This is a cute little place to stop by if you like history and antiques. I love old history but if…read morethis isn't your jam, you would think this was dry and boring. It was free, worth a short visit, and the volunteers are super sweet although the subject matter can be dry.

Thanks to The Sequester and last year's budget impasse, this national park service location has…read morebeen closed for the better part of the last two years straight. But about a month ago I noticed that The Germantown Whitehouse will be open in 2014 on Saturdays only from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 28 - September 1 so it was time to see what was up on Germantown Avenue. Twice this house sheltered George Washington. In 1793, he took refuge here from the deadly yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia that killed over 4,000 of the 40,000 that lived in the city at the time. During November of 1793 Washington also had four cabinet meetings at the house with Jefferson, Knox, Hamilton and Randolph having attended. The following summer Washington, family and slaves made it a welcome retreat from the heat of the capital city. Also known as the Deshler-Morris House, the home gets its name from its first and last owners. David Deshler built the home beginning in 1752. Elliston P. Morris donated it to the National Park Service in 1948. Today, the home has been restored to its 18th century appearance. You actually enter the house next door which is the Bringhurst House which has some displays that document the history of Germantown in general, a timeline of The Revolution and how the Deshler-Morris house was not only occupied by Washington twice but also by General Howe. After that you are led next door to The House itself where one of the volunteers will take you through the first and second floor to see the various displays, period furniture pieces and some pre-1800 items as well. A few things worth noting if you go: As mentioned prior, the house(s) are only supposed to be open on Saturday's until September 1st. After that it's anybody's guess as to what the powers that be will allow seeing as I would assume that keeping rangers at this location takes money/manpower away from the other locations that also fall under the Independence Hall NPS jurisdiction. (The Hall itself/The Liberty Bell/Portrait Gallery in the Second Bank of the US/Edgar Allen Poe NHS/Thaddeus Kosciuszko NM/etc.) Parking on Germantown Avenue is via two hour meters only so your best bet is to drive around the block and park for free on a side street like West Coulter. Some genius at the NPS is doing their best to make this place a well hidden secret. It formerly had its own listing on the NPS site at nps.gov/demo but that listing was removed around two years ago. Any information can now be found at nps.gov/inde/historycult... but that doesn't have crazy things on it like the house's physical address. Overall maybe this would take an hour to see tops. The rangers on duty really didn't seem to know their heads from a hole in the ground but the two older women who were volunteering knew the history of not just the house but of the area inside-out.

Visited this small but very important museum again with an out of town guest and it was moving and…read moreeducational. Great Vets running the place. Thank you for your service. Thank you for keeping this museum open.

Interesting museum, and very friendly volunteers, worth the…read morevisit.

The Wyck house is in Germantown where you would least expect it! The volunteer tour guides are so…read morenice and helpful, and they let you roam through the homestead garden. Visiting this house really got me interested in horticulture; I absolutely love their set up and it inspires me to create something similar one day!

Wyck House Farmer's Market on Fridays from 2-6. (As of July 2016)…read moreLocal organic vegetables in top quality, reasonably priced. So far, I found all their produce great. Sadly, the blueberries (and other berries) are usually gone 5 minutes after they open. Their local honey seems pricey but is worth every penny - it's like honey concentrate, extra sweet golden ambrosia. Also, thanks to the Philly Foodworks program they offer "Food Bucks" for EBT (Access) card holders, which basically amounts to a 40% discount. Way to go! The Wyck house itself is a beautiful historical landmark in East Germantown. Visit the rose garden in spring / early summer for a real treat!

If you're planning a visit to Independence National Historical Park, I'd suggest that the VERY…read moreFIRST thing you do is hit the visitor's center for some free tickets Independence Hall. Once you have these in hand, you can plan out the rest of your time here out based on the time stamped on your free tickets. Tip: All attractions within INHP are only a few minutes walking distance of each other. I suggest you plan on spending an hour in Independence Hall, as sometimes the lines there can get fairly long. One of my favorite sites here was the Constitution Museum. They have some really interesting presentations; not to mention the cool, life-sized bronze statues of Ben Franklin, George Washington, and the other Founding Father's that signed the Constitution. When you've had your fill of INHP, the Betsy Ross House and Ben Franklin's tomb are both very close by.

Walking through the park were a few vagrants which seem to be extremely common in the tourist areas…read morein Philly. The park is well maintained with strong historic character. We took a picture with a man dressed as Ben Franklin. Took a tour through the Liberty Bell Center and wandered the grassy grounds.

