The National Museum of Jewish American History chronicles the existence of Judaism in the country and its cultural impact on society. Established in 1976, this 100,000 square-foot (9290 square-meter) space is replete with over 20,000 displays that testify the Jewish-American tie dating back to the Colonial period. Learn Hebrew traditions, explore their interactive exhibits, watch engaging films at the theater, browse through artifacts and read through literary work by Jewish writers. Visit the museum store to take home postcards, curios and unique souvenirs.
A jewel of the Independence National Historic Park, the Liberty Bell spans layers and layers of long-standing history. In 1751, William Penn asked that the new bell being cast for the Pennsylvania Statehouse be engraved with the words, “Proclaim liberty throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” When the bell first rang to call citizens to the first reading of the Declaration of Independence, little did it know that it was going to change the course of the country forever. It was later dubbed the 'Liberty Bell' by abolitionists, who adopted the bell as a symbol of their fight for freedom for all Americans. A copper-clad, 2,080-pound (940-kilogram) icon of American independence, The Liberty Bell yet serves as a symbol of pride, inspiration and freedom.
Few artistic geniuses have captured the human form and condition in sculpture-like Auguste Rodin. Marvel at perhaps his most famous work, The Thinker, and wonder at the introspective nature of man and the might that is thought and creation. The Kiss and other noteworthy sculptures are also on hand including his last work, Gates of Hell. Apart from the French Rodin Musee, the Philadelphia locale is considered the largest collection of his masterpieces.
In the 19th century, the Academy was the American equivalent of the best European art schools. A host of genres and mediums from the most prominent names in American art are constantly on display, with new pieces rotating their way into the collection. Some of America's best artists either taught or were students here, including Thomas Eakins and Mary Cassatt. The building itself is a work of art designed by Frank Furness, an influential 19th-century American architect.
The Rosenbach Museum & Library is cozily nestled away in a residential area within the two historic townhouses at 2008 and 2010 Delancey Place. The 19th-century townhouses boasts original manuscripts and handwritten copies of some of the world's most important literary works. The most highly prized of all the rarities on display is the original handwritten manuscript for James Joyce's 'Ulysses'. The museum celebrates 'Ulysses' every June 16th with the Bloomsday festival. Apart from the library's extensive collection, the historic house museum also showcases period furniture and decorative artwork from the 16th to the 20th Centuries making for a diverse chronicle of historic culture and the literary arts.
Mario Lanza was a Philadelphia-born tenor who was popular in Hollywood and New York during the 1950s, a sort of operatic "Rocky" in the sense of being a local hero. The museum features a life-size bust of the singer, as well as posters, paintings, gold records, photos, newspaper clippings and telegrams that document Lanza's rise to fame. Vintage films are shown daily.