<p>astrophysicsmom, the stairs are at the Phila. Museum of Art not the Art Institute. :)</p>
<p>Lots of good suggestions here. It’s a shame that the Barnes is closed. It’s such a fabulous collection and it was always interesting to visit it in its old and original home. Not sure it will be as much fun in a new spot, although I absolutely understand the issues surrounding that move.</p>
<p>There’s an aquarium on the river just across the bridge in Camden.</p>
<p>Lots of great galleries and shops in the Rittenhouse Square area. If you want a beautiful place to stay, look at the Rittenhouse Hotel. The Franklin Institute has always been one of my favorite museums, ever since my first time visiting on a school field trip in 2nd grade.</p>
<p>The Brandywine Museum is a nice one but you’d need a car. If you like the Wyeths, it’s a must see.</p>
<p>“It is called sightseeing and saying you had one at the locale…if you only cared about having one at the airport,you could have bought a frozen one from Tony Luke at the grocery store…sheez…it IS an experience,would have been better if Joey Vento were still alive, a true character of Philadelphia,though maybe you could watch him on a video clip atthe airport terminal.” Qdogpa</p>
<p>Q - I am really glad you are so intense about your fast food experience of Philly food!</p>
<p>FYI, I have had Philly Cheese Steaks throughout Phila. over many years, and the one at the airport was just as delicious, not including the trip to Italy.</p>
<p>I might become as excited about Rizzo’s police force as I am about the other characters you mention in your rant.</p>
<p>hello
from philly, if its a nice night check out an area called the piazza
located about a 5 min cab ride from where u are staying
the area is made up of all little restaurants and places u can get a drink,sit outside and people watch
the hub of the area is a piazza, a large courtyard where little shops and restaurants are found on one of the walls is a movie size screen where unfortunately a phillies game will not be shown but they will show scheduled artsy movies or a flyers game if they will be playing sunday night eagles/dallas
check out the website below, real fun place to hangout
also if you are going out for a nice but expensive dinner or even just drinks near the hotel
check out del friscos sp?? its located in an old bank beautiful architecture
really nice place
have fun
private message me with any questions
[Introducing</a> the Piazza at Schmidts](<a href=“http://www.atthepiazza.com%5DIntroducing”>http://www.atthepiazza.com)</p>
<p>BethieVt- you wrote We did go to the Barnes when our son was looking at Haverford. It was wonderful and I could understand the issues.</p>
<p>I,too, was confused about the controversy with the Barnes move.
Watch this movie via Netflix, and you will be completely informed, although, they didn’t convince me that it was an awful thing to do. The collection valued at a billion dollars.</p>
<p>**The Art of the Steal **great movie about Dr Barnes will and wishes, and how Philly and PA managed to get the Barnes to Center City Philly.</p>
<p>And I second Sabrina’s for brunch. I had a fritatta there months ago that I still think about fondly. Others in my family braved, and loved, the stuffed French toast and the pancake with cake on top.</p>
<p>After you’ve visited the more popular sites, here are some other options. </p>
<p>A few blocks from Constitution Center walk along 4th street, you will come to this historic house. Knock on door (there will be a sign outside) and you will be given a private tour of ** Dr Physick’s Victorian Mansion Tour.**
Lovely experience, donation $5.00
[Physick</a> House](<a href=“http://www.philalandmarks.org/phys.aspx]Physick”>http://www.philalandmarks.org/phys.aspx)</p>
<p>**The Mason Temple and City Hall ** offer tours, I haven’t taken these, yet, on the to do list. </p>
<p>I did take the Wanamaker Organ Tour in the Macy’s Building,and thoroughly enjoyed it. </p>
<p>[Macy’s</a> - Visitors - Group Programs at Macy’s Center City in Philadelphia](<a href=“http://www.visitmacysphiladelphia.com/groups.cfm]Macy’s”>http://www.visitmacysphiladelphia.com/groups.cfm)
The Wanamaker Organ Experience Tour includes a walking tour of the historic Wanamaker Building plus an exclusive behind the scenes look at the world’s largest operational organ. Tours are approximately 45 minutes in length and lead right up to an organ concert. All participants receive the Macy’s Visitor Savings Pass Voucher. Cost varies based on number of guests.</p>
<p>Whoops, how could I forget the ** Mural Arts Tour!** Did the West tour with local AAUW group. </p>
<p>And, the** Penn Museum**, is a gem, if you are on campus. Wonder if that little Crepe restaurant is in the student center building near that musuem. They were memorable !
