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Afternoon: HOTEL CHECK-IN: 4:00 p.m. PROGRAM REGISTRATION: 4:00 p.m. (Hotel Lobby). ORIENTATION: 4:30 p.m. (room TBD). We will gather for a warm welcome and introductions, followed by an orientation to the program. We will review the schedule and any changes, discuss responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have.
Dinner: Dinner will be provided this evening, either at the hotel or at a nearby restaurant.
Evening: "Ben Franklin" welcomes you to Philadelphia. With a local expert, we will learn about Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Rush, David Rittenhouse, and other 18th Century savants through historical and scientific perspectives
Breakfast: Restaurant Balcony Cafe, Mezzanine. Full American Breakfast Buffet.
Morning: We will board our bus and travel ten blocks to the Colonial City, America's most historic square mile, for a visit to The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, both of which are national treasures and icons of American democracy. The old cracked Bell still proclaims Liberty and Independence Hall echoes the words, "We the People". Explore Benjamin Franklin's Philadelphia and learn about the past and America's continuing struggle to fulfill the Founders' Declaration that "all men are created equal".
Lunch: Lunch vouchers will be provided at The Museum of the American Revolution.
Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: We will visit the Museum of The American Revolution. The Museum of The American Revolution has an impressive collection of several thousand objects, works of art, manuscripts and printed works from the period of the American Revolution. The collection began more than a century ago when a history-minded minister in Valley Forge raised funds from around the nation to purchase the original tent that George Washington used as his command center during the American Revolution. It was the beginning of a rich and diverse collection that continues to grow. The collection includes objects that span the scope of the war — from British, French and American arms used in battles to a soldier’s wooden canteen branded “UStates” — at a time when the phrase was merely an aspiration.
Dinner: Dinner will be provided at the historic City Tavern.
Evening: We will take a Septa Bus home from dinner.
Breakfast: Balcony Cafe, Mezzanine. Full American Breakfast Buffet.
Morning: FIELD TRIP: A morning walk to City Hall and the Masonic Temple (just a short walk from our hotel) will highlight the outstanding 19th Century architecture for which Philadelphia is famous. Philadelphia City Hall, in the French Second Renaissance style, is the largest municipal building in the world. The interior of the nearby Masonic Temple is beyond description - each of its seven ceremonial rooms is decorated in a different architectural style, reflecting Greek, Renaissance, Egyptian and Moorish decor.
Lunch: Lunch will be on your own at Reading Terminal Market, a short walk from the Masonic Temple. A food shopper’s paradise, Reading is replete with specialty items from all over the world as well as local produce and food specialties from nearby Amish communities who have been hawking their goods here since the market’s beginnings in the 1890's. Enjoy exploring the market before making your lunch selection – Philadelphia Cheesesteaks and Hoagies (local treasures) are everyone's favorites here as well as Bassett’s ice cream, first scooped at our centennial in 1876.
Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Charles Wilson Peale, one of America's most famous 18th Century artists, founded the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1805. The first art school in the United States, it is also a museum that houses art by American painters from the 17th Century to the present. An art historian will show you works by Peale, Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Eakins and Andrew Wyeth as well as pieces on display by Philadelphia native Mary Cassatt. Followed by an educator bus led city tour of Philadelphia.
Dinner: Dinner will be provided this evening at a nearby restaurant.
Evening: After a leisurely dinner we will walk back to the hotel or take a public bus to the hotel.
Breakfast: Balcony Cafe, Mezzanine. Full American Breakfast Buffet.
Morning: FIELD TRIP: Travel with an educator to Old City to visit Christ Church, Elfreth's Alley, the Betsy Ross House and the 4th Street Quaker Meeting House.
Lunch: Lunch will be on your own today. Your group leader will be happy to provide suggestions for places to eat in the area, and surrounding neighborhoods.
Afternoon: You are free to enjoy the rest of the afternoon on your own in the city. At your convenience, prior to going off on your own for lunch, your group leader will provide suggestions on how to spend the rest of your day, as well as restaurant ideas for tonight’s dinner.
Dinner: Dinner is on your own – dine with new friends, and perhaps explore a new neighborhood or cuisine.
Evening: Enjoy a free evening to meet with friends to attend a performance at one of Philadelphia's many theaters.
Breakfast: Balcony Cafe, Mezzanine. Full American Breakfast Buffet.
Morning: LECTURE: Hear from a local historian on 18th Century Philadelphia history and the story of our Founding Fathers.
Lunch: Lunch today vouchers will be provided at the National Constitution Center.
Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: The National Constitution Center. The Center's permanent exhibition, The Story of We the People, tells the story of the Constitution, its history, and its contemporary relevance through more than 100 multimedia exhibits, film, photographs, text, sculpture, and artifacts. It also features a powerful, award-winning theatrical performance, "Freedom Rising", and Signers' Hall. Learn more about the three branches of government as you explore giant models of the Capitol, White House and Supreme Court. Public Program demonstrators lead you through an entertaining look at the buildings, the people who work in them, and the checks and balances of our government.
Dinner: Dinner will be provided this evening at Volvér Restaurant by Chef Jose Garces at the Kimmel Center. You will have a preseleceted dinner menu to order from.
Evening: CULTURAL EVENT: Tonight, we will attend one of many cultural events going on in the city (TBA). Because our program was planned almost a year in advance, specific information was not available at the time of publication. We will post the information on this website and include it in preparatory materials as soon as confirmed.
Breakfast: Balcony Cafe, Mezzanine. Full American Breakfast Buffet.
Morning: Lecture: Building Philadelphia: Seeing Its History Through Architecture
Afternoon: Lunch is not included today. Check out is at 11:00 a.m., bags can be left at the front desk.