I came here through a 52 Philly Firsts event and honestly learned so much. This is the oldest…read moreBlack-owned church in the United States, founded in 1794 by Richard Allen, who was formerly enslaved and went on to become a minister, abolitionist, and the founder of the AME Church (literally me taking notes at the beginning of the event to put here lol). The history really sticks with you and does not feel distant or abstract at all. Mother Bethel played a major role in the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad, and it has clearly stayed an anchor for the community for centuries (Did I mention this was also part of the lecture, from a different speaker). You can feel that continuity when you are there. It is not just a historic site, it is very much alive. What stood out the most was the atmosphere. There was singing during the event and it was joyful, powerful, and full of soul. People were clapping, swaying, and singing with their whole hearts. It did not feel like a performance at all. It felt real and communal. You could tell how much love and pride everyone has for this church. Downstairs there is a small museum space that is absolutely worth seeing. You can view original pews, historical artifacts, and the tomb of Richard Allen himself. It really puts everything into perspective and ties the spiritual side of the church to its historical impact. The staff and parishioners were incredibly kind and welcoming. They were happy to answer questions and clearly care a lot about sharing the church's history and meaning with visitors. I am not Christian, but I still felt the warmth and sincerity here immediately. This was one of the most meaningful experiences I have had in Philly. Highly recommend visiting if you get the chance.

AMAZING experience visiting Mother Bethel for a tour recently. Even if you are not a member of the…read moreAME church, I would highly recommend stopping by to learn more about Richard Allen and the lives of black people in 18th century America.

I've walked by here many times but this was my first time inside. I actually didn't know it was…read moreopen to the public. It was one of the free museums during Welcome America. It is beautifully restored! Docents were in each room. They were very knowledgeable about the home. It holds lots of fascinating stories. George and Martha Washington celebrated their anniversary in the small ballroom on the 2nd floor. A placard also highlights the hidden labor during the early years. The house has a bathroom for visitors.

I am shocked this historical building only has 1 yelp review. My girlfriends brother was married…read morehere over the weekend just a fantastic set up. The garden is beautiful, the house well kept and the guide even gave us a full tour before the wedding started. I love history and to be able to tour a home of a wealthy colonial really put a lot of things in perspective for that time. The house itself is gorgeous, some work has been done but for the most part it's almost all the same as in the 1700s. Just a great piece of history that I'm glad the city of Philly held onto!!!

This spring, I've been enjoying the weekend events at the Colonial PA Plantation in Ridley Creek…read moreState Park. We have a Tyler Arboretum membership, which has reciprocity (free admission) with the plantation! I make my reservation free online (selecting member status) and give my name at the gate, and in we go, for a lot of fun! The animals are always present and at the forefront of many activities. We saw the ox pulling a plow to till the field, the sheep being shorn, the mother pig just gave birth to 6 piglets, and the yard birds have been boisterous and competing for attention every time we visit them. We've also seen flax get broken down for the starts of linen making, water get pulled from the well, cooking demonstrations in the kitchen, rifle and period military demonstrations, live music, wool cleaning and spinning, a house tour, and garden planting. There is still so much more coming up in the summer and fall months. It is an interesting mix of visitors I've seen there, everyone from babies, to school children, teens, college kids, even retirees, all come with curiosity for the history and fun events here. Some of the volunteers will be more in character than others, speaking to you as though they're really of the colonial era. I like when they're more instructorial and simply want to teach what they're doing, or how things were, and truly hope to impart an experience that will light a spark in you to connect you with the past. My toddler is still too young to understand the present let alone the past, but I know I am stimulating him, and giving him bits of memories that will help him put pieces together more quickly when the time comes to "get" history. Everyone we've dealt with at the plantation has been really kind and eager to give us a hands-on experience. We got to pat animals we wouldn't be able to pat at the zoo, even feel the brass caps on the ox's horns, and rub the sheep's faces. Volunteers have pointed out so many interesting tips and observations, like how modern medicine has allowed the ox to tower above humans and weigh significantly more than one would have in Colonial times (for example, era paintings depicted farmers leaning elbows on their oxen at shoulder height, whereas today it would take a stepladder to recreate that pose). Also, they have an ancient breed of sheep there, who still shed their fleece, rather than needing it shorn. These same sheep are a lot more skittish and wild, despite having been raised there from lambhood, with much love and care by the humans. Interesting how the nature of this super old breed overcomes their nurture, even despite the influence of the other sheep who are a fully domesticated breed, docile and reliant on humans as the day is long. Anyway, activities and conversations at the plantation are always what you make of them. Stay for as little or as much time as you wish, but there is a wealth of info and fun to be had if you relax and stay awhile.

Fun! And they have a 1/2 day camp (good for Stay at home moms who need a few hours of freedom)…read more Still exploring this.

This is the tomb of the unknown revolutionary war soldier. This was Built in the 50s it's a nice…read morearea and it is a good tribute to someone who passed away in a war and we don't know who they are. So it's a nice tribute it's a good little park free to visit Scott the eternal flame that is burning in front of the statue this is a really nice tribute to this soldier

What a somber and reflective place to visit. If you want a quiet place to sit and reflect this is…read morea great place to do it. The eternal flame is kept going and the place is kept in beautiful condition by the parks service. If you have a few minutes you should fit this in to your Philly history tour!