| | Historic Philadelphia Summer Nights
Throughout Historic Philadelphia
Thursday nights in July and August This summer, Historic Philadelphia attractions are offering exciting evening events on Thursdays in July and August, as part of Historic Philadelphia Summer Nights. From Colonial fashion shows and miniature golf to musical performances and express tours of Independence Hall, these activities will provide summer fun for everyone in the heart of Philadelphia’s historic district. The National Constitution Center will hold extended hours from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursdays in July and August, excluding August 20. For only $5, visitors can enjoy the Center’s main exhibition, The Story of We the People; the special traveling exhibition, NAPOLÉON; the award-winning theater show, “Freedom Rising” (show times at 5:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m.); and an array of family friendly activities, crafts, and interactive games. Food will be available for purchase in Delegates’ Café, and the Center’s gift shop will remain open during the extended hours. Children can compete in the Amendment Arena moon bounce as they try to gather all 27 Amendments. Guests can also participate in a special round of Rock Band, as they perform patriotic songs that celebrate our First Amendment right of freedom of expression. In addition, children are invited to participate in the Growing Up, American Style show to discover what it was like to grow up in different eras of American history. Kids will learn what home, school, and work life was like for children throughout history, as well as find out how often kids bathed, what they did during the day, what rights they had, and more. For the grand finale, participants can join in a costume runway show featuring traditional-style dress from historical periods. Throughout the evening, visitors can also meet the Founding Fathers, as the bronze statues in Signers’ Hall come to life. Guests can join in the fun by painting their faces bronze to match and then having their photo taken with their favorite Founder or the Center’s mascots, the donkey and the elephant, as a special keepsake. After exploring the Center in a new light, visitors can head across the street to Historic Philadelphia, Inc.’s (HPI) Franklin Square, where they can enjoy Philly Mini Golf, have a delicious Stephen Starr burger or Philly Dog, run around the playgrounds, and take a ride on the Philadelphia Park Liberty Carousel. Franklin Square is open until 9:00 p.m. during Historic Philadelphia Summer Nights. For additional nighttime fun, HPI brings history to life with Independence After Hours. This 2 ½ hour evening walking tour visits some of the landmarks of Philadelphia’s Historic District and is populated with real-life Colonials who bring history to life right in the place where it happened. Tour-takers walk through the shadows of Independence Hall and experience what those late nights of the summer of 1776 were like for the Founding Fathers. The evening begins with a delicious three-course meal at the Historic City Tavern where Colonial townspeople entertain guests. The Colonial host then “sneaks” everyone into the Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall), once he talks his way past the vigilant night watchman. Inside the Hall, visitors witness several Founding Fathers deep in discussion over the creation of the Declaration of Independence. Independence After Hours departs at 5:30 p.m. from the Independence Living History Center at 3rd & Chestnut Streets. Tickets cost $70 for adults, $64 for students/seniors/military, and $50 for children ages 12 and under. During HPI’s Tippler’s Tour (Thursday’s only), a weekly tavern tour of Colonial and modern day watering holes, a Colonial hostess or host shares historical facts about the traditions of drinking and leads guests in Colonial drinking songs and toasts. With drinks and snacks at each of four stops: Society Hill Hotel Restaurant, National Mechanics, Triumph Brewery, and the historic City Tavern, the tour guide entertains guests with songs and stories of the drinking traditions from Colonial times. The 2 ½ hour Tippler’s Tour departs at 5:30 p.m. from the Independence Living History Center at 3rd & Chestnut Streets. Tickets cost $35 for adults and $30 for students/seniors/military. Participants must be 21 and over with a valid I.D. Following one of these exciting tours, visitors can embark on an evening journey through Independence National Historical Park. During the Lights of Liberty Show, guests can experience the American Revolution as it happened, where it happened with head-turning 3-D surround sound and a lightweight wireless headset. The show’s soundtrack includes an original musical score played by the world-famous Philadelphia Orchestra musicians and inspiring celebrity narration by Walter Cronkite, Ossie Davis, Charlton Heston, Whoopi Goldberg, Frank Langella, and others. Hand-painted images and dazzling special effects are projected up to 50-feet high onto some of America’s most historic buildings. Franklin Court, Carpenters’ Hall, and the Second Bank of the U.S. are illuminated with scenes that illustrate the dramatic story of our nation’s birth. During the stirring finale at Independence Hall, audience members can’t help but be moved as the Declaration of Independence scrolls up the iconic building and “God Bless America” plays. The one-hour Lights of Liberty Show departs every ten minutes on Thursdays, beginning at dusk, from the Liberty Center at 6th and Chestnut Streets, across from the Liberty Bell. Tickets cost $19.50 for adults, $16.50 for students/seniors/military, and $13 for children ages 12 and under. In addition, visitors to Historic Philadelphia on Thursday evenings will have the opportunity to avoid the daytime crowds at Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell during non-ticketed hours from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The Independence Visitor Center will also remain open until 7:00 p.m. From July 1 through July 5, the Hall and the Bell, as well as the Independence Visitor Center, will remain open until 8:00 p.m., as part of the Freedom Week July 4th celebration. The sound of music will fill Historic Philadelphia this summer during Music on the Mall at the Independence Visitor Center. On the first Thursday of the month from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Philadelphia visitors and residents can bring their blankets and enjoy refreshments from Independence Al Fresco as they listen to free, live, local music on the Mall. On Thursday, July 2, guests can enjoy a “Tribute to America’s Music” with The Accords, South Jersey's premier Oldies vocal group, at 6:00 p.m. and Final Cut at 7:00 p.m. On Thursday, August 6, the all-female Brazilian influenced group, Paprika, will perform at 6:00 p.m., as part of “World Music Month,” along with Caribbean band Casplash at 7:00 p.m.
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