Colonial · 3 blocks from Society Hill Hotel
Betsy Ross House
The Betsy Ross House is a small 18th-century rowhouse at 239 Arch Street, three blocks from Society Hill Hotel. Whether Betsy Ross actually sewed the first American flag is a matter of historical debate — what's not debated is that she worked as an upholsterer here, made flags for the Pennsylvania State Navy, and lived through the Revolution on this block.
Walking distance
5 min on foot
3 blocks from 301 Chestnut
Address
239 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Hours
Typically open daily 10:00 AM–5:00 PM, with reduced winter hours. Check historicphiladelphia.org for the current schedule.
Admission
Paid admission — adult around $7 at last check; youth and senior discounts available.
Hours and admission change seasonally. For the authoritative schedule and any day-of closures, check the official site.
What to expect
What a visit actually looks like.
The tour is self-guided and takes about 30 minutes. You move through the cramped rooms of a working-class Philadelphia home — the shop where she stitched, the parlor, the bedroom — with a live costumed interpreter answering questions in-character as Betsy. The courtyard out back has a small café. It's one of the few surviving examples of what a modest Old City tradesperson's home actually looked like in the 1770s.
A short history.
Elizabeth Griscom Ross (1752–1836) was a working upholsterer who outlived three husbands and ran her business for decades from this address. The story that George Washington visited her in 1776 to commission the first flag comes from her grandson, who recounted it publicly in 1870 — long after the fact and without surviving documents. Historians consider the story unproven but plausible. The house itself was restored in the 1930s and is now owned by the city of Philadelphia.
Tips for visiting
- 01Self-guided — go at your own pace.
- 02The costumed interpreter is worth a few questions; don't skip her.
- 03The courtyard has a café and free wi-fi if you need a break.
- 04Combine with Elfreth's Alley two blocks east for a full morning in colonial residential Old City.
While you’re in the neighborhood
Three more within a few blocks.
Elfreth's Alley
The oldest continuously inhabited residential street in America.
Christ Church
The Episcopal church where Washington, Franklin, and Betsy Ross worshipped.
National Constitution Center
The only museum in the country dedicated to the U.S. Constitution.
Staying in Old City?
Society Hill Hotel is 3 blocks from Betsy Ross House.
Twelve rooms in an 1832 building at 301 Chestnut, in the heart of Old City. Walk everywhere you came to Philadelphia to see — Betsy Ross House is a 5-minute walk from our front door. Mobile keycode check-in. No front desk. Piccolina, a contemporary Italian restaurant, on the ground floor.
- · Walk to Independence Hall in 4 min
- · Restaurant downstairs
- · Mobile check-in, no desk
- · 1832 building, fully restored
Reserve a room
Mobile keycode check-in. No front desk.