Many Philadelphians know that, by the end of the 19th century, Philadelphia was known as The Workshop of the World in recognition of its manufacturing dominance in American industry. Far fewer Philadelphians know that, in the early 19th century, Philadelphia was known as The Athens of America. It was home to the oldest intellectual societies in the country, such as The American Philosophical Society, The Library Company of Philadelphia, The Franklin Institute, and The Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia also looked like ancient Athens, with its Greek and neoclassical buildings made of local marble in homage to the Athenian origins of American democracy. While many of these buildings no longer exist, many still do, such as The Merchant’s Exchange, The Second Bank of the United States, The Franklin Institute, and the former University of the Arts. Join us for a tour of ancient Athens in Philadelphia. Our tour guide will be Jim Mundy, the recently retired Historian and Art Curator at The Union League of Philadelphia.
This tour will start at 320 S. Broad Street (formerly University of the Arts) and end in Old City.