Don’t miss the final days of Skin and Bones: Tattoos in the Life of the American Sailor @ the Independence Seaport Museum.

This original exhibit created by the museum’s curator Craig Bruns features modern and traditional tattooing tools, a rich archive of photos behind the artists, their work, and even a “tattoo-tron� where you can get dear old mom tattooed on your forearm.

Believe me; you won’t feel a thing!

To purchase your tickets, click here
. The exhibit was extended to February and ends this Sunday, the 7th! Time to get inked!

Real Philly, Real easy.

Hard to believe that you are turning 304 years old! Why, you don’t even look a day over 200! Although your birthday isn’t technically till Sunday Jan 17th, we figured celebrating a few days earlier wouldn’t hurt.

Tomorrow, Friday, January 15, will be the city-wide celebration in your honor. The festivities begin at Franklin Hall (how appropriate!) with a free seminar exploring the concept of American Character featuring panelists from the University you founded!

We then continue with a procession that departs from the American Philosophical Society and ends up at Christ Church burial ground; hundreds of your admirers will be joining in the parade to give their respects!

A luncheon follows soon after with the Franklin Founder Award being given out toSheldon Hackney, Ph.D. But the celebration doesn’t end there…

At 9:00 am this Saturday, there will be a full breakfast buffet, and a few dozen of your closest friends, in our Liberty View Ballroom! There will be pictures taken, stories shared, and delicious food to be eaten.

For all the details about Ben’s birthday celebration, stop by our Visitor Desk. Real Philly, Real Easy.

On January 2nd, Betsy Ross will be celebrating her 258th birthday!

Boy, that’s a lot of candles. Enjoy storytelling from the birthday girl, balloon artists, craft making and of course, yummy birthday cake.

For more info about our most famous flagmaker, log on here

Betsy Ross Birthday Bash
Saturday Jan 2, 2010
11am - 3pm
239 Arch Street
215-686-1252

Can you believe that Jan 1, 2010 is a mere three days away? Before you know it, we would have celebrated a decade of historic happenings, cultural booms and new found traditions.

And rather than say goodbye to this banner year with just one set of fireworks, we have two!! Yes, beginning at 6pm and then again at 12midnight, spectators can enjoy this spectaular light show on our bustling waterfront known as Penns Landing.

Guaranteed to be filled with oohs and aahs, the only thing missing is you!!! Make sure to catch one or both displays but leave enough time for our Grand New Year’s celebration known as the Mummers!

Kicking off @ 10am Jan 1, on the corner of Broad & Washington, these costumed performers will dance, entertain, and certainly strut down to City Hall where we’ll have your tickets to the VIP seating

The Liberty Bell and the Independence Hall will be open for tours. 11am-4pm and beginning Jan 1, no timed tickets are required to visit Independence Hall.

We’ll be taking a break for the holiday but will return to see you on Saturday, Jan 2nd promptly at 8:30am.

Enjoy saying goodbye to 2009 but a happy hello to 2010, Philly style!

Can you believe it’s already Christmas? With all the record snowfall last weekend, it truly is a Winter Wonderland. Here at the Center, our elves are packing up early and will close on Christmas Eve at 2pm and reopen Saturday, Dec 26 promptly at 8:30am. The same goes for Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell which will also be closed during the holiday.

In the meantime, take a break from all the holiday hoopla and explore our wonderful city. Here is a short list of attractions that will be sure to delight children of all ages.

But just in case you haven’t found the perfect gift- our holiday ticket packages are sure to entertain the newest visitor to the longtime resident in your family, and don’t forget that we also have VIP seating for the Mummers Parade on January 1st!

Most of our cultural and historic attractions will be closed during the holiday but the Adventure Aquarium is open all 365 days a year. Find out more here

And if Dad burned the Christmas ham, here are a few choices to enjoy a holiday feast!

City Tavern
Fountain Restaurant @ the Four Seasons
Lacroix
Plough and the Stars
Palace at the Ben
And all of Chinatown!

Our warmest wishes to you and yours!

If the holidays have taught us anything, it’s learning how to entertain our relatives. No one said it was easy but between fighting the crowds, buying gifts and getting that last toy hamster, when does one have to time to play tour guide?

