America West Arilines Flights from Washington (DCA) to Philadelphia (PHL)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on America West Arilines, which operates a daily non-stop flight from Washington (DCA) to Philadelphia (PHL) regularly scheduled to depart at 9:45am and arrive at 10:39am, and 10 additional non-stop flights, departing between 6:00am and 8:50pm on select days of the week. The average travel time from Washington, DC to Philadelphia, PA is 55 minutes.*
* Some flights must connect with additional service on this airline.
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During your Philadelphia vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Independence Hall
Even if you knew nothing about Independence Hall, you could guess that noble and important events took place here. Although these buildings are best known for their national role, they also functioned as the seat of government for the city of Philadelphia and the state of Pennsylvania both before and after Philadelphia was the capital of the U.S. From an architectural standpoint, the edifice is graceful and functional; from the standpoint of history and American myth, it's unforgettable. Independence Square sets you thinking about the bold idea of forming an entirely sovereign state from a set of disparate colonies and about the strength and intelligence of the representatives who gathered here to do it. For some historical context, try the wonderful website of the Independence Hall Association at www.ushistory.org.When the French and Indian War (1754-63) required troops, which required money, King George III believed the colonists should pay for their own defense through taxes. The colonists disagreed, and the idea that the king harbored tyrannical thoughts swept through the Colonies. Philadelphia, as the wealthiest and most cultured of the seacoast cities, was leery of radical proposals of independence. Even Ben Franklin himself, an American agent in London at the time, was wary of this scheme. But the news that British troops had fired on citizens defending their own property in Concord pushed even the most moderate citizens to reconsider what they owed to England and what they deserved as free people endowed with natural rights.The Second Continental Congress convened in May 1775, in the Pennsylvania Assembly Room, to the left of the entrance to Independence Hall. Each colony had its own green baize-covered table, but not much of the original room's furnishings escaped use as firewood when British troops occupied the city in December 1777. The Congress acted quickly, appointing a tall Virginia delegate named George Washington as commander of the Continental Army. After the failure of a last "olive branch" petition, the Congress, through John Adams, instructed each colony's government to reorganize itself as a state. Thomas Jefferson worked on a summary of why the colonists felt that independence was necessary. The resulting Declaration of Independence, wrote noted historian Richard Morris, "lifted the struggle from self-interested arguments over taxation to the exalted plane of human rights." Most of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence used Philip Syng's silver inkstand, which is still in the room. The country first heard the news of the Declaration on July 8 in Independence Square.Before and after the British occupied the city, Independence Hall was the seat of the U.S. national government. Here, the Congress approved ambassadors, pored over budgets, and adopted the Articles of Confederation, a loose and problematic structure for a country composed of states. Congress moved to New York after the war's end, and it grudgingly allowed delegates to recommend changes to the Articles.The delegates who met in the Assembly Room in Philadelphia in 1787 created a new Constitution that has guided the country for more than 200 years. Jefferson's cane rests here, as does a book belonging to Franklin. Washington, as president of the convention, kept order from his famous "Rising Sun Chair." Delegates were mature, urbane (24 of the 42 had lived or worked abroad), and trained to reason, and many had experience drafting state constitutions and laws. They decided on approaches to governance that are familiar today: a bicameral Congress, a single executive, an independent judiciary, and a philosophical belief in government by the people and for the people. No wonder John Adams called the convention "the greatest single effort of national deliberation that the world has ever seen."Across the entrance hall from the Assembly Room, the courtroom served as Pennsylvania's Supreme Court chamber. Like the court at Williamsburg, Virginia, this room exemplifies pre-Bill of Rights justice. For example, your ranger guide will probably point out the tipstaff, a wooden pole with a brass tip that was used to keep onlookers subdued. Other period details include little coal-burning boxes to keep feet warm on chilly days. This was one of the first courtrooms in America to hear the argument that disagreement with a political leader isn't sedition, one of the great concepts in modern Anglo-American law.The stairwell of Independence Hall held the Liberty Bell until 1976. The ranger will conduct you upstairs to the Long Gallery. Now it's set up as a banquet hall with a harpsichord (some of the guides even play) and a rare set of maps of the individual 13 colonies. Its view of Independence Mall is superb.Two smaller rooms adjoin the Long Gallery. To the southwest, the royal governors of Pennsylvania met in council in a setting of opulent blue curtains, silver candlesticks, and a grandfather clock. Beneath a portrait of William Penn, governors met with foreign and Native American delegations, and conducted their everyday business. On the southeast side, the Committee Room fit the whole Pennsylvania Assembly while the Second Continental Congress was meeting downstairs. When it wasn't being used to house the Assembly, it stored the Assembly's reference library or arms for the city militia.As you descend the stairs, look at leafy, calm Independence Square, with its statue of Commodore John Barry. The clerk of the Second Congress, John Nixon, first read the Declaration of Independence here, to a mostly radical and plebeian crowd. (Philadelphia merchants didn't much like the news at first, since it meant a disruption of trade, to say the least.)
