Seeing Philadelphia for Free

For tourists on a budget here are some free and low cost ways to immerse oneself in the art and history while touring the City of Brotherly Love.

Explore the sites of Philadelphia with a self-guided audio tours that can be downloaded on to MP3 players. These guides integrate the audio with Google Maps to provide customized tour maps geared toward one's specific interests.

Walk along the cobblestone street of of Elfreth's Alley , the oldest continuously occupied residential street in the United States. A guided tour of the Museum House costs $5 for adults and $2 for children ages 6 to 12. A family pack costs $12, and children under 6 get in for free.

Visit the diminutive Betsy Ross House and see the site where supposedly the first US Flag was made. A dmission is $3 for adults and $2 for children.

At the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site, literary enthusiasts can examine rare books and letters owned by the writer. From Wednesday through Sunday, one can enter this free site and embark either on a tour led by a park ranger or choose a self-guided tour.

Relieve history at Independence National Historical Park, home to the Liberty Bell Center and Independence Hall, the site of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. While admission to both historic sites are free, tickets are required to enter Independence Hall. While one can pick up tickets that day at t he Independence Visitor Center, these tickets to run out quickly during the summer months . So, to ensure you get tickets, consider reserving advance tickets either online or by phone at (877) 444-6777 at a cost of $1.50 per ticket.

From Memorial Day through Labor Day, those with children and the young heart heat can have a seat and enjoy Once Upon A Nation's free storytelling benches at 13 locations around the Historic Philadelphia are. For more information log on to Historic Philadelphia.

Budget conscious art lovers can pay what they wish on the first Sunday of every month to see the vast collections housed in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Walk up the famous Rocky steps and and soak in the works of Marcel Duchamp, Salvador Dali, and Philadelphia area luminaries like Thomas Eakins. Also, check out the nearby Rodin Museum, the largest collection of works by Auguste Rodin outside of Paris. A $5 donation is requested. While touring these two museums, check out the Museum Without Walls™ AUDIO that allows folks to use their cell phones, audio downloads or streaming audio from the Web site to hear three-minute interpretive segments of the public art on display a long Kelly Drive and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Step inside Philadelphia's Magic Gardens and immerse oneself in mosaic artist Isaiah Zagars' unique display of public art. Self-guided tours of the sculpture garden and gallery space are $5 for adults, $2 for children ages 6 to 12 and free for children under 5.

Stop by the 57-floor Comcast Center, the tallest "green" building in the country, and take in The Comcast Experience. Realistic nature images, urban landscapes, and surrealistic art are depicted on the largest four-millimeter LED screen in the world.

On the f irst Friday of each month from 5pm to 9pm, the art galleries in Old City open their doors with free admission and sometimes wine and snacks. Most of the neighborhood's 40-plus galleries can be found between Front and Third, and Market and Vine Streets. Log on to the Old City Arts website for a map of participating galleries and other details.

For a cheap way to travel all day, hop on board the purple Phlash Trolly. A $5 all-day individual pass or a $10 all-day family can enable one to tour museums to historical sites in a flash

Also, for a full listing of activities happening around July 4th in the birthplace of American freedom log on to the Welcome America and Historic Philadelphia websites. Many of the activities available are free.

For additional information about the booking a trip to Philadelphia log on to the Visit Philly website or call the Independence Visitor Center at (800) 537-7676.