visitor center is separate from the independence hall itself so be sure to set aside time to walk over to the actual hall for the tour. There's a small cafe inside the center along with restrooms and a gift shop, clean and spacious. read more

Nice visitor center in the heart of Independence National Historical Park. There are bathrooms, snack bars and an information desk. Knowledgeable Park Rangers are on hand for questions about Independence Hall, Liberty Bell and other historic places around the park. There is a large gift shop here that sells almost anything that has to do with Philadelphia. You can also get your cancellation stamps for your National Park Passport Book at this visitor center. read more

Independence Visitor Center - Gift Shop with Rocky Statue - Visitor Centers Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Parking for Sunday was $24 for up to $12 hours. They have nice clean bathrooms, a little gift shop, and some information. Our favorite part was the piece of the Bell and the little interactive exhibits. read more

Independence Visitor Center - Liberty Bell piece - Visitor Centers Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

An excellent place to visit before embarking on your historical tour of Philadelphia! The Independence Visitor Center features a few small exhibits of Philadelphia's most iconic landmarks. There's also a large map of Philadelphia center right in the middle of exhibit room that lists the locations of Philadelphia's most prominent historical markers. In the exhibit room, you can learn about the evolution of Philadelphia and get a sneak peak of how people lived back in the day. There's also so interesting information about the famous crack in the Liberty Bell. Aside from the exhibits, this visitor center also functions as a souvenir and snack shop. There's an information desk where you can inquire about specific landmarks and tours. Tickets for tours of Independence Hall can also be purchased here. They've got clean public restrooms inside. This visitor center is conveniently located right across from the Liberty Bell Center, so it's easy to make the Liberty Bell your next stop. Would highly recommend a stop here before touring the city's historical landmarks. read more

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Now this is a visitor center. Not only for Philadelphia, but for Independence as well. They have knowledgable rangers on staff, and you can get stamps for various places around the area as well. They also have the Junior Ranger stamp! In addition, they have a National Park theater where they show some film, and they have a replica desk with the Declaration of Independence, which makes a great photo op. I saw that there were some private events going on as well - not sure what was happening, but that's also an option! There's a large gift shop with items related to The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, but they also stock general Philadelphia gifts as well, which makes it a great one-stop shop if you're visiting the area. read more

Friendly crew that welcomed us and directed us to the right directions to get to the Liberty Bell and our Independence Hall tour. read more

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Great place to use the restroom and to find some of the best souvenir options in Philadelphia! I do like that unlike other popular cities Philly did not have a souvenir shop every other store you passed- it makes you feel less like a tourist and more like a local. The staff at the check out were very friendly- one man in particular ringing customers up was SO happy and enthusiastic it put a smile on my face- you could just tell he loves his job and honestly people like that are exactly what we need in the tourism industry! read more

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Wow, what a great, modern visitor center! This should be your first stop when in Philadelphia to visit Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and all of the surrounding areas. First and foremost, it's where you get tickets to actually go inside Independence Hall. The restrooms alone are worth the visit. I've been going to the bathroom most of my life, and the men's room is probably the nicest larger rest room I've been in. It was clean, modern, and gave you a nice sense of relief that you weren't walking into a glorified outhouse. There are two theaters where you can watch informational videos on Philadelphia and other topics. There's a Hershey Ice Cream shop where you can get Hershey gear and milkshakes (although they didn't have the Reese's Shake which they have at Hersheyworld in Hershey, PA and may be the best milkshake ever). There's also a gift shop where you buy gifts (imagine that) or things for which to remember your trip. Upstairs, there's some meeting space as well as a terrace where you can look over the park and sites in the distance. As far as visitor centers go, this one is top notch! Oh, don't forget there's information about the attractions! read more

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If you have never been to Philadelphia and you wanted to be a tourist for all things historical in the city, this should probably be your first stop before you attempt to figure out where you are going. Being a Pennsylvania native and resident I have to admit that I have never really ever been to Philadelphia, the closest I had ever got was flying through the area, so I really don't think that the airport counts in that aspect. I knew what Philadelphia held in terms of history, but I did not know where all those historical places were actually located. I decided that I would stop in here and take at least a look around and see if there were some type of map that would show me where everything was located at. So you know, they do have maps, and they do show you where everything is located at. I went a bit further when I went to grab a map. I asked one of the employees working about what things were located where and which ones were suggested to do. Not only did the employee point out everything that is shown on the map, but she did a quick rundown of how much each would cost me if I wanted to go to each location. This employee also knew exactly what the cost of each location would be, of course I paid close attention to the ones that were free. Public restrooms available within, free Wifi, and you can purchase your tickets here for nearby attractions. read more

The best public restrooms you will find. They have a store to buy some souvenirs and a mini museum. A great knowledgeable visitor center that is informative and probably the nicest visitor center I've been too. read more

