22 | IT’S A PHILLY LIFE


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Philadelphia Packs a Mighty Punch


June 2026


collections of works by Auguste Rodin outside Paris, it’s a peaceful and manageable museum that’s especially appealing if you fancy an art fix without devoting an entire day. Seeing ‘The Thinker’


Andrea McVeigh JETS OFF to the USA, EXPLORING the GASTRONOMY, HISTORY & CULTURE of Philadelphia...


BY ANDREA MCVEIGH


IT had to be done. Ahead of me were the 72 stone ‘Rocky Steps’ leading up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. If you’ve seen the 1976 movie starring Sylvester Stallone you will know just how iconic they are. A symbol of resilience, determination and triumph against all odds, they are the steps that Rocky Balboa raced to the top of, to raise his arms in triumph to the sky, all to the catchy ‘Gonna Fly Now’ soundtrack. I can’t say that, like Rocky, I raced up those steps. Let’s call it a brisk trot. But I made it to the top, and like the dozen or so tourists around me, I bagged my photo op beside the Rocky statue that now stands atop the steps, my fists pumped incelebration


clear blue spring sky, in classic Rocky pose.


towards the


finale of a fun and fascinating Movie and Television Tour of the city from TopDog Tours, that began in downtown Philadelphia. We made our way through streets and squares made famous from big and small screen productions over the decades, including Trading Places, The Sixth Sense and, of course, the 1993 film Philadelphia, for which leading man Tom Hanks won an Oscar. Our tour guide revealed just how often the ‘City of Brotherly Love’ – so nicknamed because the city’s name is derived from the Greek words ‘philia’ meaning love and ‘adelphos’ meaning brother - has appeared on screen. After conquering the steps, my friend


My visit to the Rocky steps was the


and I then toured the magnificent Museum of Art itself. The Museum is more than a backdrop to the Rocky steps and statue, as popular as they are. It’s globally recognised as one of the most renowned art museums in the USA, with a collection that spans 2000 years of artistic achievement. Displayed throughout its sweeping


halls you find everything from European masterpieces to modern American art, via armour, sculpture and decorative arts


2026 is the perfect time to visit Philadelphia. commemorates


Philly’s biggest year yet This


250 years since year America


the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.


It was signed


They’re a great way to get your bearings in a new city, and I highly recommend this one. With 26 stops across a 16-mile journey, we also took in Benjamin Franklin’s grave, theRocky Steps, Rittenhouse Squareshopping district, and City Hall / Love Park where you can stop for a selfie beside


‘Love’ sculpture. Look up and you’ll see a 37-foot-tall bronze statue of William Penn standing atop City Hall, looking over the city which bears his name.


Robert Indiana’s iconic


attractions and history lovers can spend hours around the Old City district, where cobbled streets and red-brick buildings evoke the earliest days of the United States. Elfreth’s Alley reflects this era more than any other place – it’s America’s oldest continuously inhabited residential street, and you can even buy one of these carefully-preserved 18th century homes if you have the budget!


Bring a big apetite


For visitors who enjoy culture, another gem is the Rodin Museum. Home to one of the largest


in the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, right in the city. You can even take a tour of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, where America’s founders – including Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson - signed both the Declaration and the U.S. Constitution, and also see the Liberty Bell,


symbol of American independence.


the


Both are stops on the engaging hop-on,hop-off CitySightseeing Philadelphia bus tour and I’m a big fan of open-top city bus tours in general, so I was keen to do this early on my trip.


After all the sightseeing and souvenir shopping, you’ll have worked up an appetite. And no trip to Philadelphia is complete without tackling its most famous culinary export: the Philly cheesesteak. At heart, it’s a gloriously simple long roll filled with thinly sliced beef cooked on a hot grill, and topped with melted cheese. The cheesesteak is said to date back to the 1930s, when hot dog vendors Pat and Harry Olivieri grilled beef on bread for lunch and caught the attention of passing taxi drivers. Word spread, and a local legend was born. Today, fierce debates continue over where to find the best version – so make sure you try a few and make up your own mind! One great way to sample the cheesesteak – and far more besides – is on a guided food tour with City Food Tours. Its walking tour introduces visitors not only to cheesesteaks but to the wider flavours of the city. Expect to also sample a slice of traditional tomato pie, a delicious square-style pizza topped with rich tomato sauce, as well as soft salty pretzels, another Philly staple. Then there are the sweet treats from family bakeries in Reading Terminal Market, were we ended our tour. Think of Reading Terminal like Belfast’s St.


George’s


Market, but six times the size. Its 80 merchants offer everything from waffles to roast pork sandwiches to the famous maple bacon doughnut from Beilers, in one of America’s oldest and largest public


there’s lots of family-friendly city is easily walkable,


person was a highlight, while the formal gardens outside offer a pleasant pause from city sightseeing. One of Philadelphia’s great strengths as a holiday destination is its variety.


The in


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