Philadelphia City Hall

Philadelphia City Hall

Philadelphia City Hall Tower Credit Paul Loftland

Welcome to Philadelphia City Hall, Philadelphia's seat of government that is considered to be the countries largest municipal building, sitting on 14.5 acres of floor space.

This building has over 700 rooms inside and took over 30 years to complete, a very large task that was completed by John McArthur Jr. The first floor is solid granite 22 feet thick, which helps support the entire brick structure faced with marble. The thing that will probably stick out to you the most upon first glance is the 548 ft tower, the tallest masonry structure in the world without a steel frame support. Atop the tower sits a 27-ton statue of William Penn.

You may also notice the various sculptures carved into the exterior depicting various metaphorical figures, continents, and seasons, all of which were done by Alexander Milne Calder. Take a Tower Guided Tour and you will be able to learn all about the art, architecture, tower itself, and history of the building in general as you take in the unbeatable views of Philly from the observation deck. The elevator ride up will even give you behind the scenes looks at the clock tower! This tour usually runs about 2 hours.

Of course, there is also the Interior Tour, which will fill you in on the history, art, and architecture of interior features, which are no less impressive than the outer. You will see several lavish rooms that look untouched by the time such as the City Council Chamber, Mayor's Reception Room, Conversation Hall, and Supreme Court Room. These tours last about 1.5-2 hours each.