The visitor center was full of info, alot of things to wander thru to see. Its located in the heart…read moreof Independence park, across from the Liberty bell entrance. They had a few staff members that you could more info in needed, free maps available. Clean restrooms, gift shop and a place to sit and enjoy your snacks. I recommend to park in a parking deck and walk or take the bus around the city. Great place to just take a break from your day of touring, we enjoyed!

We just walked through the visitor center on our way to the Christ Church Burial Ground from the…read moreLiberty Bell Center. I think it's meant to be the start of any visit to Independence National Historical Park. We kind of did things in reverse that day. It's where you can stop for maps and attraction information. The park rangers are so very helpful in answering any questions that you may have. There are also interactive exhibits as well as films being shown about the city. The restroom facilities are spacious and clean. There are many photo ops including one with a life-size prop of the furry green Phillies mascot. The gift shop and café was also nice to see. It was a nice little break after visiting the Liberty Bell on a hot & sunny day. I guess you should try to make it your first stop for informational purposes. Although, we found it to be a quiet and restful retreat after a long morning of exploration.

Used to be a great area. Now they have entrapping traffic cams on NE Turnpike Extensionread more

This is a beautiful visitor's center. It has plenty of parking, and was so nicely decorated for the…read moreholidays! My cousin had her winter recital in here which was beautiful!

This is a fantastic welcome center, highly recommend visiting. Pretty easy to get to off of the…read morehighway. There are restarants inside and a dunkin donuts, and a large souveneir shop. There are restrooms, they are clean. There are plenty of informational packets about things to do in the surrounding areas. We stopped at several welcome centers on our east coast trip, but this one was a top 2. There is also a hidden geocache.

I frequent the Biden Welcome Center whenever I'm passing thru, and each experience is always…read morepleasant. This "Welcome Center" is quite spacious, with quite a variety of vendors for all your needs. Some of my favorite? A Dunkins, a Panda Express, and even a Wendy's! The restrooms here are not "Bucees" clean (but c'mon who can compete??), but compared to other pit-stops, this place is second-tier. A great place to stretch, walk-around, and recharge for the remainder of your trip. This round --- I only stayed for about 15-20 minutes, and decided to try the new "Applegreen Tap&Go" Coffee Stations. One is located at the very entrance of the building, and one towards the back (near the food court). I ordered an "Iced White Mocha", and was pleasantly surprised by the quality. It did what I want coffee to do, taste good and have caffeine! In any case, if you're in Delaware, make it a point to stop-by!

Washington Crossing Historic Park in Bucks County is a cool destination for history buffs and…read moreoutdoor enthusiasts alike. I've often walked the tow path from Yardley to the park and back, which is a great little hike and quite beautiful. The park commemorates George Washington's legendary 1776 crossing of the Delaware River during the Revolutionary War, where he and his troops marched on Trenton and captured the town from British allied Hessian soldiers. It features well preserved historical landmarks and a bunch of exhibits. Visitors can explore the visitor center's museum, which showcases artifacts, interactive displays and there's also a short film detailing the historic event. The park also offers guided tours of the McConkey Ferry Inn and other 18th century buildings, providing a glimpse into colonial life. I also have to mention the annual re-enactment of Washington's crossing, which is a must-see in my opinion. Overall, this is a very nice community asset and cheers to local residents who keep it vibrant and engaging after all these years.

(Note: This review is for the Thompson-Neely Section of Washington Crossing Historical Park, since…read moreI didn't have time to visit the main section! Washington Crossing Historic Park is more than 500 acres, and it has several sections.) The Thompson-Neely Section includes the Thompson-Neely Bridge, the Thompson-Neely House, the Thompson-Neely Grist Mill, and a memorial cemetery (graves of Washington Crossing soldiers). The Thompson-Neely House and grounds served as an encampment site for part of the Continental Army in December 1776. So there's a lot of history here, and you can walk along the Delaware Canal Towpath to each of the sites in this section. It's perhaps not as organized as the main section of the park; there's no visitor center in this section, but it's not too complicated - there's parking near the General Sullivan Pavilion and the house and grist mill, and then you can wander to each of the sites. (I don't recall a map of the section anywhere, but each site is on Google Maps, and that's what I used to make my way between them.) I was at the park in the late afternoon, and I don't think the house or grist mill was open, but I enjoyed walking along the towpath to the memorial cemetery, the bridge, and to see the exterior of the house and grist mill. New Hope has a lot to offer, but Washington Crossing Historical Park is great to include on your itinerary for exploring the area if you want to take in a little local/regional/American history!

Philadelphia, PA - this is a review for the City Hall Tower Tour. I'm irresistibly attracted to…read moreobservation decks and old towers, so when I discovered that Philadelphia's City Hall doesn't just offer building tours but also a panoramic Tower Tour from atop its clock tower, I didn't question whether I really NEED to see the bird's eye view of yet another city. Located just a short walk from my hotel and something I can squeeze in before check-out, well that sealed it. The tour is very intimate, as each group maxes out at four people, owing to the tower's narrow dimensions, so you're basically on a private tour. There are plenty of time slots however, as the tour departs every 15 minutes, but booking in advance is highly recommended if not imperative (isn't everything these days!). It is only available Monday-Friday from 10am-2:45pm cos, government building. The experience was wonderful from top to bottom. The ladies in the visitor center were so nice and chatted with us as we waited for the tour to begin, and even gave my kiddo a pair of binoculars which he clutched onto with excitement and didn't put down for the rest of the day. Our guide Kim was genuinely warm, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable. She took our photos, kept things interesting, and capped it all off with an awesome list of insidery tips about what to do and see - places I hadn't even known about. I've done several dozen observation towers around the world and they never get old. This one's a departure from the usual glossy skyscraper presentation with a slick immersive elevator ride (in fact the elevator ride's pretty rickety), but if you like history and high places, and the luxury of zero crowds, this is a cool hidden gem.

