Philadelphia City Hall

In the heart of Center City Philadelphia is a landmark that stands out in all skyline views of the city.  With the top of the building adorned with a 27-ton bronze statue of William Penn, City Hall is probably the most recognizable building in the city.  The statue itself is the tallest statue at the top of any building in the world.  Also of note, is that the building itself is the tallest masonry building in the world today.  The construction of the building was started in 1871 and wasn't completed until 30 years later in 1901 at a cost of approximately $24 million, which was over 3 times the original estimated cost.

Today, of course, this building is still the center of government for the city.  You can find portraits of all of the mayors in the city's history adorning the building, as well as exquisite architecture throughout.  Tours are offered weekdays at 12:30 PM.  We took this tour this week and after 2 hours, we felt it was well worth it.  Our guide walked is through a good portion of the building, including describing a lot of the architecture on the outside of the building.  We were able to enter various rooms in the building, including the Mayor's Reception Room (Hey, look, I'm Mayor of Philly now!)

At the very end of the tour you'll also have the opportunity to go up to the top of the Tower of the building.  The view from here is magnificent and since you can walk all around it, you can get a 360 degree view of the entire city.

I'd definitely recommend this tour for all residents and visitors to the city.  Be aware though that only a limited amount of people can take the tour each day.  You can make a reservation on the phone (215-686-2840) starting at 9 AM in the morning to guarantee your spot that day.  The tours are also only offered on weekdays.

Also, across the street from City Hall, underneath the Municipal Building is the City Hall Phillie Phanatic, who'll only be there for a few more days, so make sure you check him out ASAP!