Celebrate America's Birthday In The Birthplace Of Independence

PHILADELPHIA, July 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Independence Visitor Center Corporation (IVCC) and Independence National Historical Park (INHP) are excited to host a diverse selection of programs during INHP's Freedom Week (June 29-July 8) celebrating the Fourth of July.

Independence Hall and Liberty Bell Center (Open daily, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell Center will be open normal operating hours from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Timed-tickets are required to tour Independence Hall every day except July 4. Timed-tickets can be picked up at the Independence Visitor Center or reserved online at www.nps.gov/inde. No tickets are needed to visit Independence Hall on July 4. Tickets are never required for the Liberty Bell Center.

Extended Hours at the Independence Visitor Center (July 3-6, 8:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.)
The Independence Visitor Center is gearing up to welcome those celebrating Independence Day in Philadelphia's Historic District. Located at 6^th and Market Streets, the Visitor Center will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. from July 3-6. Normal summer hours of operation resume on July 7 and are from 8:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. daily through Labor Day.

Celebrate America's Birthday with Termini Bros. Bakery (July 4, 1:00 p.m.)
The Independence Visitor Center is excited to host Termini Brothers Bakery for the second year in a row as we celebrate America's Birthday on July 4 at 1:00 p.m. Termini Bros., a third generation family run business, was founded by Gaetano and Giuseppe Termini who came to Philadelphia from Enna, Sicily in 1921. The Termini Family is excited to share their story of American freedom and celebrate Independence Day at the Visitor Center. As if you were at Termini's main location in South Philadelphia, they will bring the same exceptional customer service and signature Termini Bros. experience to the historic district. In addition to a custom designed five-tier cake, Termini Bros. will give-away 2,500 cupcakes for all visitors to enjoy!

For more information about the event, visit PHLvisitorcenter.com.

Additional Visitor Center and INHP activities include:
The Second Bank of the U.S. will host two interpretive programs the weekend leading up to Independence Day. What Does it Mean? The Declaration of Independence as Political Rhetoric invites visitors to learn the historical background of the Declaration of Independence and will take place on June 29 from 3:00 – 3:30 p.m. How We Celebrate, a program presenting the history of the Independence Day celebrations, will take place on June 30 from 3:00 – 3:30 p.m.

Join Peter Nero and the Philly POPS! as they celebrate America's birthday in front of Independence Hall with a free, patriotic concert that will entertain the whole family. Pops! On Independence will take place on July 3 at 8:00 p.m.

Celebration of Freedom, a patriotic ceremony full of music, speeches and readings of excerpts from the Declaration of Independence will take place on July 4 from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. just steps from Independence Hall. Immediately following the ceremony, experience the Philadelphia Independence Day Parade which kicks off at 11:00 a.m.

A Colonial reenactment of the reading of the Declaration of Independence will take place on July 4 at 9:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Independence Mall next to the Visitor Center. The reading will be performed by costumed performers and re-enactors with a fife and drum accompaniment.

Let Freedom Ring, a ceremony of inspiring music and patriotic presentations on Independence Square is on July 4 and begins following the parade at 1:00 p.m. The ceremony will conclude with a symbolic tapping of the Liberty Bell at 2:00 p.m. The ceremony begins on Independence Square (outside secure area between Walnut and Chestnut Streets and 5^th and 6^th Streets) at 1:00 p.m. and continues inside the Liberty Bell Center at 1:45 p.m. for the Liberty Bell tapping. This program is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Society Sons of the Revolution and the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Extended Hours at Crosswalk Cafe (July 3-6, 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.)
Located across the lawn from the Visitor Center, Crosswalk Cafe offers light bites and refreshments. The cafe will be open 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. from July 3-6. On July 7, Crosswalk Cafe will resume normal summer operating hours, 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. daily through Labor Day.

More Fourth of July Events
Wawa Welcome America! is also hosting events on Independence Mall throughout the week and on July 4:

• Go 4^th and Learn History (July 2)
• Wawa Hoagie Day (July 2)

Visit http://www.welcomeamerica.com/ for more information.

The celebration continues in Independence National Historical Park after July 4:
A re-enactment of the First Public Reading of the Declaration of Independence on Independence Square will take place on July 8 from 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Join the crowd to hear a costumed Park Ranger portraying Colonel John Nixon (who read the Declaration of Independence to the public for the first time on July 8, 1776). Free copies of the Declaration of Independence will be given out so that you can follow along and cheer or jeer!

PHOTOS AVAILABLE: Photos of the Crosswalk Cafe available upon request. For high-resolution images of the Independence Visitor Center, use this photo gallery provided by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation. For photos of Independence National Historical Park, visit their press room.

The Independence Visitor Center is Independence National Historical Park's and the region's welcome center for people from all over the nation and the world offering visitor amenities including trip planning service, easy onsite ticketing for area attractions, multilingual concierge staff, comprehensive daily listing of area events, attraction displays and regional maps, free, informative historical and orientation films, free wireless Internet access and much more. Follow @PHLVisitorCntr, the Visitor Center's virtual concierge service on Twitter, and like us on Facebook. For more information, visit http://www.phlvisitorcenter.com/

The Independence Visitor Center Corporation is a Pennsylvania non-profit, 501(c)3 organization which operates in cooperation with the efforts of the National Park Service, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

A unit of the National Park Service, Independence National Historical Park was created by an Act of Congress on June 28, 1948.  Accredited by the American Association of Museums, Independence NHP covers almost 54 acres in Philadelphia's Old City, and includes Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Congress Hall, Franklin Court, and other historic buildings associated with the founding of the United States. The park is open from 9:00 am daily with the exception of Christmas day.  A visit to Independence National Historical Park should start at the Independence Visitor Center, located at 6^th and Market Streets.  Here, visitors can pick up a park brochure, park map, and the free, timed tickets required for Independence Hall.  For more information visit the park's website, http://www.nps.gov/inde or follow us at twitter.com/independencenhp or facebook.com/independencenhp.

Crosswalk Cafe, located in the heart of Independence National Historical Park, is a seasonal outdoor cafe managed by the Independence Visitor Center Corporation (IVCC) and operated by Brulee Catering. The menu features a full-line of fresh cafe items including specialty salads, sandwiches and small bites. Crosswalk Cafe offers a selection of hand-crafted beers and savory wines. For more information about Crosswalk Cafe, visit www.crosswalkcafephilly.com.

SOURCE Independence Visitor Center Corporation (IVCC)