FIRST TIME IN PHILADELPHIA? MUST-SEES WHILE YOU’RE HERE

Experience all that Philadelphia has to offer. Hit the cobblestone streets and awaken your inner explorer in the city that embraces past and progress. Treat your senses to bustling open-air markets and art that inspires in the city's eclectic galleries. Watch history come to life and soak up some of the country’s most celebrated culinary creations and phenomenal nightlife.

Here are seven Philadelphia first-timer must-sees:

Trolley Tour
Hop on a burgundy and green Victorian-style open-air trolley and make memories while you hear the full Philadelphia story from an expert guide. The trolley gives you unlimited, 24-hour, hop-on, hop-off access to 20 major attractions, including the Betsy Ross House, Reading Terminal, LOVE Park, the Rodin Museum, and Society Hill. Tours depart throughout the day from the northeast corner of Fifth and Market streets.

Liberty Bell
Take a photo with an American icon and an international symbol of freedom. On display at its new home -- the Liberty Bell Center in Independence National Historical Park -- the 2,000-pound Liberty Bell is a free attraction housed in a glass building overlooking Independence Hall. Learn the facts, myths, and the history behind the crack and get an X-ray view of the bell’s inner-workings.

Philadelphia Museum of Art
Follow in Sylvester Stallone's footsteps and run skyward on the famed stairway featured in the film "Rocky" and its numerous hard-hitting sequels. Step inside the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Greek-style building and get inspired by more than 225,000 brilliant works of art.

Cheesesteak Challenge
Wrap your tastebuds around a cheese-whiz-dripping cheesesteak sandwich. A Philadelphia favorite since 1930, the famed comfort food consists of thinly sliced steak, and your choice of melted cheese, and grilled onions on a long Italian roll. Locals debate which institution offers the best — Pat's or Geno's. Both are open 24/7 and located across the street from each other. Head to Passyunk Avenue in the heart of South Philly to decide for yourself.

Reading Terminal Market
This lively bazaar at 12th and Arch streets maintains its 1893 roots as the largest public market under one roof. Reading Terminal Market's variety will astonish visitors with Amish baked goods, free-range meats, fresh produce, ethnic spices, handmade jewelry, and pottery.

National Constitution Center
See freedom firsthand and take a virtual tour with the late Peter Jennings at the first and only museum in the nation dedicated to telling the story of the U.S. Constitution – the National Constitution Center. Located at Independence Mall and offering more than 100 interactive exhibits, this groundbreaking museum lets you take the Presidential Oath of Office and fill a seat on the Supreme Court.

Franklin Institute Science Museum and the Academy of Natural Sciences
These two attractions house scientific innovation and are among the oldest museums in Philadelphia. Explore the life and death of a star or pinpoint distant galaxies at The Franklin Institute Science Museum's Fels Planetarium, the nation's second oldest. Located on 20th Street, the museum's traveling and permanent exhibits offer in-depth looks at everything from mummy forensics to Ben Franklin's lightning rod.

Next, walk to the Academy of Natural Sciences on 19th Street and experience a tropical garden filled with butterflies from around the world. Connect with nature with sensory-pleasing visits to the the watershed exhibit, Dinosaur Hall, and the Live Animal Center.