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Library Hall Review

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Library Hall

Address: 105 S. 5th St., Historic Area, Philadelphia, PA | Map It
Phone: 215/440-3400
www.amphilsoc.org/about/libhall.htm

Category: Libraries
Location: Historic District

Write a review | Avg. member rating: 2.8/5

Fodor's Review:

This 20th-century building is a reconstruction of Franklin's Library Company of Philadelphia, the first public library in the colonies. The American Philosophical Society, one of the country's leading institutions for the study of science, has its library here. The vaults contain such treasures as a copy of the Declaration of Independence handwritten by Thomas Jefferson, William Penn's 1701 Charter of Privileges, and journals from the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1803-06. The library's collection also includes first editions of Newton's Principia Mathematica, Franklin's Experiments and Observations, and Darwin's On the Origin of Species.

Cost: Free
Open: Weekdays 9-4:45

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Member Reviews and Ratings

Reviewed by bachslunch from US on 10/19/08
Another historic building in this area, worth a look in. Contains a few historic items in case display. Has more restrictive hours than some other area attractions.