Colonial · 2 blocks from Society Hill Hotel
Christ Church
Christ Church is an active Episcopal parish founded in 1695. Fifteen signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution worshipped here, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Betsy Ross. The current building, completed in 1744, is considered one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in North America. Two blocks from Society Hill Hotel.
Walking distance
3 min on foot
2 blocks from 301 Chestnut
Address
20 N American St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Hours
Church open for visits most weekdays and Saturdays, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM (reduced winter). Burial ground open March–November. Check christchurchphila.org.
Admission
Church: suggested donation. Burial ground: small admission charge (around $5 adult).
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.
Two separate visits are possible: the church itself on 2nd Street (short self-guided visits or Sunday services) and the Christ Church Burial Ground three blocks west at 5th and Arch, where Benjamin Franklin is buried along with four other signers of the Declaration. At the church, the 1744 interior is largely intact — original box pews, a marble baptismal font dating to 1697, and a sounding board over the pulpit inscribed with the date '1708.' The steeple was the tallest structure in British America until 1810.
A short history.
Christ Church was the Anglican (later Episcopal) church of early Philadelphia. Because Philadelphia was the nation's capital from 1790 to 1800, presidents Washington and Adams attended services here. Franklin's funeral in 1790 drew an estimated 20,000 mourners — roughly half the city's population at the time. The burial ground, in active use since 1719, is the resting place of Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Rush, Francis Hopkinson, Joseph Hewes, and George Ross.
Tips for visiting
- 01Free to visit the church during daytime open hours; suggested donation $5.
- 02The burial ground (5th & Arch) is a separate site with its own admission; ask at the visitor entrance.
- 03Services Sundays — check christchurchphila.org for times; visitors welcome.
- 04Franklin's grave is near the burial ground entrance; tradition is to toss a penny on the stone.
While you’re in the neighborhood
Three more within a few blocks.
Staying in Old City?
Society Hill Hotel is 2 blocks from Christ Church.
Twelve rooms in an 1832 building at 301 Chestnut, in the heart of Old City. Walk everywhere you came to Philadelphia to see — Christ Church is a 3-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.