Philadelphia and the Countryside - Press Room

Visitors to Philadelphia can choose from an assortment of options to explore the region, including those of the air, automotive, audio, culinary, self-guided and water-based varieties. And the sightseeing fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. Those who come out at night can join tours that feature behind-the-scenes action and even spirits from beyond. Here’s a selection of tours available throughout the region:

History Lessons By Day & Night:

• The Constitutional Walking Tour of Philadelphia – Visitors get an up-close look at history during this 75-minute walking tour to more than 20 sites. The tour runs daily from

In 2012, two big exhibits bring even more religious insight to Greater Philadelphia—a leader in providing spiritual freedom back when it was a novel idea. The largest and most comprehensive display of the biblical Dead Sea Scrolls ever displayed in the United States comes to The Franklin Institute, May 12-October 14. The 20-scroll Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Biblical Times contains the books of Genesis, Leviticus, Exodus and other books and non-biblical writings. Just 45 minutes away, the James A. Michener Art Museum welcomes Offering of the Angels: Treasures from the Uffizi Gallery, April 21-August 10. Incomparable works

In 2011, Philadelphians benefited from the creation of two public green spaces so visually, recreationally and environmentally significant that they transformed the city’s eastern and western riverbanks.

First, the former Pier 11 reopened as the Race Street Pier, a tree-lined park split into two levels. The upper level boasts an expansive sky promenade, and the lower terrace supports a lawn with generous seating and social space. Penn Park, an urban open space being built by The University of Pennsylvania, debuted along the Schuylkill River in the fall. The 24-acre park added athletic venues and areas for informal outdoor recreation and

Laid out into a neat grid by city planner William Penn, Philadelphia naturally lends itself to smart design. Visitors can wander from the glittering Avenue of the Arts to the workaday Italian Market and from the cozy cobblestone streets of Old City to the industrial and hip sidewalks of Northern Liberties. Two hundred-year-old buildings mingle with modernist structures. Huge warehouses are reborn as chic lofts. Invention and reinvention are key. This easy itinerary, available at www.gophila.com, offers a glimpse of Philadelphia’s finest design—but feel free to stray to wherever your eyes may lead you.

LOCATION: Philadelphia’s neighborhoods

TRANSPORTATION: Feet, public

Philadelphia has recently seen the addition of three major new buildings, the Comcast Center (standing 57 stories high but still under construction), the Cira Centre and the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman building. These architectural additions, along with other modern constructions, blend with Colonial-style buildings as well as structures from eras in between to give the city a distinguished look. The architectural heritage of more than 300 years is visible throughout the city and region with outstanding examples of every type of building and virtually every architectural style found in the United States. Almost 100 buildings