City Hall Philadelphia Tours Guide

Centered in the heart of downtown Philadelphia stands a National Historic Landmark rising 548 feet into the air - Philadelphia City Hall. It's also the largest municipal building in the US and serves Philadelphia's government and politics for over 100 years since constructed in 1901. The municipal building has earned a great deal of respect as one of the best examples of French Second-Empire Architectural style in the United States.

Philadelphia City Hall in Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_City_Hall

The building is constructed on the area designated by William Penn as Centre Square. Now, you can find the City Hall on Penn Square, Broad Street and Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. There're many nearby attractions in Philadelphia, including Masonic Temple, JFK Plaza, Reading Terminal Market and Liberty Place.

The City Hall is open from 8 am to 5 pm on weekdays for free public tours. The building is closed on weekends and holidays. To begin your tour of City Hall's magnificent architecture, City Hall Visitor Center is a great spot to start your journey. The center is located in the heart of the city at Broad and Market streets. You can find a retail store with a variety of Philadelphia merchandise, brochures, maps and many other treasures. Three type of building tours are offered.

City Hall Interior Tours - From Monday to Friday, City Hall Interior Tours leave at 12:30 pm and last 30 minutes to 1 hour. These tours leave from the East City Hall Entrance - the City Hall Tour Information Center Room 121. Let's start a wonderful journey into the municipal building.

- The Courtyard: The first stop is the courtyard, which is a busy place as pedestrian traffic enters it through the four portals. The courtyard is utilized for various ceremonies throughout the year. The annual Christmas tree lighting is included as well. Four planter beds with low walls lie in the courtyard, featuring the right height for sitting and people watching.

- North Portal: North Portal is another spot for interior tours. It's the City Hall's largest and most ornate entrance that was designed to be the building's Ceremonial and Legislative Entrance. The North Portal has two grand stairways, which lead you to a balcony and a second floor exterior entrance to Conservation Hall.

- Mayor's Reception Room 202: City Hall's executive suite occupies from room 215, the Mayor's actual office to room 202, the Mayor's Reception Room. The room design and style is described as Grecian. Guests can appreciate woodwork and furnishings beautifully carved in mahogany. Paintings of former mayors are also posted on the wall. A beautiful fireplace is placed on the center of the wall opposite the doorway to room 204.

- State Supreme Court Room 454: Described as "a palace for Justice" and the most beautiful and elegant court room in the US, courtroom 454 is also must-stop destination for tourists to the City Hall.

There're many other parts of the building you haven't seen, like W. Portal, S Portal, E. Portal, Conservation Hall, NE Stairs, Caucus Room, Grand Stair and Law Library. For more tour info, please call 215-686-2840 or stop by the Tour Office in person.

City Hall Tower Tours - Most visitors to Philadelphia make the City Hall tower an essential part of their whole journey. The tower remains an outstanding feature in Philadelphia's skyline. A 27 ton bronze statue of William Penn tops on the tower that is the largest statue on buildings throughout the world. But the statue is not accessible to tourists. Instead, you can have a wonderful view from the observation deck that is located below the statue. Visitors can also have a panoramic view of the city on the observation deck.

Tower tours are open from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm on weekdays. Please note that the period from 10 am to noon is often reserved for schools. Plus tower tours are timed every 15 minutes and the elevator that brings visitors can only hold 5 people each trip. It's better to make reservations in advance.

City Hall Private Tours - Private tours of Philadelphia City Hall can be arranged with a charging fee for various types of groups, like community, corporation or school. Please contact Greta Greenberger, Director of City Hall Tours at 215-686-2840.

The City Hall Virtual Tour

http://www.ajaxelectric.com/cityhall/tour1.htm

A series of fantastic forthcoming events will be displayed at City Hall. Professional artists and fine arts lovers cannot miss them.

BuildaBridge Student Exhibition - From March 7 to April 29, 2011, BrildaBridge presents artistic gifts to inspire and encourage children, families and communities. The reception is arranged on March 31, 5-7 pm in Conservation Hall of Room 201, NE Corner. The exhibition reception is followed on fifth floor, NE Corner.

The Village of Arts and Humanities - With a mission to build community through innovative arts and youth development programs, the Village of Arts and Humanities displays exhibitions on the fifth floor at the City Hall from May 12 to July 15, 2011.

Art in the City Hall

http://www.phila.gov/artincityhall