Independence Visitor Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I'm not one to collect souvenirs any longer. I enjoyed looking while the family and friends got what they wanted. In order to get tickets for the tour of Independence Hall you must suffer the temptation to shop until you drop. I'm not going to belabor the quality or quote prices. You get what you want when you're on vacation. I'll just enjoy the photos I took of my daughter's loot! I do recommend you bring home a souvenir. I'm fond of the George Washington! read more

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1st: very well-kept, clean including the bathroom (like my nephew always ask "do you have to visit every bathroom in the world!? My answer is YES! I think bathrooms say a lot about a place & you shouldn't have to put your bladder through pain). 2nd: helpful staff to give you tips of places to visit in the area, they provide maps for free as well, and there's some tickets you're able to purchase by them. 3rd: They have a parking lot attached to them so if you park here it's pretty easy to get around the old town. We parked for about 6 hours and paid $21 If it's your first time visiting Philadelphia (Philly) then stop by here and get some guidance which would be beneficial. It's right across the Liberty Hall so it's a great starting point & also near the Liberty bell. read more

Independence Visitor Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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This used to be the place to come to get Free timed entry tickets to the Independence Hall and they still have signs throughout to tell you so. Who knows this different arrangement may be only during this pandemic and they might start issuing a ticket again. Information desk staff is very knowledgeable and friendly and they can help you book other tickets. They also have clean restrooms and a nice size gift shop where I ended up spending more than I originally anticipated. read more

your visit to old towne philadelphia starts here! you'll find several exhibits of old and modern philly, statues of ben franklin, rocky, and the phillies phanatic (phillies baseball team mascot). there's also two gift shoppes, the one in the front has souvenirs, the one in the rear has mostly snacks and beverages. there is also an information booth, and i found the ladies who worked there super friendly and helpful. they gave us several maps of philly and old towne area and gave us recommendations of how to spend our day. there is also a short, 15-20 minute film that shows the best of philly. definitely start your day here so that you can plan where to go and how to see the best of philly. restrooms at the front are clean and highly modernized (auto water, soap and hand dryer!) read more

This review is dictated by my 10-year old daughter and 13-year old son: We walked around the historical area in search of the "Once upon a nation" storytelling benches. The stories were great, and the storytellers were enthusiastic, and really nice. Unfortunately, we were promised a free carousel ride if we collected eight stickers, one from each storytelling bench. When we got to Franklin Square, we discovered that the carousel was closed! No, we spent two hours learning about history, which was great and all, but would've been much better if we had the carousel ride. read more

Independence Visitor's Center is the starting spot for your touristy time in Philly. It's a large building with entrances from 3 different sides so it's not overly crowded. The south entrance closest to the Liberty Bell has very clean restrooms and a nice gift shop. It's where you can buy your refrigerator magnets of cracked Liberty Bells, books about Ben Franklin, Rocky T-shirts, etc. It's a pretty large gift shop so if you are wanting something from Philly, this is the spot. This is also where the National Park office is so if you want to visit Independence Hall this is where you will get your tickets. You can either stand in line and get an almost Disney-esque Fast Pass with the next available time or reserve a time online and pick them up via will call. You can also get your National Park stamps here for all things Philly for those dorks like me that carry the National Park Passport. There's a snack cart with sammiches, coffee, Cokes, chips, water and other goodies in here as well. There is also a ton of seating if you need to just take a break and relax from the heat. There are 2 picture ops with Ben Franklin and Rocky if that tickles your fancy plus tons of tourist pamphlets for last minute ideas. I swore there was a small museum the last time I visited and there is some new construction as of this writing so that maybe what is happening. Not sure The perfect spot to start your trip and take a break from it. read more

Independence Visitor Center - 2 bros pondering life - Visitor Centers Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The review is for Hershey kitchen at the back. It has Hershey related souvenirs and candy and chocolate themed Philadelphia related souvenirs such as Ben Franklin eating chocolate. There's fridge area to get prepared salad and sandwiches. The cookies are huge. You can get hot gooey s'mores made there with chocolate options : milk , dark, or Reese's. Staff is friendly except one lady doesn't smile at all read more

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This visitor center is awesome. It is in the heart of Independence park and has a huge grass area outside that you can hang out and lounge. Inside they have a few photo ops like a Ben Franklin and Philly Fanatic Statue. They also have an information booth manned by US Park Rangers more than willing to provide you with recommendations on where to visit and local tips. There is also a small woman's suffrage exhibit. While I was there the exhibit was limited to a small hallway exhibit and you could see the full exhibit in the back. You can view a brief movie, while practicing social distancing in their theater and but attraction tickets there as well. The entire staff there is very friendly and the place is well maintained, modern and clean. I must say that the bathroom was cleaner than a lot of restaurants that I have eaten. There is a lot of open space there. I think there is a viewing area upstairs, but it was closed for a private event while I was there. There is a small cafe in there with limited hours and a well stocked gift shop in the front of the store that has Rocky, Hersey, Philadelphia, and Constitution memorabilia. I made a few purchases while I was there and took a pictures with their Rocky statue. This should be your first stop if you are at Independence Park or visiting any of the associated attractions. read more

