PHILADELPHIA STREETS AND WATERWAYS BUSY WITH NEW TOURS  
More Visitors To Philadelphia Means More Tour Options Than Ever

PHILADELPHIA, July 18, 2005 – This summer, as an increasing number of visitors flock to Philadelphia, they’re finding the city’s waterways as busy as the streets, with plenty of new options for touring town by land and by sea. It started with Ride the Ducks and their hugely successful amphibious tour of Philadelphia’s Historic District, which includes a big splash into the Delaware River. Then, the RiverLink Freedom Ferry got into the act with their narrated downriver tours. And now, sharks have been spotted in the Delaware River as LandShark Tours introduce yet another way to explore the city.

Meanwhile, back on land, business is heating up as long-standing companies respond to the influx of visitors by introducing new tours and vehicles of their own. With the double-decker Big Bus Tours offering an almost-bird’s-eye view of historic and cultural attractions, Philadelphia Trolley Works, best known for their Victorian Trolley tours, have introduced bright red, white and blue double-decker buses to their fleet. And, in contrast to the old-fashioned charm of horse-drawn carriage tours that clip-clop through the historic cobblestone streets of Society Hill,
I-Glide Tours have set up shop near the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where they offer tours with a futuristic twist on self-propelled, two-wheeled Segway vehicles.

History tours are booming too, especially after the sun goes down. Joining the popular Lights of Liberty Show in the evening tour business is Once Upon A Nation, promoting new adventure tours that engross visitors in history with interactive activities, face-to-face meetings with the Founding Fathers, food, beverages, and for the first time, a twilight visit to Independence Hall.

Here’s a closer look at some of the many tour options available to visitors this summer:

• Big Bus Tours – Double-decker buses with on-and-off privileges stop at 20 of Philadelphia’s top attractions. Ticket includes two free walking tours, which take place April through September. 5^th & Market Streets, (866) 3BIG-BUS, www.bigbustours.com
   

• I-Glide Tours – This two-an-a-half to three-hour guided tour of Boathouse Row, Fairmount Park and the Philadelphia Museum of Art area takes place on the new Segway® Human Transporter, a self-propelled, two-wheeled vehicle. Reservations required. (877) GLIDE-81, www.iglidetours.com  
   

• Lights of Liberty – Visitors don headphones to hear narration by celebrities that re-creates the events of 1776. During the light-and-sound show, larger-than-life images flash onto historic landmarks. PECO Energy Liberty Center, 6^th & Chestnut Streets, (215) LIBERTY, www.lightsofliberty.org
   

• Once Upon A Nation – Daytime and evening Adventure Tours introduce visitors to famous faces from history, showcasing the sites and sounds of Historic Philadelphia. Some even feature Colonial meals and entertainment. Themes include: “Tippler’s Tour,” “Hunt for Democracy” and “Independence After Hours.” Departure locations vary.
  (800) 537-7676, www.onceuponanation.org

• Philadelphia Trolley Works – This longtime Philadelphia company offers several options for touring town:
  • Victorian Trolley Tours – A 90-minute narrated tour through Center City on a Victorian-style jitney makes 20 stops with on-and-off privileges.
    5^th Street between Market & Chestnut Streets
  • Horse Drawn Carriage Tours – Driver-narrated tours vary from 15 minutes to one hour. 5^th & Chestnut Streets and 6^th & Market Streets
  • LandShark Tours – Land-and-water tours in next-generation amphibious vehicles wind through Old City and the Historic District and hit the water in Northeast Philadelphia. 5^th & Market Streets
  • Double Decker Bus Tours – A 90-minute narrated tour through Center City on a red, white and blue double-decker bus makes 20 stops with on-and-off privileges.
    5^th Street between Market & Chestnut Streets

For information on all Philadelphia Trolley Works tours: (215) 925-TOUR, www.phillytour.com

• Ride the Ducks – The city’s largest amphibious sightseeing tour of the Historic District, South Street area, Old City and the Delaware River laces humor with history and features the popular “quacker” noisemakers. 6^th & Chestnut Streets, (215) 227-DUCK, www.phillyducks.com
   

• RiverLink Harbor Tours – This 90-minute narrated Delaware River tour cruises to the Philadelphia Navy Yard and the Camden Waterfront. Walnut Street &
  Columbus Boulevard, (215) 925-LINK, www.riverlinkferry.org
   

• SuperDucks – Eighty-minute land-and-water excursion visits Old City before plunging into the Delaware in Northeast Philadelphia. 5^th Street between Market &
  Chestnut Streets, (866) 823-DUCK, www.superducks.com

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The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) builds the region’s economy and image through destination marketing to increase the number of visitors, the number of nights they stay and the number of things they do in the five-county region. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676

2005

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