Rebecca and Joey of Beyond the Bell Tours were both extraordinarily friendly and extremely knowledgable about Philadelphia’s history. I thought they did a fantastic job of conveying the real and complex history of the Liberty Bell in a nontraditional way. Instead of having us go in to see the Liberty Bell, for example, they encouraged us to observe the setup of the area, notice where people were congregating and what they were paying attention to, and talk to folks in line about their reasons for visiting the site. It was striking how many people were keen to see a supposedly “important moment in history” without knowing the true background of the Liberty Bell. Overall, I was impressed with their ability to readily and thoughtfully answer any questions, their deep analysis of the Liberty Bell in relation to local abolitionist and Black history, and the way in which they enabled us to think deeply about accessibility and visual coding of aspects of the monument. I would absolutely recommend this tour to anyone who would like to visit the Liberty Bell-- after all, it is an iconic symbol— but who would also like to come away with a much deeper understanding of its local history and context. Fun, engaging, insightful, and extremely important— an absolute must when you’re visiting Philadelphia!