🇺🇸 Philadelphia | One-Day Citywalk & Attraction Log

📆 Date: October 30, 2024 — Fourth stop on my East Coast trip. Took the Amtrak train (book early for better prices—fares fluctuate! 🚄). 📍 City Hall 🏛️ Construction began in 1871 and took 30 years to complete (1901). It’s the largest, tallest, and most expensive municipal building in the U.S. 📍 Liberty Bell 🔔 Weighs over 900 kg! Housed in a pavilion at Independence Mall—free entry. The inscription reads: “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land.” 📍 Independence Hall 📜 Where the Declaration of Independence was drafted. Tours are available every 20 mins—book ahead or on-site. Fun fact: It’s pictured on the back of the $100 bill 💵. 📍 University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) 🎓 A vast, beautiful campus with castle-like architecture 🏰. Spotted black squirrels! 🐿️ Campus buses available for getting around. 📍 Penn Museum 🏺 Founded in 1887, it houses ~1 million artifacts. Famous for its Chinese, Egyptian, and Near Eastern collections. Highlights: Two of the “Six Steeds of Zhaoling” (“Saluzi” & “Quanmaogua”) Northern Wei stele, Buddha heads from Xiangtangshan Caves, Liao Dynasty sancai arhats Adult: $18 | Student: $13 📍 Lin Huiyin’s Former Residence 📚 Now a used bookstore called “House of Our Own” (since 1971). Unfortunately, it was closed on Wednesday (my visit day)—so check opening hours! “Poetry flows in her like a thousand waterfalls; she deserves April’s finest days.” 🌸 📍 Philadelphia Museum of Art 🖼️ Home to Van Gogh’s Sunflowers and other masterpieces. (I skipped it this time—museum fatigue is real after many East Coast stops! 😅) ‼️ Travel Tip: Philadelphia’s metro accepts international VISA cards (with Wi-Fi symbol on the back). Just tap to enter—no need to tap when exiting. Super convenient! Fare: $2 per ride. #DailyJoy #USATravel #Philly #UPenn #MuseumLovers #ZhaolingSixSteeds #TravelGram #Citywalk #TravelTips #Wanderlust