Broad and Market Streets
(215)686-1776 or (215)686-2840 for tour information
Hours: (tower) weekdays, 9:30am-4:15pm
Admission: Free, donations appreciated
Tours: 90-minute tower tour weekdays at 12:30pm
City Hall, on Broad and Market Streets in
the exact center of Philadelphia, is a visually stunning
structure that serves as the center of Pennsylvania’s
municipal and state government. It is impossible to miss, with
the huge statue of William Penn capping the tower and the
hundreds of other statues placed all around the structure. The
building took thirty years to build and by the time it was
completed in 1900, over $23 million had been spent on it. An
interesting side note is the law that exists in the city in
which no building is allowed to eclipse the statue; because of
this law, City Hall can be seen from virtually anywhere in
Philadelphia.
The Hall contains over six hundred
different rooms and is hollowed out in the center, forming a
plaza with subterranean tunnels for subways and beating the
cold. During the holiday season, a large Christmas tree can be
found at the center of the plaza, and a large "millennium
clock" helped to ring in the new hundred years.
For the best view in the city, be sure to
take the elevator up to the observation deck; from there, you’ll
be able to see absolutely everything, from the historic
buildings on one side to the museums off in the distance. It’s
truly awe-inspiring. It seems trite to recommend a stop at City
Hall since it’s impossible not to run across it in your
travels, but definitely take the time to hit the observation
deck, and even take a tour if time permits. This is one of the
most prestigious government buildings in the world, and it
definitely shows.