Came here for a tower tour and my guide was so helpful! The tour is pretty short and because the…read moreage and usage of the building is scattered, it's a little rough around the edges but the guides know their stuff and you can tell they enjoy their jobs. Beautiful views from the top!

It's a tiny state forest in comparison to other places in America, especially out west and in New…read moreEngland, but for NJ citizens it is a nice respite from the congested areas of the state. I've been here multiple times whether driving through on my way down the shore, or hiking the Batona Trail, or most recently, camping at the lone campground close to the park HQ. We had campsite #60 which is on the edge of the campground so it's a little more secluded. The best and most secluded spots in my opinion are 66, 59 and 58. The campground has indoor flush toilets and showers, as well as several hand pumped water wells throughout. Each campsite has a picnic table, a fire ring, and a hook to hang trash bags from. Brendan T Byrne State Forest is a small part of the Pinelands which is a U.S. Biosphere Reserve due to its biodiversity and was designated as the country's first National Reserve by Congress in 1978. The Pinelands is a beautiful area of New Jersey and well worth exploring, and this state forest is a great spot to do it, with its many trails, ponds, streams and dirt roads.

This state park is in the Pine Barrens... I've been here many times... It has quite a few trails…read moreand Pakim Pond area of the park... It also has RV and travel trailer areas to enjoy... They don't provide electricity, so you'll have to do some boondocking.... But they don't offer showers and toilets within walking distance... They also have a dump station that may or may not be locked... Jersey residents get a discount...

It's a must see national park. You don't have to love history to enjoy it, but there's certainly a…read morelot to learn here. Honestly though, I would have been just as happy to spend a whole day driving to each stop and walking along the trails. There's never enough time to do it all. There's a number of ways to see it. We booked a small-group tour out of Philadelphia on a beautiful day in September. You can tour it on your own (by car) or book the trolley tour. The National Park Service app is very helpful if you're going the self-guided route. It also gives you closure alerts and the time & place of events throughout the day. The musket firing demonstration just happened to be offered that day. It was one of the highlights of our visit. I won't get into details since I've already reviewed each stop separately. Just know that it was just as fun driving over the Knox bridge and seeing wildlife near the roads along the meadows and creek. We saw a couple of white-tailed deer as well as a cute little spotted fawn that looked like Bambi. That was another highlight for us. The historical houses, monuments, redoubts, and replica huts are scattered throughout Valley Forge. There are bridges and trails along Valley Creek and the Schuylkill River for hikers and nature lovers. We saw many people enjoying the walk. Their dogs were loving it too. It truly was a fun day for all. Don't miss it!

The total package! Valley Forge National Historic park offers the history, the scenery, its hands…read moreon and educational, the photo opps, and it's great for work outs with biking running/walking or hiking. Can't ask for more as you're able to spend a perfect day at this park. The welcome center is a great start as they offer a great orientation video in a large theater that runs often. Then you can tour the museum for little bit of more history to absorb in! Gift shop offers great souvenirs! The park is clean and easy to get around as you may go at your own pace in your own car touring the park stopping at attractions. The map is easy to use and follow. Or you can purchase an audio tour or rent bikes. Love the history and the information provided. Great attractions that makes you feel in the moment when visiting. Love George Washington's quarters and the barracks around the park along with the artillery park. Hands down one of the best major attractions that you must visit when in the area.

Spend an hour or 3 or 4 :) what a gem! Walking hiking…read morebirding is fantastic especially at dawn and dusk!

This place is awesome. So serene and peaceful. It is easy to get to and well marked with signage…read more It is also known as the Great Swamp Visitors Center. They have a huge parking lot and it was so easy to park there. They have a pavilion on with picnic tables, two small educational trails behind the pavilion (less than 1/2 a mile each) and a larger trail (White Oak Trail) directly across the street. The trails are nice and very calming. They have benches along the route where you can take a break. I really liked the White Oak Trail, but all of them are really good for walking, as a more scenic alternative to walking on a track. All of those trails are circular-ish, meaning you will end up where you started, so there is no need to turn around. They are also pretty well maintained, especially considering that we are in the middle of a pandemic. Word to the wise. Don't forget your bug spray. They are not too bad and I survived without it, but it is one less thing to worry about. During the pandemic the visitor center and the restrooms are closed but this place is still awesome.

Opens at 6 am. Clean and easy. It also has a place to ask questions about Easy Pass but that opens…read morea bit later.

Signs say you can only be here for 2 hours before your car gets towed. I believe that This is…read moreafter paying a toll. Also, there are no available restrooms here. I am sure rest areas are having their issues but is it really a true rest area if you can truly rest? Thankful it is open at all but it seems a bit much of an unnecessary restriction