US EditionTravel: I love Philadelphia, but I’d never taken a City Hall tour. Don’t make the same mistake
- In 2025, Stephanie Farr of The Philadelphia Inquirer took both the building and tower tours at Philadelphia City Hall, the largest municipal building in the U.S. Which took 30 years to build and contains 700 fully occupied rooms.
- The tours, which began in 1991 and were developed by Greta Greenberger, are currently run by the Philadelphia Visitor Center operating out of a temporary trailer while the official visitor center is being renovated and slated to reopen this spring.
- The building tour, costing $20-$26 and lasting about an hour, is ADA accessible and led by George Evans, a retired city planner who has volunteered for 22 years, while the tower tour, costing $10-$16 and running 15-30 minutes, is not ADA accessible and limited to four guests, requiring a metal detector screening for both.
- During the tour, the author was impressed by Evans' insight into the building's architecture, Philly's political history, and the legend of the curse of William Penn, as well as Easley's enthusiasm for the tower, where the clocks are 26 ft. In diameter, larger than London's Big Ben at 23 ft., and the statue of William Penn, created by Alexander Milne Calder, is 37 feet tall and weighs 53,000 pounds.
- The author, along with fellow tour-goers like Richard from North Jersey, experienced the tight space and light mood inside, saw the cornerstone for the first time, and was awed by the 360-degree view from the enclosed observation deck, where it can get cold and windy.
28 Articles
28 Articles
Philly Portal going back online, connecting LOVE Park with other cites
What to KnowThe Philadelphia Portal is remaining in Philadelphia at one of three yet-to-disclosed locations, officials say.The livestreaming device was offline and wrapped up in LOVE Park after recent vandalism.Philadelphia Portal officials are celebrating it going back online in LOVE Park on Friday, March 28, 2025. The Portal that connects Philadelphia to other cities around the world is going back online in LOVE Park ahead of its move to a new…
The Morning Journal
Travel: I love Philadelphia, but I’d never taken a City Hall tour. Don’t make the same mistake
By Stephanie Farr, The Philadelphia Inquirer PHILADELPHIA — As I walked through Philadelphia City Hall last week, a woman was singing with gusto in the exterior north corridor about how she “don’t have to worry about Betty no more.” She wasn’t singing for money, just for herself and the acoustics. In that moment, it felt like City Hall was as much hers as it was the mayor’s or City Council’s. During my nearly 18 years in Philly, I’ve wandered th…
The Baltimore Sun
I love Philadelphia, but I’d never taken a City Hall tour. Don’t make the same mistake
By Stephanie Farr, The Philadelphia Inquirer PHILADELPHIA — As I walked through Philadelphia City Hall last week, a woman was singing with gusto in the exterior north corridor about how she “don’t have to worry about Betty no more.” She wasn’t singing for money, just for herself and the acoustics. In that moment, it felt like City Hall was as much hers as it was the mayor’s or City Council’s. During my nearly 18 years in Philly, I’ve wandered th…
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