The Liberty Bell
You can't leave Philadelphia without seeing the Liberty Bell. The Bell is housed in a new 13,000-square-foot, $12.4 million glass pavilion, 235 feet long and 50 feet wide, angled so you can see it against the backdrop of Independence Hall, but avoiding the brutal modern Penn Mutual skyscraper flanking the Hall.The Liberty Bell, America's symbol of freedom and independence, was commissioned in 1751 for the Pennsylvania State House to mark the 50th anniversary of a notable event: William Penn, who governed Pennsylvania alone under Crown charter terms, decided that free colonists had a right to govern themselves, so he established the Philadelphia Assembly under a new Charter of Privileges. The 2,000-pound bell, cast in England, cracked while it was being tested, and the Philadelphia firm of Pass and Stow recast it by 1753. It hung in Independence Hall to "proclaim liberty throughout the land" as the Declaration of Independence was read aloud to the citizens. In 1777, it survived a trip to an Allentown church so the British wouldn't melt it down for ammunition. The last time it tolled was to celebrate Washington's birthday in 1846. The term Liberty Bell was coined by the abolitionist movement, which recognized the relevance of its inscription, "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof," in the fight against slavery.The new building offers excellent information and interactive exhibits, including an X-ray of the bell's crack and a film produced by the History Channel about how the bell became an international icon of freedom. Language options for the narrative videos range from Russian to Chinese to German.
Pennsylvania Convention Center
With the July 1993 opening of the Pennsylvania Convention Center (PCC), Philadelphia made it clear that the future of the area depends on its ability to welcome tens of thousands of visitors weekly. The statistics are staggering: With 440,000 square feet of exhibit space, the center is larger than 30th Street Station. But what's really great about the $522-million Convention Center is how solid and elegant it is, and how nicely it fits in with its surroundings. Architects Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates shoehorned blocks of brick and limestone between I-76 in the back and Market Street in the front. Though the building is enormous, there is talk of expanding it so that it can host larger groups, and there have been problematic labor disputes with local unions who work the Center and set up for shows and meetings.Unless you're one of the millions the PCC hopes to lure in for a meeting, you'll need to take the public tour for a peek inside, though a walkway between wings of the adjoining Marriott does overlook a section. The highlight is a stupendous Grand Hall on the second level, evoking the train shed and headhouse of the Reading Terminal, which was the first incarnation of this building. Gray and black Mexican marble alternates with waterfalls, steel, and terrazzo, plus huge granite pylons for heating and cooling the mammoth space. Judy Pfaff's vast, kaleidoscopic Cirque extends airy steel and aluminum tubes over 70,000 square feet of space. Esplanades and corridors contain a veritable museum of 52 living artists (35 from Philadelphia) in one of the most successful public art projects of our time. In 1995, the Market Street entrance, the original Reading Railroad facade, was restored, with an escalator up to the Train Shed. The Marriott next door has a skywalk into the Great Hall. The 37-foot rotating electric guitar, tucked into the southwest corner outside, signals the popular Hard Rock Cafe. If you don't want to dine at Hard Rock, head for the beers and burgers of the Independence Brew Pub. And don't forget that Reading Terminal Market is downstairs.
Chamounix Hostel Mansion
The oldest building offering accommodations in town, this renovated 1802 Quaker farmhouse is also the cheapest. Chamounix Mansion is a Federal-style edifice constructed as a country retreat at what is now the upper end of Fairmount Park. It has six air-conditioned dormitory rooms for 44 people, with limited family arrangements, and another 37 spots in a fully renovated adjoining carriage house. Guests have use of the renovated self-serve kitchen, the TV/VCR lounge, free videos, and bicycles. Write or call ahead for reservations, since the hostel is often 90% booked in summer by groups of boat crews or foreign students. You can check in daily from between 4:30pm and midnight (which is the hostel's curfew) and show an American Youth Hostel card or IYHF card for member rates. Checkout is from 8 to 11am. Call AYH directly at tel. 215/925-6004 for information on hostel trips in the area.
Holiday Inn Independence Mall
This eight-floor Holiday Inn, set back from the street, is the closest you can sleep to the Liberty Bell -- just turn the corner and you're at the pavilion that houses it. A renovation of the bedrooms and public spaces 5 years ago, and the addition of dataports, voice mail, and a concierge have given it a "commendable" rating within the Holiday Inn organization. Rooms are standard size and decor.
Omni Hotel at Independence Park
This small, polished hotel, opened in 1990, has a terrific location fronting onto Independence National Historical Park, and is near many of the best Old City restaurants and galleries. All rooms have park views and were recently renovated, though there's a sense of history, too, as horse-drawn carriages clip-clop past the valet parking drop-off and elegant glass-and-steel canopy. The lobby is classic, with huge vases of flowers, and a clubby adjacent bar featuring a pianist. Every room is cheery, with plants and original pastels of city views. The staff here is noteworthy for its quality and its knowledge of the park. The hotel's Azalea serves New American fare. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner, and the comfortable lounge serves excellent hamburgers and light pastas. The Ritz Five movie theater is next door in the Bourse complex.
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Other direct flights to Philadelphia (PHL) on America West Arilines
