Philly clicks into place fast with one pass. This Go City Philadelphia package is a 1 to 5-day digital admission ticket covering 30+ attractions, including the Big Bus hop-on hop-off tour plus big-name museums and historic stops.

I especially like that it’s easy to use on your phone (or print it at home) and that the Big Bus Blue route gives you a simple way to get oriented without planning every move. My one watch-out: you still need to plan ahead in the app, because some sights need reservations and a few require extra time for connections like the ferry.

Key points before you go

• Big Bus Blue route included: one loop with live narration and 25+ stops you can hop on and off
• Go City app support: your pass syncs in the app after you hit Get ticket
• Historic + interactive museums: Constitution, Revolution, science, and hands-on learning options
• Waterfront day planning matters: the Aquarium and other Camden-side sights connect via the RiverLink ferry
• Big family wins: Philadelphia Zoo and LEGOLAND Discovery Center are both built for kids
• Plan for limited runs: bus frequency and attraction hours can affect how smoothly your day flows

One digital pass in Philadelphia that actually saves effort

If you want to see a lot of Philadelphia without turning your trip into a spreadsheet, this pass is built for you. It’s sold as a digital pass that covers admission to 30+ attractions over 1, 2, 3, or 5 consecutive calendar days (not rolling 24-hour periods). Your pass activates when you visit your first included attraction, and then it runs for the consecutive days you selected.

The pass is available immediately after order confirmation. You can display it on your mobile device, or download/print it at home. You’ll also use the Go City app for the current attraction list and any reservation needs, since included items can change and some timed entries require pre-booking.

Price and value: when $59 tends to work

At $59 per person, this pass becomes a good deal when you’re planning multiple paid sights, not just one or two. A couple of practical points help you judge the math:

• Many of the included options are full admission attractions (large museums, major historic sites, and the Zoo).
• The Big Bus portion is included, which can cut down on the cost and stress of figuring out transport for multiple neighborhoods.

One family experience noted they visited several major sites in two days (including Eastern State Penitentiary, Franklin Institute, a museum stop, and the Zoo) with no gate hassle and felt the pass was cheaper than buying tickets one by one. That tracks with what usually happens in Philly: museums and attractions add up fast once you commit to a couple.

If you only want a single museum or one historic building, you might do better booking individual tickets. But if you want a packed, flexible plan, this pass is designed for that.

Big Bus Tours Philadelphia: your fast track to orientation

The Big Bus hop-on hop-off tour is a real anchor for the whole experience. You ride the Blue route loop, and you can hop on and off at 25+ stops. There’s live narration by a trained, friendly Philly guide, so you’re not just staring at buildings—you’re getting context as you pass by landmarks, neighborhoods, and food and shopping ideas.

Here’s how it works in the real world:

• The full loop takes about 90 minutes if you stay on the bus end to end.
• If you hop off, you can explore on foot and then jump back on later.
• Buses run frequently from the starting area near 5th and Market streets (East Corner), roughly every 15–20 minutes.

A small caution: the Big Bus can be slower than you expect on some days. Plan your day so you’re not dependent on catching the bus at an exact time, especially if you’re trying to connect from one far-apart stop to another.

Pro tip for comfort: on a hot day, taking the open-air top deck can be great for views and cooling breeze. On cold or rainy days, the covered first level is the safer bet.

Old City and civic Philadelphia: Betsy Ross, the Revolution, and the Constitution Center

This pass makes it easy to build a “founding era” day without feeling rushed.

Betsy Ross House (period rooms + audio storytelling)

Betsy Ross House is a restored home in the historic core, brought back to the period around 1777. You’ll walk through the row house with a self-guided audio tour, learning not just the flag story, but how Betsy Ross turned her upholstery training into a business in Colonial Philadelphia. It’s a focused stop that works well paired with nearby Revolution sites.

Museum of the American Revolution (chronological, hands-on)

If you want context before you see the landmarks, the Museum of the American Revolution is a strong start. It runs in chronological order, taking you from early conflict through key events and documents, plus exhibits on how daily life looked under British rule and how unrest escalated.

What I like here is the balance between big picture and details—objects, uniforms, weapons, maps, and manuscripts are part of the experience, not just walls of text.

National Constitution Center (interactive and built for participation)

The National Constitution Center is called Visit. Learn. Debate. and the layout matches that. Expect interactive multimedia exhibits and theatrical elements. Main experiences include Freedom Rising, The Story of We the People, and Signers’ Hall.

