Colonial · 4 blocks from Society Hill Hotel
Elfreth's Alley
Elfreth's Alley is a narrow cobblestone lane between 2nd Street and Front Street, lined with 32 row houses built between 1720 and 1830. It is the oldest continuously inhabited residential street in the United States. Four blocks from Society Hill Hotel, 6 minutes on foot.
Walking distance
6 min on foot
4 blocks from 301 Chestnut
Address
126 Elfreth's Aly, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Hours
Alley itself: always open. Museum at #126: typically Friday–Sunday 12:00 PM–5:00 PM, reduced in winter. Check elfrethsalley.org.
Admission
Walking the alley is free. Museum house admission 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.
The alley itself is a public street — free to walk any time of day. Thirty-one of the houses are private residences (people live here); one, #126, is the Elfreth's Alley Museum, a restored 18th-century tradesperson's home you can tour. The alley is most photogenic in early morning or late afternoon when the low light catches the brick and shutters. Two annual events — Fete Day in June and Deck the Alley in December — open several private homes to the public.
A short history.
Named for Jeremiah Elfreth, an 18th-century blacksmith who owned several properties here, the alley predates the American Revolution and survived nearly three centuries of Philadelphia's churn — the yellow fever epidemics, industrial expansion, 20th-century decline, and urban renewal that leveled blocks of old Philadelphia in the 1950s. Residents organized to preserve it in 1934, and it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966.
Tips for visiting
- 01Free to walk; open 24/7.
- 02Be quiet — people actually live here.
- 03The museum house (#126) is a small, inexpensive tour worth the 20 minutes.
- 04Go in the early morning for photos without crowds or tourists.
- 05June's Fete Day and December's 'Deck the Alley' are the two days homes open to the public.
While you’re in the neighborhood
Three more within a few blocks.
Staying in Old City?
Society Hill Hotel is 4 blocks from Elfreth's Alley.
Twelve rooms in an 1832 building at 301 Chestnut, in the heart of Old City. Walk everywhere you came to Philadelphia to see — Elfreth's Alley is a 6-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.