Philadelphia at a Slower Pace: Known & Hidden Historical Gems

Afternoon: HOTEL CHECK-IN: Available from 3:30 pm- PROGRAM REGISTRATION: After you have your room assignment, come over to the Road Scholar desk in the lobby to register with the program staff and pick up your arrival packet that will contain your name tag, updated schedule, and other important information we will review during orientation. ORIENTATION: 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: Nothing is schedule for this evening. Time to relax and settle in.

Breakfast: Full American breakfast Buffet including a variety hot and cold items of breads and pastries, fresh fruit, oatmeal, eggs and meats,

Morning: LECTURE: Hear from a local historian on 18th Century Philadelphia history and the story of our Founding Fathers.

Lunch: Lunch today will be provided at a local eatery.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Our educator will take you through the highlights of the incomparable galleries of The Philadelphia Museum of Art, among the largest museums in the U.S., with 200 galleries and a collection of more than 227,000 works of art spanning the creative achievements of the Western world since the first century AD and those of Asia since the third millennium BC. The European holdings date from the Medieval era to the present, and the American collections are among the finest in the country. You may remain at the museum and explore as you wish, returning to the hotel on your own via readily available taxis or convenient public bus - the fare could be $2.50 exact change each way. The cost of a taxi to the hotel should be approximately $10 for up to 4 persons.

Dinner: Dinner will be provided this evening, either at the hotel or at a nearby restaurant.

Evening: This evening we will take a stroll around the AAvenue of the arts neighborhood, whereyour group leader will point out its outstanding architecture and upscale landmarks for shopping and dining.

Breakfast: Full American breakfast Buffet including a variety hot and cold items of breads and pastries, fresh fruit, oatmeal, eggs and meats,

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Travel with an educator to Olde 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 provided this evening at a local retaurant

Evening: PERFORMANCE: Yannick Nézet-Séguin - Conductor Lisa Batiashvili - Violin program Berwald - Symphony No. 3 ("Sinfonie singulière") Sibelius - Symphony No. 7 Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto Yannick and Lisa Batiashvili have enchanted concert audiences all over the world; she returns to the Orchestra with Tchaikovsky's spectacular Violin Concerto anchoring two different programs over two weekends. This concert highlights Scandinavia: Sibelius's Seventh Symphony was a U.S. premiere for the Orchestra with Leopold Stokowski, long a champion of the Finnish master's works. And you may not be familiar with Sweden's Franz Berwald, but his beautiful Third Symphony, composed in 1845, makes a compelling pair with the Sibelius.

Breakfast: .Full American breakfast Buffet including a variety hot and cold items of breads and pastries, fresh fruit, oatmeal, eggs and meats,

Morning: LECTURE and FIELD TRIP: Morning lecture on 300 years of Philadelphia architecture followed by a visit to 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.

Lunch: Lunch will be provided at the National Constitution Ctr.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: We will visit the new 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 is on your own this evening

Evening: Free Evening

Breakfast: Full American breakfast Buffet including a variety hot and cold items of breads and pastries, fresh fruit, oatmeal, eggs and meats,

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Visit the rare book collection with a librarian educator at The Free Library of Philadelpia

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: Visit Independence Hall & the Liberty Bell

Dinner: Dinner will be provided this evening, either at the hotel or at a nearby restaurant.

Evening: Leisurely return to hotel from our dinner location

Breakfast: .Full American breakfast Buffet including a variety hot and cold items of breads and pastries, fresh fruit, oatmeal, eggs and meats,

Morning: LECTURE: Ben Franklin greets you with his tales of the founding of the nation

Lunch: We will have a farewell lunch at the hotel at 11:30 a.m. following our lecture. Lunch and the program both end at 12:30 p.m.