Even if you’re not a civics superfan, it’s one of those stops that keeps you moving: you pick experiences, not just one long gallery walk. It’s also a good place to reset your energy between outdoor sightseeing.

Christ Church Burial Ground (quiet, heavy, and historically close)

This self-guided stop is one of the most grounding places you can visit in the area. It’s the burial ground for colonial and Revolution-era figures, including signers of the Declaration of Independence. You’ll see hundreds of markers and multiple vaults tied to prominent Philadelphia families.

It’s shorter than the big museums, so it works as a “breather stop” if you’ve been on your feet all morning.

Bow Tie Tours + Ghost Tours for a guided twist

If you want guidance without committing to a full-day tour, this pass includes:

• Bow Tie Tours Independence Walking Tour: a 75-minute guided walk focused on how the colonies broke away, with stops connected to Independence Hall and major founders. Guides are trained and can answer questions.
• Ghost Tours of Philadelphia (Candlelight Walking Tour): a 75–90 minute evening walk led by a costumed storyteller, focused on sites in Independence Park and Society Hill with stories researched and tied to real historical events.

These two are great contrasts: one teaches civic and founding ideas in daylight; the other puts Philadelphia’s stories in the dark.

Franklin Institute and the Academy of Natural Sciences: indoor wins that feel hands-on

Philadelphia is full of museums, but this pass helps you pick ones that are active, not just observational.

The Franklin Institute (interactive science with big-set experiences)

The Franklin Institute is geared toward kids and adults. It’s built around hands-on science exhibits, plus rotating temporary exhibits and theater experiences. You might get the chance to climb into a fighter jet exhibit, explore the science of sports, and walk through a giant human heart.

Even if you don’t plan every minute, you can dip into the sections that grab you and still feel like you got value.

Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (animals, fossils, and a tropical garden)

This stop adds a nature-and-science edge. You can see dinosaur skeletons, interact with learning areas, and walk through an indoor tropical garden with live butterflies. There are live animal encounters and fossil digging activities, plus a Fossil Prep Lab where staff prepare fossils for study.

If you’re traveling with families, this is one of those places where the learning style matches the fun.

Eastern State Penitentiary: a haunting place with architectural details worth the visit

Eastern State Penitentiary is one of the most emotionally intense stops on the whole package. The site is a National Historic Landmark and a major preserved prison ruin.

What makes it compelling is the design. The cell blocks were built in a wheel-like layout, with running water and central heat present in the earlier structure—before even the White House. You’ll see vaulted ceilings, sky-lit cells, guard towers, and cell rows that feel like they were built to enforce isolation as punishment.

It’s not an entertainment stop, but if you want to understand how ideas about punishment and reform shaped American justice, this is the place to do it. Plan around the full time you’re comfortable with, since the tone is serious and the space is big enough that you’ll keep finding something new.

Philadelphia art giants: Museum of Art, Rodin, Barnes, and Brandywine

Art lovers get a lot of payoff on this pass, and the stops vary in style so you’re not just walking through the same type of museum.

Philadelphia Museum of Art (wide collection + iconic scale)

This museum is huge, with more than 240,000 objects across continents and time periods. You can focus on highlights like Impressionist works, a Japanese Teahouse, an Indian Temple Hall, and Philadelphia connections like Thomas Eakins. If you’re short on time, you’ll want to choose your top 2–3 sections instead of trying to see everything.

Rodin Museum (the sculptor-focused visit)

The Rodin Museum focuses on Auguste Rodin and includes more than 140 bronzes, marbles, and plasters. It’s especially appealing if you want an artist-centered experience with rooms and gardens built around his work.

Barnes Foundation (ensembles that change how you look)

Barnes is a different kind of museum. Its collection includes famous names like Van Gogh, Matisse, and Picasso, but the display approach is what makes it memorable: artworks are grouped into “ensembles” that encourage you to compare light, line, color, and space across time and media.

It’s not just seeing famous paintings—it’s seeing them in a teaching format.

Brandywine Museum (Wyeth family illustration and landscapes)

Brandywine Museum spotlights the Wyeth legacy across N.C., Andrew, and Jamie. If you like American illustration, still life, and landscapes, this stop gives a specific style of art focus.

RiverLink ferry day: Adventure Aquarium plus Battleship New Jersey

If you want a fun, different day that isn’t purely museums, plan your waterfront time around the cross-river connection.

