Museums—Asian, European and contemporary American art and furniture at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; cultural artifacts at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology; the remarkable impressionist collection at The Barnes Foundation; sculpture at the Rodin Museum; science and learning at the Franklin Institute; Grover Cleveland's tumor at the Mutter Museum.

Memorable Meals—Upscale French cuisine at Le Bec-Fin; anything on the menu at Buddakan; Philly cheesesteaks at Pat's or Jim's; soft pretzels topped with mustard, a street tradition dating from the 1820s; smoked pork at smoky-sexy Alma de Cuba.

Late Night—Upscale alternative rock at Live at the World Cafe; blues at Warmdaddy's; loud live rock at The Khyber; cool DJs at Transit.

Walks—Through Independence National Historical Park to see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and the National Constitution Center; Penn's Landing (along the Delaware waterfront); in and around City Hall; through the Italian Market below South Street along Ninth; along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to some of the city's best museums; in and around Rittenhouse and Washington squares for a step back in time; Society Hill to see Pennsylvania Hospital's majestic 19th-century operating-room amphitheater.

Especially for Kids—The Philadelphia Zoo; interactive exhibits at the Please Touch Museum; touching a shark at the Adventure Aquarium; the USS New Jersey, the most decorated battleship in the U.S., along the Camden Waterfront; Camden Children's Garden; the walk-through model of the human heart at the Franklin Institute Science Museum; a visit to "Cockroach Kitchen" at the Philadelphia Insectarium.

Thanks to William Penn's decision to plan Philadelphia as a grid, it's one of the easiest cities to navigate in the eastern U.S. You do have to understand the numbering and naming system, though. In Center City, all numbered streets are one-way. East of Broad Street (also known as "14th Street" and the "Avenue of the Arts"), odd-numbered streets run south to north, even-numbered streets north to south. West of Broad Street, odd-numbered streets run north to south, even-numbered streets south to north. Market Street is the dividing line between north and south addresses. In the downtown area, most major streets running east to west are named after trees (for example, Chestnut, Walnut, Locust, Spruce). They, too, alternate directions as one-way streets. (Locating an address is simple: 1918 Locust, for instance, would be between 19th and 20th streets.)

America's heritage began in Philadelphia with a concentration of key events in the area that is now Independence National Historical Park. The U.S. Constitution was written there, and the Declaration of Independence was signed and presented to the citizenry on that historic plaza. Following the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788, the city served as the nation's capital from 1790 until 1800, and the infant U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court all met on that block.

During the 19th century, the city grew, annexing parts of the countryside, including Fairmount Park—where wealthy Philadelphians built beautiful mansions to escape yellow fever.

The city also became an industrial force in the early 1900s, but its industrial growth began to decline after World War II. Philadelphia experienced a cultural resurgence in the 1970s, spurred in part by the country's 1976 bicentennial celebration. The city still pursues its renewal programs in neighborhoods such as Old City, which booms with burgeoning residential property, shops and cultural venues. Philadelphia's historical legacy continues to attract tourists even as it benefits from an infusion of new business and economic energy, thanks to the high-tech industry. And the economy holds its own among the nation's major cities.

A city of firsts, Philadelphia is home to the nation's first grammar school, public library, volunteer fire department, hospital, university and zoo.

Philadelphia's "Get your history straight and your nightlife gay" was the first tourism campaign to promote a U.S. city to the gay market. The campaign won national accolades.

Famous Philadelphians include actors Kevin Bacon and Will Smith, singers Ethel Waters and Patti LaBelle, comedian Bill Cosby, basketball legend Wilt Chamberlin, and rock 'n' roll musicians Bill Haley and Chubby Checker.

American Bandstand was the first television show set in Philadelphia; it debuted in 1952 and was broadcast for 30 years.

Although the Liberty Bell was cast in 1753, it wasn't called the Liberty Bell until 1853. Abolitionists gave it that name after adopting it as their symbol. The inscription on the bell is taken from the Bible: "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof."

After visiting Philly, Charles Dickens wrote in his American Notes (1842): "It is a handsome city, but distractingly regular. After walking about it for an hour or two, I felt that I would have given the world for a crooked street." Even then, Philadelphia always was an easy city to learn.

If you want a taste of nightlife the way our Founding Fathers experienced it, order a glass of Madeira—a Portuguese drink that resembles wine and brandy mixed together. It was flavorful and had a long shelf life, and some of Philadelphia's most elite citizens imported Madeira as a sideline.