Beyond the [Liberty] Bell History Walking Tour

Overview

Calling all curious travelers and nosey locals looking to delve deeper into the city. Are you ready to get into the nitty gritty of our fair and storied city of Philadelphia? Hit all the main sites in historic Old City and Independence Park, but hear it all from the perspectives often minimized by mainstream tourism. Spend an afternoon with us and come hear this fresh take on an Old City Tour of Philadelphia! Walk by Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Elfreth’s Alley, and more historic sites in Old City. Uncover incredible women, indigenous people, people of color, and LGBTQ folks who have made America what it is today.

City: Philadelphia

Sun 13 Apr

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $59.00

Make a reservation

Sun 13 Apr

Starting at $59.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Local guide

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

What To Expect

Washington Square

Hear about William Penn's vision for Philadelphia and our forgotten female founder, Hannah Callowhill Penn.

Liberty Bell Center

Hear our take on the Liberty Bell and what makes is such an iconic symbol in America.

The President's House

Learn about the Controversy of the President's House and hear about Ona Judge's escape from George Washington.

Elfreth's Alley

The oldest continuously lived in street in America!

Betsy Ross House

Hear about the women that have formed Philadelphia

Welcome Park

Hear about William Penn's relationship with the local Indigenous community: the Lenape.

Show 3 more stops

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (70)

expatwoman2015

Jul 2023

Pro: your money supports this unique small-, woman-owned business that is competing against all the other established tour operators in town. They answered the phone. When a problem arose, the owner did come out to handle it herself. Area for improvement: they didn’t seem to have a system set up to ensure their guides actually turn up. Maybe they can fix that for practical and safety (for the guides) reasons. Our guide never came so we waited in the intense sun and heat in Washington Square, unsure what was going on. It wasn’t until we called after the tour was supposed to have started, that we found out there is no system of accountability (check-ins) for the guides. The tour was therefore a half hour late to start and then, for the rest of the time, it felt rushed to end on time since those on the tour had other pre-planned afternoon tours. I had hoped that we would get a bit more “untold stories” history but only about three such longer-form histories were relayed. The rest was: “Here is the Liberty Bell. This is Independence Hall. There is the original Wall Street. Here is so-and-so” without much detail as to the significant contributions from blacks/(former) slaves, POCs or members of the LGBT+ community that were likely critical components of the success (or failure) of those sites. The tour does not even point out that there were trials at Independence Hall for captured slaves, so the fact that the ideal of US independence was signed there that afforded this for some—not all— would have been a terrifically educational and powerful point to make in front of Independence Hall. One stop was more theoretical than grounded in fact. Some NPS bashing happened which sometimes seemed unnecessary. In the end, they refunded half the ticket price for the late start but only after I later inquired if they were willing to take greater responsibility for what happened. Increased proactiveness to make it right with guests would have been appreciated. Overall: the potential for excellence exists and hopefully this was a learning experience for the company.

Response from Host

Jul 2023

Hello! I am sorry that your tour did not go as planned, and that you feel our service did not meet your expectations. Due to a family emergency, your tour guide was not able to give the tour or alert us, which resulted in a delay as we found an alternate guide as quickly as possible (19 minutes!). It was certainly hot and that is why we suggested you wait inside a local cafe, where we offered to buy you anything you’d like. Another guest took us up on offer, which why we got started 10 minutes after the arrival of the guide. You were given the full tour and certainly many more than 3 stories, including: -Hannah Callowhill Penn: our forgotten founder -The Liberty Bell and it’s abolitionist history -The Presidents House controversy -William Penn and his relationship to the Lenape -Chief Tamanend: the great leader -Betsy Ross House and LGBTQ pioneer: Barbara Gittings We certainly know about the history at Independence Hall and the trials. We do not feel that your comment accurately portrays that about 35 minutes of the tour covered topics related to slavery and Philadelphia including: the abolitionist history of Philadelphia, the controversy of the Presidents House, and Ona judge and her escape from George Washington. We are sorry you felt the tour was rushed. We certainly made sure we finished in time for you to get to your next activity on time. You were issued a partial refund to make up for the delay. Emergencies happen and we’re proud that we were able to still show up to deliver the tour, even if it wasn’t perfect. We look forward to hosting you again in the future.

752alisont

Jun 2023

Amazing tour that we (husband and me, ~20 year Phila residents) enjoyed as much as our out-of-town guest did. Our guide, Joey, was so personable and knowledgeable, and was very good at communicating complicated stories in ways that made for deep emotional connections. He was very considerate and asked on several occasions how we were doing - like if we wanted to wander on our own or stay with him (we all wanted to stay with him and hear his stories!), or skip the last site since we were running long (all of us wanted to see the last site!). He was great at bringing out the layers of history and connections across different times and places in the city, and especially at highlighting the stories that mainstream tours overlook. As a historian, I wasn't sure before the tour how much of what he shared would be new to me, but I learned so much, including a lot that I'm excited to share with my students next year. It's clear that Joey loves history and Philadelphia and is eager to share his knowledge. We will definitely return to Beyond the Bell for more tours in the future, and will recommend it to anyone visiting Philly.

Response from Host

Jun 2023

Wow! Thank you for your kind and thoughtful review - I'm so glad the tour resonated with you. Hope to see you on another tour soon!

Lee_E

May 2023

Our Tour Guide Joey was fantastic! We picked this particular tour because of its inclusive nature and we were thrilled to learn new and exciting things about Philadelphia.

Response from Host

May 2023

Thank you for touring with us! So glad you enjoyed your time with Joey!