Historic Philadelphia

Stroll through Philadelphia’s historic district
any day during the summer and you’re liable to
bump into a cordwainer. A tinker. Or perhaps a
colonial soldier, a boarding house mistress, or a
Tory who espouses loyalty to the king.
Since 1994 Historic Philadelphia, Inc. (HPI)
has been a key ingredient in the growth of the
city’s tourism market. Combining live historic
reenactments with a solid promotion and
marketing effort, HPI has helped make
Philadelphia’s historic district not only “America’s
most historic square mile” but also one of its most
interesting and entertaining. The goal is to create
activities and programs that entice visitors to
venture beyond the Liberty Bell and
Independence Hall, extending the length of their
visit and generating increased revenues to the city.
At its start, HPI sought professional actors
to greet visitors and stage short scenes
detailing life in the colonies. As the programs
evolved and visitors delighted in meeting and
chatting with colonial citizens, HPI gradually
added more and more activities to the
schedule. Each season, actors are put through
several weeks of rigorous training in American
history, script rehearsals and instruction on
how to make modern-day tourists feel at
home in the eighteenth century.
Today, HPI’s programs do more than just
entertain and inform. They invite visitors to
participate in America’s history. Standing
shoulder to shoulder with eighteenth century
Philadelphians, they can join in a protest against
King George’s taxes, voice their concerns about
declaring their independence, learn how to
defend themselves against an attack by the
redcoats or proudly carry the flag of one of the
original thirteen colonies.
As visitors wander Philadelphia’s historic
streets, twenty-first century city life is whisked
away as they encounter the people who
populated one of the eighteenth century’s most
important cities. Staying in colonial character,
the historic re-enactors relate the story of lives
that, while not recorded in the history books,
helped forge America’s freedom.
But the famous names also have their stories
to tell and HPI brings to life many of the
familiar “heroes of history” including Benjamin
Franklin, George Washington, James Forten,
Abigail Adams, Betsy Ross, and others.
HPI also partners with area museums,
staging performances that tell the stories of the
people whose lives are reflected in the Atwater
Kent Museum, African American Museum,
Carpenter’s Hall, Christ Church and the
National Museum of American Jewish History.
As the city’s tourism industry continues to
grow and expand, HPI will also continue to
provide millions of visitors with a glimpse
into America’s most dramatic and important
period in history.
✧
HISTORIC
PHILADELPHIA,
INC.
Above: The rousing sounds of Historic
Philadelphia, Inc.’s fife & drum corps have
visitors marching to the beat.
COURTESY OF OFFICE OF THE CITY REPRESENTATIVE.
Below: Historic Philadelphia, Inc.’s colonial
re-enactors perform one of their trademark
“playlets,” short street theatre performances
that tell tales of life in eighteenth century
Philadelphia.
COURTESY OF GEORGE FEDER.
QUALITY OF LIFE
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