Liberty Bell

About

The Liberty Bell hangs in a glass-walled pavilion called the Liberty Bell Center, at 526 Market Street in Philadelphia's Independence National Historical Park. It was cast in 1752 for the Pennsylvania State House, the building now called Independence Hall, and its crack, likely from a repair attempt in the 1840s, is the reason it fell silent. Through the glass behind the bell you can see Independence Hall itself, just across the street.

A visit starts with a security screening, since entry is free and no ticket is required. From there a hallway of exhibits traces the bell's casting, its 1846 repair, and its adoption as a symbol by abolitionists, suffragists, and civil rights leaders. The hallway ends at the bell, which stands behind a low rope barrier with no glass case, so you get a close, unobstructed look. Most people spend fifteen to thirty minutes here, longer if they stop to read the exhibit panels or talk with a ranger.

The Liberty Bell Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with security screening closing five minutes before that (nps.gov, updated January 2026). Admission has no charge. Screening covers bags, pockets, and anything carried under a stroller or wheelchair, and open food or drink containers are not allowed through, though bottles with screw caps are fine.

The center sits inside Philadelphia's compact Historic District, where Independence Hall, Congress Hall, and the Benjamin Franklin Museum are all a short walk away. The Independence Visitor Center at 6th and Market Streets is worth starting at for maps and trip planning. Drivers can park at the AutoPark at Independence Mall, an underground garage beneath the Visitor Center with entrances on 5th and 6th Streets, or at the AutoPark at Olde City on 2nd Street; both charge a fee. The nearest SEPTA Regional Rail stop, Jefferson Station, is about a ten-minute walk away.

Accessibility

The Liberty Bell Center is wheelchair accessible, according to the National Park Service, though the building has no restrooms of its own.

Getting to the door: the center is at 526 Market Street, with the visitor exit at the south end near Chestnut Street. The nearest parking is the AutoPark at Independence Mall, an underground garage under the Independence Visitor Center with entrances on 5th and 6th Streets (fee applies); the park's own materials do not specify how many spaces there are reserved for accessible parking, so call ahead if that matters for your visit.

Inside, the building is a single, level hallway of exhibits that leads to the bell, which is viewed from behind a low rope line rather than a raised platform or glass case, so wheelchair users get the same sightline as everyone else. Everyone, including wheelchair and stroller users, passes through the same security screening, and mobility devices are checked by x-ray or visual inspection along with bags.

There are no restrooms, accessible or otherwise, inside the Liberty Bell Center. The closest ones, including a family restroom, are at the Independence Visitor Center a few minutes away at 6th and Market Streets.

For services: the center's video presentation is open captioned and audio described, and assistive listening devices are available for it. Service animals are permitted in all park buildings. Wheelchairs can be borrowed free of charge at the Ranger's Desk in the Independence Visitor Center, though none are kept at the Bell Center itself, so plan to pick one up first if you'll need it.

Call the park at (215) 965-2305 ahead of your visit to check on specific accommodations, since the website does not publish details on step-free routes beyond "wheelchair accessible," door widths, or designated accessible parking counts.

Checked by Accessible America, August 2026. Report a change

More accessible places in Pennsylvania

• The Franklin Institute (Philadelphia)
• Barnes Foundation (Philadelphia)
• Eastern State Penitentiary (Philadelphia)
• Independence National Historical Park (Philadelphia)
• Mütter Museum (Philadelphia)
• Philadelphia Museum of Art (Philadelphia)

Photo credits

• The cracked Liberty Bell stands in its glass pavilion with Independence Hall visible behind it.: National Park Service Digital Image Archives, Public domain (source)
• The Liberty Bell hangs behind a low rope line, with Independence Hall visible through the glass wall behind it.: National Park Service, Public domain (U.S. National Park Service)
• Liberty Bell - view 2 of accessible destination: National Park Service, Public domain (U.S. National Park Service)
• Independence Hall's clock tower rises above a flat brick plaza near the Liberty Bell.: Myotus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)