Liberty Bell Center

Your visit to Independence Square begins by passing through security at the Liberty Bell Center. Once through, you see a long brick building with plenty of windows. This is where you will find displays about the history of the Philadelphia area, as well as items made to honor and remember the place of the Liberty Bell in our country's struggle for freedom.

By 1751 the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall), or Capitol, was the most prominent building in British North America. The Pennsylvania Assembly wanted only the best workmen in England to cast the 2000 pound bell. The inscription for the bell must have been chosen carefully, but the reasons for it are lost. The assembly members saw themselves as champions of liberty. Historians have pointed out that the choice of Leviticus, Chapter 25, Verse 10, which begins, "And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year," is perhaps a reference to the 50th anniversary of Pennsylvania's Charter of Privileges (1701 to 1751).

Many prominent Philadelphia citizens are presented here, such as William Penn, the founder of the city. Leave yourself lots of time in your schedule. There is much to see and experience in these rich historical displays.

At the far end of the building, is the Liberty Bell. It looks exactly as depicted in the pictures that follow.