Area Info -- Ross and Kathy's Wedding Site

* The Arts *
* Museums *
* Historical Places & Sight Seeing *
* Other Fun Things To Do *

The Arts
Academy of Music Modeled after Milan’s La Scala opera house, Philadelphia’s 1865 Academy of Music is a performing and architectural landmark on the Avenue of the Arts (Broad Street) and is home to the Opera Company of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Ballet.
Broad Street – Avenue of the Arts The Avenue of the Arts, located in the heart of downtown Philadelphia, is the city’s performing arts district. World-class theatres, museums, concert halls, and the soon-to-be-completed Regional Performing Arts Center call the Avenue home.
Museums
Academy of Natural Sciences "Discovering Dinosaurs" in Dinosaur Hall is the most popular attraction at this distinguished museum and research center on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Here you’ll find the reconstructed skeleton of a tyrannosaurus rex and a dinosaur dig where kids can hunt for buried fossils. In another exhibit, live butterflies flutter around you in a tropical rain forest. Founded in 1812, the Academy is the first museum of natural history in the country, and the building dates from 1868.
+Franklin Institute Science Museum Ross’s Note- It’s the most fun kids will ever have learning, and fun for adults too! The Franklin Institute, named to honor inventor and scientist Benjamin Franklin, is the oldest organization in the United States devoted to the study and promotion of mechanical arts and applied sciences. The Institute was founded in 1824 by Samuel Vaughan Merrick. The current building, at 20^th and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, also houses an interactive museum of science and technology and a giant screen, educational movie theater. The original building was completed in 1934 and modeled after the Deutsches Museum of Munich. Walk-Through Model of a Human Heart at the Franklin Institute Science Museum One of the most popular activities at the Franklin Institute is walking through the world’s largest artificial heart (220 times life-size). Other exhibits at this beloved family attraction include the cockpit of a T-33 jet trainer, a 350-ton Baldwin steam locomotive that actually runs, astronomy shows in the Fels Planetarium, and giant screen films in the Tuttleman Omniverse Theater. Sky Bike at First Union Science Park Outside the Franklin Institute Science Museum Children ride the Sky Bike at First Union Science Park, a play-and-learn area attached to the Franklin Institute Science Museum and Please Touch Museum®. Eighteen feet above the rest of the science park, this demonstration of gyroscopic stability is a favorite among young visitors. The Franklin Institute is located at 20^th and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Longwood Gardens -- Kennett Square The breathtaking scenery at Longwood Gardens rambles over 1,050 public acres of gardens, woodlands, and meadows. Less than a one-hour drive from Philadelphia, 11,000 different types of plants flourish in 20 indoor and 20 outdoor gardens. Illuminated fountains spring up at night and special events grace the gardens each year, including concerts, lectures and theater productions. Longwood is open every day of the year and attracts more than 900,000 visitors annually.
New Jersey State Aquarium – Camden, NJ Get up close and personal with our sharks, stingrays and sea turtles that reside in our 760,000-gallon Open Ocean Tank. 1,500 fabulous fish and marine life call the tank home. From April 16th to September 15th, open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. From September 16th to April 15th, open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Philadelphia Museum of Art From the Schuylkill River, the Philadelphia Museum of Art rises majestically at the end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Constructed of Minnesota Dolomite and completed in 1928, the museum covers 10 acres and houses more than 300,000 works spanning 2,000 years. Beyond individual artworks, the museum offers the most lavish collection of period rooms found anywhere in America, as well as suits of armor, an entire Japanese tea house, and other faithfully reconstructed environments. Below the museum, on Kelly Drive along the east bank of the Schuylkill, is a section of the city’s famous Boathouse Row, home to many historic rowing clubs. To the right in the foreground is the Fairmont Water Works, built in 1812; it supplied Philadelphia with pure drinking water from the Schuylkill until 1911.
+Philadelphia Zoo Ross’s Note- I like monkeys. In "Bear Country" at the Philadelphia Zoo, visitors watch polar bears swim in a 200,000-gallon tank with glass walls. Established in 1859, this is the oldest zoo in America, and it is home to more than 2,000 animals representing six continents. The zoo houses rare white lions, giant otters, exotic rainforest animals, a hummingbird exhibit, the newly renovated Amphibian and Reptile House and the innovative new PECO Primate Reserve. The zoo is located at 34^th Street and Girard Avenue, in Fairmount Park, just minutes from the downtown area off I76.