But don’t fret, we already have everything planned for you! New this season is our holiday ticket packages which includes admission to the Philadelphia Museum of Art , The Franklin Institute and even to the first penitentiary in the country,Eastern State Penitentiary – (don’t worry, it’s only used as a museum =)

There are 5 options to choose from: Historic Pass, Parkway Tour, Family Tour , Culture Tour and Travel Pass. And included in each ticket package are discount coupons for area restaurants, hotels, our gift shops and Café Independence. There is even a special low rate given by the good folks at the Windsor Suites located on the Ben Franklin Parkway which solves the problem of who gets the top bunk.

For more information about our holiday ticket packages and how to best entertain the out of town guests- stop by our Visitor Desk. Real Philly, Real Easy.

With the start of Hanukah and Christmas less than two weeks away, here are a few ways to ease your mind and remember what the holidays are all about.

Holiday Light Show @ Macys
- Maybe it’s the twinkling lights or the grand organ playing in the background but when you hear the voice of Julie Andrews, you know this is something special. For all over half a century, Philadelphians of all ages have lined up in the Grand Court of what is now known as Macys to hear the story of Frosty, the Nutcracker and of course, Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer. One visit guarantees a lifetime of returns. The holiday light show is shown the top of each hour beginning @ 10am Find out more here

Reading Terminal Holiday Railroad – Choo! Choo! Who doesn’t love toy trains? Catch a glimpse of the Reading Terminal Holiday Railroad, a 500 sq ft model railroad display with almost a third of a mile of track traveling across Center City Philly, a Christmas Village and so much more. Find out when the Train is coming into town!

Comcast Holiday Spectacular - Inside the Tallest building in Philadelphia with the world’s largest LED Screen visitors can enjoy clips of the Nutcracker, a choir of children singing and even a downhill trip on a snow covered forest. Best of all, it’s in 3-D Find all the details here

For more holiday favorites, be sure to check our holiday page, our simply stop by the Visitor Desk. Real Philly Real Easy.

Tucked away in Old City, lies the oldest continuously inhabited street in the country,Elfreth’s Alley . Dating back to 1702, these houses, 32 in all are mainly residential with two houses, 124 & 126 open as a museum.

Of course, this never stops visitors including myself from gazing through the little peepholes and wondering where they run the cable in the house. But rather than guess, you can simply ask them this at their Annual Holiday Open House “Deck the Alley� this coming Saturday Dec 5!

From 4pm to 7pm, enjoy seeing the outside and inside of many of the historic homes, a book reading and signing by author Trinka Hakes Noble, some warm apple cider and of course, Christmas carols!

To purchase tickets for the event, click here

Elfreth’s Alley only has two open houses a year and this weekend is one of them! Stop by our Visitor Desk to learn all about the holiday happenings in Philly including where to meet Santa and his reindeer. Okay maybe not his reindeer. Real Philly, Real Easy.

Excited for the holidays? So are we!

Today marks the 1st of Dec and we couldn’t be happier to have you join us this holiday season in Philadelphia.

Make sure to check back here often as we share all the holidays
happenings throughout our area including shows, festivals, Santa
sightings and a good ole fashioned tree lighting!

Tonight, the lights of everyone’s favorite playground, Franklin Square will illuminate the night sky as Ben Franklin himself flicks the switch on the park he made famous.

Join us for some hot apple cider, cookies and white hot chocolate( mmmm) as Ben, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be there to greet guests AND YES, kids are encouraged to bring their wish list to Santa! The fun begins @ 5pm at Franklin Square!

Tis the
season.. Real Philly Real Easy.

Franklin Square Holiday Lighting!
Tuesday Dec 1 @ 5pm
6th-7th Race Streets

Every one has heard of John Hancock. After all, he was the first to pen his name on the Declaration of Independence. But in case you forgot, the document contains 55 other signers. Tomorrow, meet the authors behind Signing Their Lives Away, The Fame and Misfortune of the Men who signed the Declaration of Independence. From ending up in debtors prison to being lost at sea, here lies the story of the most famous men in American History that we know absolutely nothing about.

We know that on July 4, 1776, we declared our freedom from England. Here is the rest of the story.

Meet the Authors/ Book Signing
Sat Nov 28
11am- 4pm
Independence Visitor Center Gift Shop

Don’t forget, we have free gift wrapping every weekend in December. Hint Hint.

For more info click here