West Philadelphia Legacy Sites

The African Gallery at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology

3260 South Street | (215) 898-4000

The African gallery here is probably the closest you’ll come to visiting an entire continent in one day. Materials on display come from a collection that includes more than 11,000 items from throughout the vast land of Africa. The museum’s annual Celebration of African Cultures and its extensive ancient Egyptian galleries and programs always draw a crowd.

Insider Tip: Make sure you check out their new exhibit Imagine Africa.

Paul Robeson House

4949-4951 Walnut Street | (215) 747-4675 

Renaissance man Paul Robeson was an actor, orator, activist, lawyer, author, linguist, athlete, singer, scholar and human rights activist. Tour the West Philadelphia home where he lived during the last 10 years of his life.

PHILADANCO

9 N. Philadanco Way (40th & Market Streets) | (215) 387-8200 

Joan Myers Brown founded The Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO) in 1970 to provide opportunities for Black dancers. PHILADANCO has since become an internationally sought out contemporary dance company, known for its high-energy performances and exceptionally well-trained precision dancers and eclectic choreography. You can see the company perform at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, located at 260 S. Broad Street, each spring and fall.

Underground Railroad Museum at Belmont Mansion

2000 Belmont Mansion Drive (Fairmount Park) | (215) 878-8844 

With stunning views of the city skyline, the mansion, located atop Belmont Plateau, was the home of well-known abolitionist and early federal Judge Richard Peters. The Women’s Heritage Society offers docent-led and       self-guided tours of the museum Tuesday through Friday and on weekends by appointment.

Insider Fact: Belmont Plateau, referenced in “Summertime” by Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff, is also featured in the duo’s music video. We took DJ Jazzy Jeff back to this spot for the first time in 12 years. Check out the video.

Historic Germantown Legacy Sites

ACES MUSEUM

5801-5803 Germantown Avenue (Historic Germantown) | (215) 842-3742 

The ACES MUSEUM is a rarity, in that its sole purpose is to honor African-American and minority veterans of World War II and their families.  ACES is also home to the Puppets with History and Reenactment Programs. The museum offers free admissionon on Tuesday afternoons.

Cliveden of the National Trust

6401 Germantown Avenue (Historic Germantown)  | (215) 848-1777 

Home to the wealthy and influential Chew family and the scene of the Revolutionary Battle of Germantown in 1777, Cliveden offers guided tours of the mansion. New research into Chew’s papers reveals much about slavery and the daily life on Northern plantations.

Concord School House and Upper Burying Ground

6309 Germantown Avenue (Historic Germantown)  | (215) 844-1683 

By the 1850s, African Americans had begun to rent this first English-language schoolroom to teach penmanship and host meetings to advance the abolitionist cause and education for African Americans. Tour this original one-room schoolhouse.

Insider’s Tip: Make time to tour the burying ground outside of the schoolhouse, which is the final resting place of soldiers of the American Revolution, the War of 1812 and the Mexican War.

Johnson House Historic Site

6306 Germantown Avenue (Historic Germantown)  | (215) 438-1768 

The Johnson House Historic Site is a certified station stop on the Underground Railroad, where archaeologists recently discovered an attic trap door that hid freedom seekers. Visitors can see the door and other unique features of the house during guided tours.

Deschler-Morris House

The Germantown White House

5442 Germantown Avenue | (215) 597-7130 

While many people look to Washington D.C. as the original White House, those in the know know that Philadelphia is home to the oldest presidential residence in the United States.  The Deschler-Morris House was the summer home of President George Washington and after an extensive renovation, now features multimedia components that allow visitors to get a glimpse into the private life of the nation’s first commander-in-chief.