Historical Places and Sight Seeing
Betsy Ross House The Betsy Ross House, built in 1760, is seen here reflected in the window of a flag shop across the 200 block of Arch Street. A beautiful Colonial Philadelphia residence, the house normally flies the 13-star flag in its second-floor window to commemorate the first Stars and Stripes. This flag is widely believed to have been made by Ross to celebrate Independence in July of 1776. The eight-room house is full of artifacts such as a family Bible and the mistress’s chest of drawers and reading glasses. The small rooms are furnished with period pieces to reflect the life of the hardworking Quaker seamstress whose husband John owned an upholstery business and who was known for stitching ships’ colors during the Revolution.
Independence Hall Located on Chestnut Street between 5^th and 6^th Streets. The building is open year round, though hours vary by season. Visitors are admitted free of charge by tour only. Constructed between 1732 and 1756 as the state House of the Province of Pennsylvania, it is considered a fine example of Georgian architecture. In the Assembly Room of this building, the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776.
The Liberty Bell The Liberty Bell is located on Market Street between 5^th and 6^th Streets. The building is open year round, though hours vary by season. A bell for the Pennsylvania State House was cast in London, England, however, it cracked soon after it arrived in Philadelphia. Local craftsmen John Pass and John Stow cast a new bell in 1753, using metal from the English bell. Their names appear on the front of the bell, along with the city and the date.
Ivyland Railroad -- New Hope All aboard! The Ivyland Railroad in New Hope leaves from the New Hope depot, a Victorian gem of a building dating to the 1890s. The train, one of the few remaining steam powered engines, takes passengers on a nine-mile, 50-minute, scenic journey from downtown New Hope west to Lahaska. En route, the train crosses a trestle used in many rescue scenes in the classic "Perils of Pauline" movies. The station is located at West Bridge and Stockton Streets in New Hope.
PECO Energy Lights of Liberty "Revolution. As it happened, where it happened." A combination of 3-D audio headsets, historical surroundings, and incredible visual and special effects bring history to life in this walking show of the historic district in Philadelphia. The PECO Energy Lights of Liberty show is a breathtaking, entertaining and educational experience.
Re-enactment of Washington Crossing the Delaware George Washington crossed the Delaware River on December 25, 1776, to launch his decisive attack on enemy forces in Trenton. Today, historical re-enacters faithfully recreate the event each year at Washington Crossing Historic Park. This 500-acre state park lies 35 miles north of center city Philadelphia. Visitors can see artifacts and a film at the Memorial Museum and tour a variety of restored, furnished buildings. Of special interest is the Thompson-Neely House, the riverside headquarters for Washington’s Revolutionary forces.
Society Hill by Horse and Buggy The charmingly restored, 18^th century neighborhood of Society Hill is perhaps the most visited residential section of Philadelphia. With its fine mixture of Colonial and Federal style brick row houses, intimate courtyards and gracious cobblestone streets, Society Hill draws people on foot and by carriage. The neighborhood stretches from Front Street west to 8th Street and from Lombard Street to Walnut Street. The "society" in the name refers to the Free Society of Traders, a group of colonial businessmen to whom William Penn deeded land to encourage their economic leadership. Horse-drawn cabs driven by knowledgeable guides can be hailed in the vicinities of Independence Mall (4^th to 6^th on Chestnut Street) and Head House Square (2^nd and Pine Streets).
Other Fun Things To Do
+AMC 24 Theater at Neshaminy Mall -- Bensalem Ross's Note- The theater is less than 5 minutes from where Ross and Kathy live and the Sleep Inn Hotel. A state-of-the-art, 24-screen stadium seating cinema with digital sound and large loveseats.
+Blue Cross RiverRink Kids can’t get enough of the Blue Cross RiverRink, Penn’s Landing’s open-air ice skating rink, located at Columbus Boulevard and Spring Garden Street. Special events every weekend make the rink a must-visit for families.
+First Union Center Ross's Note- If you plan on seeing a game, order tickets now. Check out a Philadelphia 76ers or Flyers game. If you want to see Allen Iverson, the Sixers will be in town on Friday night and the Pittsburgh Penguins will be in town on Saturday night. The FU Center is a brand-new state of the art facility with all the great comforts and conveniences combined with great views from any seat in the stadium.