Chemical Education Today
ACS National Meeting
Philadelphia Story by Lin W. Morris
Historic Philadelphia The city started out along the Delaware River and the area close to it is packed with history. North of Market Street is Betsy Ross’ House at 239 Arch St., 215/686-1252; http:// www.betsyrosshouse.org; Elfreth’s Alley, between Front and 2nd Streets north of Arch Street; the U.S. Mint, bounded by Race and Arch Streets and between 4th and 5th. Founded in 1695, Christ Church, located at 2nd Street north of Market, was known as the nation’s church; worshipers there included Washington, Franklin, and Ross, 215/922-1694; http:// www.oldchristchurch.org. Christ Church Burial Ground, with the graves of Benjamin Franklin and many other Revolutionary figures, is at Arch Street between 4th and 5th, 215/9221695; http://www.oldchristchurch.org/burial. Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Carpenter’s Hall, and many other important sites are now part of Independence National Historic Park (roughly bounded by 2nd, 6th, Walnut, and Arch Streets), 215/965-7676, http://www.nps.gov/
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Photo by Rich Dunoff. Copyright The Academy of Natural Sciences.
The Fall 2004 ACS Meeting provides an opportunity to visit Philadelphia, the city with more American history than any other in our nation. It is the home of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution Hall, the Liberty Bell, Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross; it was the first capital of this nation with the first post office, hospital, zoo, and commercial district. It is a city worth exploring. Start your planning at the Web site of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (http://www.pcvb.org/) or get a print copy of the 132-page Official Visitors Guide by telephoning 215/636-3300; a pocket-sized guide has a condensed “must see” list with street address, phone numbers, and a detailed map. A Virtual Tour of Historical Philadelphia is at http://www.ushistory.org/tour/index.html. The ACS Meeting is headquartered in the Pennsylvania Convention Center at 11th and Arch Streets. The building is connected to the Reading Terminal Market at 12th and Arch Streets (http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/). It is close to City Hall (at Broad and Market Streets) and China Town (to the east). The Gallery shopping center is close by, as is the Fabric Workshop & Museum, 1315 Cherry Street; 215/568-1111; http://www.fabricworkshopandmuseum.org. To the west of the Convention Center is the Parkway/ Museums district. Some of the institutions that it encompasses are the Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, 215/299-1000, http://www.acnatsci.org; the Franklin Institute Science Museum, 20th Street and the Parkway, 215/448-1200, http://www.fi.edu; Please Touch Museum for Children, 219 North 21st Street, 215/963-0667, http://www.pleasetouchmuseum.org; the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th Street and the Parkway, 215/684-7500, http:// www.philamuseum.org and its Rodin Museum at 22nd and the Parkway, http://www.philamuseum.org.
Get an up-close look at dinosaurs at The Academy of Natural Sciences on the Parkway. This natural history museum has been in operation since 1812.
inde/. You can get brochures, maps, and tickets at the Independence Visitor Center, 6th and Market Streets (http:// www.independencevisitorcenter.com). Some of the many sites in the Park are Carpenter’s Hall at 320 Chestnut Street, which hosted meetings of the First Continental Congress, http://www.carpentershall.org. The Liberty Bell (visible 24 hours a day) is on Market Street between 5th and 6th, 215/5978974; http://www.ushistory.org/libertybell/. Independence Hall is just south on Chestnut Street between 5th and 6th; it was the site of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the U.S. Constitution was written; 215/965-7676, http://www.nps.gov/inde/ indep-hall.html. Franklin Court and Franklin Post Office are on Market Street between 3rd and 4th. Adjacent to the National Historic Park are the National Constitution Center at 525 Arch St.; 215/409-6600; http:// www.constitutioncenter.org/index_no_flash.shtml and the National Liberty Museum at 321 Chestnut Street; 215/9252800, 800/822-8487; http://www.libertymuseum.org. The Historic Waterfront District is in the area near the Delaware River and south of Independence Historical Park, and Penn’s Landing is at the Delaware River between Market and Lombard Streets (on Columbus Boulevard), 215/ 922-2FUN; http://www.pennslandingcorp.com/. The Independence Seaport Museum is located in Penn’s Landing, at Walnut Street; 215/925-5439, http://www.phillyseaport.org/ Another of Philadelphia’s important rivers is the Schuylkill. West of the Schuylkill is the University City District (http://www.ucityphila.org) with the campuses of the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. Penn’s Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology has been called an archaeological treasure house; it is located at 3260 South Street, 215/ 898-4000; http://www.museum.upenn.edu/.
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www.JCE.DivCHED.org
City Hall, completed in 1901, is located in the center of the city. This familiar landmark is topped by a statue of William Penn.
Getting around the City You can see the city by bus, shuttle, subway, streetcar, train, trolley, ferry, helicopter, horse-drawn carriage, limo, bicycle, or Harley. A SEPTA Day Pass to travel by bus, train, subway, and streetcar is $5.50; the cash fare is $2. Tickets are on sale at the Independence Visitor Center. More information is at http://www.septa.org or by phone 215/5807800 or 215/580-4000. The PATCO Speedline train connects New Jersey with downtown Philadelphia; it crosses town, runs 24/7, and has parking at some stops. Go to http://www.drpa.org/patco/ or phone 215/922-4600 or 856/772-6900. The purple PHLASH Trolley connects 18 center city attractions with most downtown hotels; it runs from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and costs $1 a trip or $4 for an all-day pass; http://www.gophila.com/phlash/. Tickets may be purchased at the Independence Visitor Center or on the trolley. The RIVERLINK Ferry operates between Penn’s Landing on the Philadelphia side of the Delaware River and
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Photo by Rich Dunoff. Copyright The Franklin Institute Science Museum.
Photo by Comcast-Spectacor. Copyright Philadelphia C&VB.
Chemical Education Today
The Benjamin Franklin National Memorial is in the rotunda of The Franklin Institute Science Museum, North 20th Street and the Parkway.
Camden, NJ; for more information telephone 215/924-LINK or go to http://www.riverlinkferry.org. A CityPass, valid for nine days, includes a trolley tour of the city and admission to the Franklin Institute Science Museum, the National Constitution Center, the Philadelphia Zoo, the Academy of Natural Science, and the Independence Seaport Museum. Tickets ($36 for adults) may be purchased online at http://www.citypass.com or at any of the CityPass attractions. Numerous walking tours are listed in the Visitors’ Guide, complete with detailed maps. A free self-guided walking journey of the historic area (the Constitutional Walking Tour of Philadelphia) will take you to more than 30 historic sites; phone 215/525-1776; http://www.theconstitutional.com/. Walk Philadelphia offers 50 different tours conducted by trained volunteers; 215/625-WALK or go to this Web site: http:// www.centercityphila.org/goingout/tours.aspx. Lin W. Morris is an assistant editor of JCE; lwmorris@ facstaff.wisc.edu.
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