Independence National Historical Park

Current 2026 schedules differ by site: the Visitor Center is open daily 9 a.m.-6 p.m. with the NPS desk closing at 5; the Liberty Bell Center and most staffed buildings close at 5; the President's House Site is open 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; and Washington Square is open 24 hours. Holiday and operational changes still apply.

The paid AutoPark at Independence Mall is beneath the Visitor Center, with entrances from 5th and 6th Streets between Market and Arch and GPS address 41 N. 6th Street. It is not free park parking; transit or walking avoids garage cost and Old City event traffic.

Begin at the Independence Visitor Center at 6th and Market for current schedules, maps, restrooms, wheelchairs, films and ranger guidance. The Liberty Bell has its own security line, while Independence Hall and Congress Hall share the Independence Square screening entrance on 5th Street south of Chestnut.

Reliable public restrooms are inside the Visitor Center during its 9 a.m.-6 p.m. hours and at the northwest corner of 5th and Chestnut from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. The paid Benjamin Franklin Museum also has restrooms. There are no public restrooms in the Liberty Bell Center or the Independence Hall secured area.

Most park sites are free. Independence Hall's guided tours require a free timed ticket plus a nonrefundable $1 reservation fee; the morning open house is unticketed. The Benjamin Franklin Museum costs $7.50 for adults, $5 for seniors 65+ and ages 6-17, and is free for children 5 and under.

Most major buildings and paved outdoor routes are accessible. The Visitor Center loans wheelchairs for the day with ID and provides assistive devices; Independence Hall's first floor is accessible, but the 4:20 p.m. expanded second-floor tour is not. Congress Hall's first floor is accessible and Old City Hall uses a west-door ramp plus a portable courtroom ramp.

Pets are not allowed inside public buildings. Outdoors they must remain controlled on a leash no longer than six feet, and handlers must remove waste. Service dogs and service miniature horses are allowed under NPS rules, including in buildings.

The Liberty Bell, Junior Ranger activities, Visitor Center films, tactile exhibits and compact blocks make a flexible family visit. Strollers are allowed in park buildings, but every stroller and bag is screened at secure sites; schedule restrooms before entering the Independence Square line.

SEPTA's 5th Street/Independence Hall station is beside the Visitor Center and Liberty Bell area, and PATCO's 8th & Market station is a short walk west. The historic district is compact, so choose one arrival point and walk between most major sites rather than moving a car.

Independence Hall's 9-9:50 a.m. open house needs no ticket; tours from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and the 4:20 expanded tour require tickets. Arrive about 30 minutes before a ticketed tour, bring only small bags, and leave firearms, knives, pepper spray, explosives and open food or drink outside secured areas.

The historic district mixes climate-controlled buildings with exposed queues, outdoor exhibits and several blocks of walking. Heat, rain, snow and lightning affect comfort and may alter lines or outdoor programming, so check the NPS alerts and operating-hours pages on the day of the visit.

The 9-9:50 a.m. open house is first-come and unticketed. Tours every 20 minutes from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and the 4:20 p.m. expanded tour require Recreation.gov tickets; reservations can be made up to 30 days ahead and cost a nonrefundable $1 per ticket.

No. Liberty Bell Center admission is free and first-come, first-served from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Every visitor passes through security, screening closes at least five minutes before the building, and there is no restroom inside.

All people, bags, medical devices, strollers and wheelchairs are screened. Firearms, knives, pepper spray, explosives and other weapons are prohibited; open food and drink cannot pass, while bottles with screw-on lids are allowed. Smaller bags make screening faster.

A standard Independence Hall tour lasts about 20 minutes and the expanded tour about 40, but security and lines add time. Allow at least two to three hours for the Visitor Center, Liberty Bell and Hall; add another hour for the Benjamin Franklin Museum and more for Washington Square or ranger programs.

No. It is open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and costs $7.50 for adults, $5 for seniors 65+ and ages 6-17, and is free for children 5 and under. Tickets are purchased at the door; allow at least one hour, and remember the Printing Office follows a different schedule.

The Visitor Center, Liberty Bell Center, President's House Site, Congress Hall, Old City Hall, Washington Square and most park exhibits are free and normally need no reservation. Independence Hall's morning open house is also unticketed; its daytime guided tours are the major exception.