[Penn</a> Museum - Penn Museum](<a href=“Page Not Found | 404 - Penn Museum”>http://www.penn.museum/)</p>
<p>SJChessmom, I can remember listening to the Wanamaker organ concerts as a child when my grandmother would take me into the city at Christmas time. Such a shame that Wanamakers and Gimbels, Strawbridge’s and Bambergers et al. no longer exist. When I was a teen in South Jersey, “meet me at the Eagle” was the cry when we’d go to the mall. Ahh, nostalgia!</p>
<p>If the weather is lousy, the Liberty Bell/Constitution Hall part will be a pain, the lines are always long now that there is so much security (back in the day, you could just stroll right up). Nobody has mentioned The US Mint, which is over by the Constitution Center. It has self-guided tours. You can also go visit Franklin’s printshop re-creation (can’t recall the name–somebody help me) in that area, an easy walk. Franklin’s gravesite is on the corner near the mint; the walled cemetary has a wrought-iron fence where his/his wife’s graves are. It’s good luck to throw a penny on them, so it’s usually covered in change. </p>
<p>Academy of Sciences (near the Franklin museum, which is more geared to kids) is lovely. Even the Free Public Library is interesting to walk around if you like architecture. I second the Rodin museum! You can take a ferry across the river & back again from Penn’s Landing directly to the NY Aquarium in Camden, which is a very cool place. OH-- and cheesesteaks are nice, but you need a big soft pretzel too!</p>
<p>Well, don’t despair ** Alwaysamom**. I’m told that famed Christmas light show, is now a sophisticated LED light show, and still dazzling. (I haven’t seen it) Macy’s owns the property now.</p>
<p>The organ has been almost completely restored. thanks to “Friends of the Organ” group, and guest artists perform regularly.
I believe an organist plays daily for short concerts, certainly on weekends. It’s stunning to hear, in that three story, marble atrium.
A nice break from the hubbub of Reading Terminal or Market Street.</p>
<p>My friend and I used to skip school, take the bus/el into center city from the 'burbs and eat in the Wanamaker’s tea room with all the old ladies. Then we would sit in the furniture displays and pretend we were maniquins. Nothing like the old Wanamakers!</p>
<p>Saving all of these great ideas for a future trip to Philadelphia. S2 is at Villanova and we have a couple of more years to visit. Think we’ll be canceling this weekend’s trip…much as we love college football (and ya gotta love football to drive 3-1/2 hours to watch Nova play) and tailgating, this is not the weekend. The original plan was to visit and let S2 tour the grandparents around campus – not a good idea with the inlaws in their 80’s and part-time Florida residents .</p>
<p>If we could get a good hotel deal, I’d push the trip to Sunday-Monday, but the hotel rate just about doubles.</p>
<p>We loved Tony Lukes’ cheesesteaks; S2 prefers Jim’s. Next trip we’ll try DiNic’s roast pork.</p>
<p>Me too! I remember taking a bus downtown into the city with my grandmother to have lunch … All dressed up like a proper little girl should be, with a little fur muff and patent leather mary janes. Do you remember the Christmas shopping thing they would do for kids, where they had a section of the store laid out just for kids, and they’d pin an envelope to you with your money which would indicate what family members you needed gifts for, and you’d get to pick them out and buy them all by yourself in this special section?</p>
.</p>