In 2015, my family and I attended the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. It’s a week-long meeting full of great speakers, break-out sessions, and fellowship with Catholics from all over the world. At the end of the week, you celebrate Mass with the pope out in the open with thousands of Catholics. It was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life. There are numerous things I could say about that week, but the World Meeting of Families is long over now so I’m going to focus on the host city–Philadelphia.
I didn’t know much about Philly before going there. I love history, so I was very excited about seeing all the historical attractions. We spent the entire week in downtown Philly, walking everywhere we went. When you walk, you truly get to feel the heartbeat of a city and I came away with a great appreciation for this historic metropolis. In this blog, I will give you three must-sees in the downtown area. I’m sure there are notable attractions outside of the downtown area, but I’m only going to write about the things I experienced. I’ll, also, give you three places to eat and two places to worship. I wish I could give you places to stay but we used Airbnbย while we were there. I don’t have any unique recommendations, but if you know of a place leave it in the comments section.
PLACES TO SEE
Independence Hall
I got chills when I finally got inside this building. This is where it all went down when our Founding Fathers decided to declare our independence from England. At one point in the tour, I held back in the room where they had signed the Declaration of Independence and Constitution and just let time speak to me. I was all alone and I let my mind imagine what it must have been like when it was full of all the men who had the courage to set us on a path to freedom. I believe that sometimes the memories created in a place are so strong that the walls soak up that moment and you can almost relive the past. That’s how I felt in Independence Hall. If you have an American bone in your body, this is an absolute must see.
The Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bellย sits directly across the street from Independence Hall. You have to go through the gift-shop/museum to get to the Bell, which is worth spending some time browsing through the information. Usually, there is a very long line to take a picture, but it’s worth the wait. The first time we went the line was super long and we didn’t get a picture, but the second time we went, we walked right up. It doesn’t cost anything to see it.
SEEK AND FIND
This is a weird thing to suggest, but put on your walking shoes and walk around down near Independence Hall. We had no schedule or plan. We just walked and stumbled upon the best surprises: Ben Franklin’s grave, the First National Bank, amazing statues, colonial homes, cobbled streets, and parks full of memorials. We found one beautiful park and hung out in it while my son chased birds and squirrels. As we were exploring the park, I discovered this memorial below that literally brought tears to my eyes.
Anytime I see memorials like this, I have a difficult time holding in my emotions. I always feel overwhelming gratitude. Take my advice and just set out and explore the historic part of downtown.
PLACES TO EAT
Reading Terminal Market
Before we left for Philly, everyone told us to make sure to stop by Reading Terminal Market. I had never heard of it and so I was very curious. People basically just said, “You can’t really explain it, you just gotta see it.” Saying it’s a busy place is an understatement. It’s a hodge-podge market with food from all over. You feel like you are in an international train terminal that is packed with all kinds of foods to try. Stroll around and take in all that there is and then decide on what you want to eat. There is so much to look at and it is quite the experience. My husband and oldest daughter scarfed down a legit Philly cheese steak. I will warn that if you are uncomfortable in tight, busy places, this isn’t the place for you. Also, keep the kiddos close because if they got lost it would be very difficult to find them.
City Tavern Restaurant est. 1773
This place was such a gem and we just happened upon it. This restaurant was once where the Founding Fathers would meet to rub elbows and drink a pint or two together. Since my middle daughter and I are gluten-intolerant we can’t just eat anywhere. When I saw this restaurant, I secretly crossed my fingers hoping that it could accommodate our gluten-intolerance. I was so stoked when I learned that I could eat there. We sat out on a back patio and ate time-period food. The workers are all in time-period clothing, as well. It was a huge score for a history nut like me.
Max Brenners
Do you like chocolate? Of course, you do. If you want to be surrounded by chocolate and get to have dessert before dinner, this is the place for you. It’s a modern place with a great atmosphere. It’s totally kid-friendly and they will freak when they learn you have dessert first!
PLACES TO WORSHIP
St. John the Evangelist Church
One day, after our sessions were done for the day at the World Meeting of Families, people were milling around talking about how there was a church nearby that had the relics of St. Maria Goretti. My ears pricked up because she is my patron saint. We quickly got directions and scurried over to St. John the Evangelist Church. Sure enough, down in the basement was St. Maria Goretti’s relics and I got the chance to pray before them and lift my mind to her and her holiness. It was like the icing on the cake of an already great trip. The church itself is quite beautiful and worth a visit. Cool Fact: “In 1834 it was the venue for the American premiรจre of Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor.”
Old St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
This was one of the treasures we found on our walk around historic downtown. The oldest Roman Catholic Church in Philadelphia founded in 1733. We wandered in and I instantly felt at home. There were a few other people in there in front of the Blessed Sacrament and my family just sat there for a while enjoying the simple beauty of this historic church. I didn’t want to leave. There was this boy kneeling before Christ and I found it so touching. Our Catholic Faith is so beautiful and special. How truly blessed we are to have these places to come and worship no matter where we are in the world.
Our family truly enjoyed our time in Philadelphia. The “City of Brotherly Love” made us feel very welcome and I would go back in a heartbeat. It is definitely a city that every American should visit at least once in their lifetime. If you travel to Philly, I hope your stay is as wonderful as ours.
Till next time, travel well, Catholic Pilgrim!
