Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
As the nation’s former capital and the birthplace of American democracy, it’s hard to miss the city’s deep-seated importance in US history or its noteworthy sights.
Beyond the well-known displays, Philadelphia has more than its fair share of beautifully preserved colonial-era buildings, vintage row homes, and federal-style mansions, many of which can be found spread around its neighborhoods and surrounding hills.
If you need to recover from a busy day of sightseeing, occupy yourself in the city’s food and drink scene, making sure to sample the notable craft beer and famed Philly cheesesteak.
Best Attraction: Independence Hall- This building was the meeting place of the Second Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War. The Declaration of Independence and Constitution was composed and signed here. It isn’t an exaggeration to call Independence Hall the birthplace of the United States. Not only is the building itself crucial, but the decisions and documents born here are some of the most impactful in US history, defining the structure of our government.
6 thoughts on “Best Historical Cities to Visit in the US”
I would like to meet Ricarda and join her on her adventures. I too thought of doing the same thing. It would be nice to find someone worth while to share it with. I am a retired federal worker with a few college degrees . Sociology, Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement. I am also a army veteran. I am well rounded and have many interests. Tony Bellomo
I have been to 9 of the 11, but I have trouble picking a favorite. The two I have missed are Gettysburg and St. Augustine. However, I have been to Valley Forge of the Revolutionary War. I have been to a Civil War battlefield in Virginia. I have been to Plymouth, Charleston, Santa Fe, Williamsburg, and Philadelphia once each; Boston, New Orleans, and San Antonio twice each, and Washington, DC five times. I guess that would make it my favorite.
I would not argue the historic importance of any of these cities, nor their claim for a place on any such “short list.” I suppose every list has to stop somewhere. That said, how can a gallery of Best Historical Cities….in the U.S. not include New York, our 1st National Capitol & the beginning and ongoing center of so much, or St. Louis, the jumping off point for the Westward Expansion, Savannah, Georgia, the single Georgia city Gen. W.T. Sherman didn’t burn, and the beneficiary of one of the more successful historic preservation efforts in the USA?
Maybe one limits the group in order to eliminate the Run-On Sentence? guilty.
Fredericksburg, Virginia should be on the list. It has a rich colonial history. George Washington grew up in the area, his mother’s home is open to the public, and Kenmore, the home of Washington’s sister and her husband, Fielding Lewis is also open. Unlike Willamsburg, the colonial features are original and restored. James Monroe’s law office is here also. Other colonial features are High Mercedes Apothecary and the Rising Sun Tavern as well as Masonic Lodge 4 of which Washington was a member. Of course there is a rich civil war history as well. Not only is there the Fredericksburg battlefields but 3 other major battlefields in the area: Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Courthouse. A lot to see and do in the area. I’ve only scratched the surface.
The first actual Thanksgiving was at Berkeley Plantation in Virginia about 2 years before the Pilgrams sailed to America.
Please consider adding Savannah, GA to your list. I had the pleasure of visiting last July and loved it (in spite of the summer heat).