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| CONTACT: | Caroline Bean |
GPTMC |
(215) 599-7433 | caroline@gptmc.com |
HISTORY BUFFS CAN SIT IN WASHINGTON’S PEW, TOUCH ANTIQUE
FIRE ENGINES AND VIEW THE MAGNA CARTA WHILE TOURING PHILLY’S HISTORIC
DISTRICT
New Guide Helps Tourists Stay Busy Before Seeing Independence Hall
Philadelphia, PA, July 29, 2002 – Visitors to Independence Hall may have some spare time on their hands before seeing this historic treasure, thanks to a new system of timed tickets implemented by the National Park Service last March. But not to worry! The What To Do On America’s Most Historic Square Mile guide, available for free at the Independence Visitor Center (IVCC), gives visitors 30 suggestions on fun, educational and quirky things they can do nearby while waiting for their turn to tour the historic building. Suggestions include sitting in George Washington’s pew at Christ Church, playing firefighter at the Fireman’s Hall Museum, tossing a penny on Benjamin Franklin’s grave, shredding hurtful words at the National Liberty Museum or looking at the Magna Carta, currently on display at the IVCC.
Timed tickets to Independence Hall are available on the day of the visit to the IVCC. Reserved tickets can be requested up to 12 months in advance by calling (800) 967-2283 or by visiting http://reservation.nps.gov. There is a $1.50 per ticket service charge on reserved tickets, which can be picked up on tour day at the IVCC’s "will call" window.
The guide was created by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, a non-profit organization dedicated to generating awareness of and visitation to Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park at 6th & Markets Streets, at (800) 537-7676.
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Note to Editors: For more information about the National Park Service’s timed tickets or a JPEG of the enclosed What To Do On America’s Most Historic Square Mile guide, visit www.gophila.com/pressroom.