RiverLink Ferry (the simple way across)

RiverLink Ferry is included as a way to explore both sides of the waterfront. The Freedom ferry carries 500+ passengers and gives an easy, scenic transit method between Philadelphia and Camden.

From the Camden side, you can connect to the Adventure Aquarium and Battleship New Jersey. From the Philadelphia side, you can reach Penn’s Landing and nearby waterfront attractions and walk toward the Liberty Bell/Independence Mall area.

Adventure Aquarium (hippos, sharks, touch exhibits)

Adventure Aquarium is known for animals you don’t expect to see in a typical aquarium: hippos, a large shark collection on the East Coast, and even a great hammerhead shark. Expect 8,500+ sea animals and interactive exhibits, including seven touch exhibits where you can get up close with stingrays and other animals.

There are also scheduled enrichment events like hippo feedings and penguin feedings—so check what’s happening the day you go.

Battleship New Jersey (steep stairs, thick history)

Battleship New Jersey is on the Camden Waterfront across from Center City. It’s a floating museum and memorial, and it’s active enough that it feels like you’re touring a real vessel.

You’ll take a self-guided tour with docent support and explore multiple decks and levels. The ship has steep steps and tight spaces, including ladders and narrow passageways, plus interactive elements like climbing into turrets and seeing missile-related areas.

This is a great stop if you want history you can physically move through, not just read about.

Philadelphia Zoo and LEGOLAND: family-friendly choices with real identity

Philadelphia Zoo (Zoo 360 and weather-like moments)

Philadelphia Zoo covers 42 acres with 1,300+ rare, exotic, and endangered species. Zoo 360 is the signature feature: you get treetop walkways and tunnels, suspended mesh viewing where you can see tigers above, and treetop bridges where apes can move overhead.

Even the reptile exhibit includes scheduled thunderstorms to mimic Everglades-like conditions. The vibe here is built for curious kids and patient adults.

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia (ages 3–10 sweet spot)

LEGOLAND Discovery Center is an indoor family attraction with over three million LEGO bricks under one roof. It includes an interactive ride, 4D cinema, and themed play areas.

There’s Miniland with Philly landmarks in LEGO form, a Model Builder Academy, speed-test style areas, and an Earthquake Table challenge. Pirate Adventure Island is a soft-play area that requires you to wear socks.

If you’re visiting during rain or heat, this is a strong fallback plan that still feels like an attraction worth paying for.

Longwood Gardens, Liberty stories, and the museums that round out Philly

A smart pass plan also includes places outside the core museum circuit.

Longwood Gardens (1,077 acres of gardens and water)

Longwood Gardens is a premier horticultural display garden. It spans 1,077 acres with indoor and outdoor sections, formal displays, kid-friendly plant areas, fountain systems, and expansive meadows. If your idea of a vacation includes taking your time, this is where you slow down.

National Liberty Museum (stories of liberty with hands-on moments)

The National Liberty Museum focuses on freedom and civic character themes. You’ll find interactive exhibits, a replica Liberty Bell you can touch and take a picture with (and visitors can have it rung by staff), plus an iPad exhibit with stories and quizzes and a theater film.

African American Museum in Philadelphia (three big themes)

The African American Museum in Philadelphia is built around the African Diaspora, the Philadelphia Story, and Contemporary Narrative. Expect exhibitions that cover family life, civil rights history, arts and entertainment, sports, medicine, architecture, religion, politics, law, and technology.

It’s a major stop when you want Philadelphia history to include the full range of voices.

Independence Seaport Museum (maritime hands-on and real ship access)

This museum ties Philly to rivers and the region’s maritime history. It’s interactive in a family-friendly way, with models, exhibits on shipbuilding and navigation, and hands-on learning.

One highlight is access to two National Historic Landmarks you can tour: Admiral Dewey’s cruiser Olympia and the WWII submarine Becuna. There’s also a life-size model Schooner Diligence you can climb aboard, plus a boat shop where you can watch boatbuilding.

Penn Museum (anthropology and archaeology across the world)

The Penn Museum is a major anthropology and archaeology museum with around one million objects. Signature galleries include Egypt (Sphinx) and Egypt (Mummies), Africa, Canaan and Israel, and more regional collections.

The building itself is part of the experience, with multiple construction phases and features like a Harrison Rotunda and gardens.

Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History (3–2–1 style learning)

This museum covers about 350 years of American Jewish history with hands-on exhibits, interactive displays, and film. It’s designed around universal themes like immigration, worship, hard work, community, and family life, while also keeping the story grounded in American history.

Brandywine and the art focus finishes the loop nicely

After all the science and civic stops, Brandywine brings you back to art in a more traditional, illustration-and-landscape way.

How to plan your days so you don’t burn time

To make this pass feel effortless, use a simple rhythm: cluster neighborhoods and use Big Bus to connect clusters.

Here are planning patterns that match how these places are laid out:

Day 1: Old City civic core + an evening walk

Start with Betsy Ross House and then move into Revolution and Constitution spaces. Finish in the evening with a Ghost Tour if you’re up for candlelight storytelling.

Day 2: Prison + science, then pick your art

Morning at Eastern State Penitentiary, then head into Franklin Institute or the Academy of Natural Sciences. If you want art, slot in a museum like Rodin or Barnes depending on what you’re in the mood for.

Day 3: Waterfront fun day

Use RiverLink Ferry to connect to Adventure Aquarium and Battleship New Jersey. This day is all about doing fewer things per hour and letting the waterfront be the show.

Day 4: Zoo or LEGO (depending on energy)

Philadelphia Zoo is a big physical day. If your group is more energy-packed and younger, LEGOLAND can be a great indoor alternative.

Day 5: Gardens and museums beyond the core

Longwood Gardens is a great capstone day. Then add one or two museums like the African American Museum, Independence Seaport Museum, or Penn Museum depending on how much walking you’re up for.

Common friction points (and how you can avoid them)

This pass is usually smooth, but Philly has a few “real life” issues that can mess up your pacing.

• Ferry and cross-river timing: the Aquarium and other Camden-side stops involve the cross-river connection. Build in time and treat the ferry as part of your schedule, not an afterthought.
• Bus frequency can vary: the Big Bus runs frequently, but some day-to-day timing can drift. Don’t plan a tight transfer where missing one bus would cause you to lose a timed experience.
• App info must match your visit date: some people have run into mismatches with hours or what’s active on specific days. Use the Go City app to verify what’s open and what needs reservations before you commit your time.
• Pass rules are strict: each attraction can only be visited once, and your days are consecutive calendar days after activation. If you activate too early, you can run out of time before you finish what you want.

Should you book the Philadelphia Pass?

Book it if you’re:

• Doing your first Philly visit and want an easy, flexible way to hit major sights
• Planning to visit multiple paid attractions across different neighborhoods
• Traveling with a mix of ages, where you’ll need both museums and family-friendly stops
• The type who likes to plan a rough day plan and adjust on the fly

Skip it if you’re:

• Only interested in one or two attractions
• Relying on a perfectly timed sequence with zero buffer
• Not willing to use the Go City app for verification and reservations when needed

If you do book, your best move is simple: pick 2–3 “anchors” per day (one museum, one historic stop, one fun stop), and let the pass help you fill in the rest without stressing over ticket lines.

FAQ

How long is the Philadelphia Pass valid?

It’s valid for 1, 2, 3, or 5 consecutive calendar days. Your pass activates when you visit your first included attraction, and it remains valid for the number of consecutive days purchased (not 24-hour periods).

Can I use the pass on my phone or do I need to print it?

You can display the digital pass on your mobile device or download/print it at home. The pass is also synced through the Go City app after you hit Get ticket.

What is included with the Big Bus Tours Philadelphia portion?

The pass includes a hop-on hop-off Big Bus Philadelphia tour on the Blue route, with live narration and access to 25+ stops. You can ride the loop (about 90 minutes if you stay on) and hop on and off multiple times.

Do I need reservations for included attractions?

Some attractions require reservations. The Go City app tells you what to pre-book and helps you plan so you don’t show up unprepared.

Does the pass include admission to 30+ activities?

Yes. The digital pass covers admission to 30+ activities across the 1- to 5-day options, with the Go City app listing what’s currently included.

Are any extra upgrades needed at attractions?

Some attractions may offer additional ticket upgrades directly at the attraction. Those upgrades are not stated as included.

Is transportation included between attractions?

Transportation to and from attractions isn’t included unless stated. Some included experiences connect via transit, like the RiverLink Ferry for waterfront-side stops.

What language are the included experiences offered in?

The pass is offered in English.

What happens if I need to cancel?

This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

What’s the maximum group size?

The maximum is 15 travelers.