Philadelphia at a Slower Pace: Known & Hidden Historical Gems

Activity note: Hotel check-in from 3:30 p.m.

Afternoon: Program Registration: 4:00 p.m. After you have your room assignment, come to the Road Scholar table in the lobby to register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing your name-tag, up-to-date schedule that reflects any changes, other important information, and to confirm when and where the Orientation session will take place. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in. Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Transportation will be via private motorcoach. Our expert Group Leader will provide commentary during some field trips in addition to local experts. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: At the hotel, we’ll have a plated meal and order from a select menu; coffee, tea, water included, other beverages available for purchase.

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

Activity note: Getting on/off a bus. Walking approximately 1 mile and standing during field trip.

Breakfast: Hotel Buffet

Morning: We’ll travel with our Group Leader to the Free Library of Philadelphia, founded in 1891. Its Rare Book Department is available to the people of Philadelphia, students, scholars, and researchers. This literary treasury includes cuneiform tablets, European and Oriental manuscripts, first editions of collected Shakespeare works and works by Edgar Allan Poe, Early American children’s books, letters of Charles Dickens, letters of Presidents of the U.S., a theatre collection, and much more. A member of the library staff will lead our exploration. We have some time to explore independently then travel to the Philadelphia Museum of Art for lunch.

Lunch: Lunch this afternoon will be at Philadelphia Museum of Art. Lunch vouchers will be provided.

Afternoon: We will ride to the Philadelphia Museum of Art where our educator will introduce some of the highlights of its incomparable galleries. Among the greatest in the U.S., the Museum has a collection of more than 227,000 works of art spanning the creative achievements of the Western world since the first century CE and those of Asia since the third millennium BCE. Its European holdings date from the Medieval era to the present, and the American collections are among the finest in the country. Following our expert-led exploration, you will have time to explore the museum at your pace. Return to the hotel will be on your own.

Dinner: Dinner will be at a local restaurant this evening. You will be able to order off the menu.

Evening: Enjoy an evening walk home from dinner.

Activity note: Getting on/off a bus. Walking and standing during field trips.

Breakfast: Hotel Buffet

Morning: We will board a bus and ride 10 blocks to the Colonial City, America's most historic square mile, for a field trip with our Group Leader to Independence National Historical Park with the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, both of which are national treasures and icons of American democracy. The Liberty Bell is engraved with these words: “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof.” Independence Hall is where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated and signed. In recognition of our founding principles of freedom and democracy that have influenced so many others around the world, Independence Hall has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Lunch: Lunch will be on your own at the Bourse.

Afternoon: After lunch we will board our bus for a City Tour lead by your educator.

Dinner: Dinner will be included this evening. We’ll have a plated meal and order from a select menu; coffee, tea, water included, other beverages available for purchase.

Activity note: Getting on/off bus. Walking approximately 1 mile, standing, etc.

Breakfast: Hotel Buffet.

Morning: We’ll go for a field trip to visit some of the historic landmarks in Philadelphia’s Old City District — known as America’s most historic square mile — such as the Betsy Ross House, Christ Church, and Elfreth's Alley. While there is no documented evidence that Betsy Ross actually did sew the first American flag, the story that George Washington himself asked her to make it lives on. Christ Church, founded in 1695, has long been called “the Nation's church” due to its associations with notable Revolutionary era leaders. Seven signers of the Declaration of Independence and five signers of the Constitution are buried here. Elfreth’s Alley represents three centuries of American everyday life. As a National Historic Landmark, it preserves 32 structures built from 1728-1836, one of our last remaining early American streetscapes.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Afternoon: Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Dinner: Dinner will be on your own this evening.

Activity note: Getting on/off a bus. Walking and standing during field trips.

Breakfast: Hotel Buffet.

Morning: We will ride via bus 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. We will learn more about the three branches of government as we explore giant models of the Capitol, White House and Supreme Court. Public Program demonstrators will lead us through an entertaining look at the buildings, the people who work in them, and our government’s system of checks and balances.

Lunch: At the museum, lunch voucher provided

Afternoon: Our next field trip is to the Museum of the American Revolution, opened in 2017 two blocks from Independence Hall. It is the first museum of its kind to trace the steps that led to our break with the “Mother Country” of England and eventually to revolutionary war. With an educator, we will take a virtual journey through the American Revolution, encountering the events, people, and ideals of the founding of the United States through state-of-the-art design and technology. The collection of thousands of objects includes works of art, manuscripts, and printed pieces from the period. One particularly historic item is the original tent that George Washington used as his command center.

Dinner: Dinner will be included this evening. We’ll have a plated meal and order from a select menu; coffee, tea, water included, other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: This evening we will attend an evening performance. More details to come.

Activity note: Hotel check-out 11:00. Bags may be left with the concierge

Breakfast: Hotel Buffet.

Morning: We’ll be joined by a local history for a presentation on 18th Century Philadelphia history and the story of our Founding Fathers. This concludes our program. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!