When you want to goto any museum in the downtown area, you must head to "Independence Visitor Center" first. This is where you can get free tickets to go to the museums. The building is open to the public and very long. It houses items that help shine light on the buildings in the surrounding area. Also it's a food court, where you can go and grab a bit to eat. Also they have a tourist shop, to allow you to buy trinkets to mark the occasion of visiting "The city of brotherly love", I believe the put rich history ahead of high mark up cost for profits (Wink, wink). Either way, it's the hub of Philadelphia's cultural experience, so I'm pretty sure you'll check it out. Just bring extra cash if you want to shop. read more

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Helpful staff for pointing out places to go or giving directions ... they also had a lactation room for the nursing mama of our group. Unique but pricey items in the gift shop. Get your NPS site stamps here! read more

Huge visitor center~ Besides information booth, tour desks, gift shops, snack vendors and small theater (showing highlight of the city). The staffs are very friendly and helpful. It opens at 8:30am and visitors are already waiting in line for the free admission tickets to the Independence Hall. I love the story telling time at the hallway. They dress up as characters and super knowledgeable about the history. read more

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nice to know about 1st United States Postmaster General" Philadelphia keeps the same importance as Boston in American independence history. and their downtowns are almost similar. Franklin court was in our checklist of Philly and it did not disappoint us when we get to know how Mr Franklin started post office, how he lived there. Remains of the old house are still preserved and well maintained. The old path which Mr. Franklin used to take to reach his house, is still in use. See pics for more read more

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$108! That's how much I left at the Independence Visitor Center when I went souvenir hunting for my family. One Hundred and eight smackeroos! The Independence Visitor Center can be pricey if you're looking for souvenirs. I walked away with a couple of mugs, a couple of shirts, three key chains, and a magnet. Ironically this center was one of my last visits, but if you're walking around the city, it's a building you likely wont miss. Staff are great, the store is a pretty decent size for all of the souvenirs you can buy, and as others have mentioned, there are free restrooms to take advantage of. With that said, the Independence Visitors Center is a little more pricey than competitors when it comes to souvenirs, so just plan accordingly. The bonus is, in addition to all things Philadelphia here, there's lots of Rocky souvenirs as well if you're so inclined, and I was. A-Okay shop with a lot of selection to purchase from, and it's a large "can't miss" building, but it can be a little pricey. Other than that, have fun and enjoy Philadelphia! read more

Independence Visitor Center - Storefront - Visitor Centers Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We parked near the Visitor Center to kill time before our reservation. Parking was free if you are out of the garage before 7. The staff will give you a ticket to get out of the garage. The bathroom was social distanced. The sinks were taped off and they have a these neat air driers which is neat and usefully easy to use. read more

I used it here for my " nature calling' and drink. I used a bathroom. It was clean. It was not easy to find some restrooms around the park. I was thirsty. The Cafe was closed. I bought some vintage drink that was sold in Philly many years ago. It was okay. Anyway, thanks. read more

It is a good stop for souvenirs and bathrooms. Nothing too special about the place but it is good to get orientated for some historical sight seeing. read more

Great spot to stop in while visiting Old City, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. There's a wonderful gift shop to purchase all things Philly, restrooms and (obviously) a visitor center with more info. This would be a good starting or ending point to your adventure and a respite from the hot and humid weather of Philly. read more

The Independence Visitor Center is in an attractive brick building on a nicely manicured lawn, located across from the Liberty Bell. At the visitor center, you can get maps, buy tickets, purchase souvenirs, etc; all the typical things expected at a visitors' center. There's also a cafe and free wifi. And most useful of all: washrooms! Hours are 8:30am to 6pm, extended to 7pm between Memorial Day and Labor Day. [Yelp collections: East Coast 2016; Pee for free!] read more

Nice area for telling the story of the Liberty Bell. The reason for a 3 vs a 5 rating was the extremely high prices in the gift shop. We did know this when we visited over sites. Eg. I paid $20 for a pair of Novelty socks here. They were only $12 at the Ben Franklin Museum. The price difference for Lego character sets was about the same. That is insane. read more

Walking through Independance Mall, the blue skies turned grey and cold. I decided to pop inside for a second to check out the Visitor Center. Inside the modern new structure, you can find a gift shop, restrooms, information and tickets for tours and theaters showing historic films. The thing I found most interesting was the museum on the Underground railroad and abolishing slavery in the United States. The musuem is free, no wait to get in and very interesting. When I left, I encountered a quick but magestic flurry of snowflakes falling in the grassy area of the Independence Mall. It was beautiful, but like I learned that Philadelphians say "If it (the snow) doesn't stick, it doesn't count". read more

Independence Visitor Center - Fun and Free. - Visitor Centers Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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