Philadelphia Pass: 30+ Things To Do including Philadelphia Zoo

One pass can cut your Philly ticket bill. This Go City Philadelphia Pass bundles 30+ big-name stops over 1 to 5 days, including a hop-on hop-off bus ride with live narration and entry to major museums. You also get a digital ticket through the Go City app, so you can show your pass on your phone or print at home.

I especially like the practical mix: major history sites like Eastern State Penitentiary and the National Constitution Center, plus family favorites like the Philadelphia Zoo and Adventure Aquarium. Second, I like that the bus component helps you get oriented fast, then you can hop off and walk where you feel like it—Philadelphia is built for that style.

The main thing to watch is planning: some stops need reservations, and you only get one visit per attraction. Also, you may need extra transport steps for certain waterfront options, so I’d build in time for ferries and short connections.

Key points before you buy

• Go City app + digital pass: sync on your phone, or print at home for easy entry.
• Big Bus included for 1 day: one Blue route loop with live narration and 25+ stops.
• History meets animals: prison ruins, Revolutionary-era sites, plus the zoo and aquarium.
• Hands-on science and art: Franklin Institute, natural science exhibits, and top collections like Barnes and Rodin.
• Plan for one-time entries: each attraction can only be used once on your pass.
• Allow extra time for transport: waterfront sites often mean ferry connections and walking.

Price and timing: what $59 is really buying you

At $59 per person, the pass is built for people who want to stack several high-admission attractions in a short window. This is not the kind of deal that wins if you only do one or two stops. It starts making sense when you’re aiming for a mix of “big ticket” indoor museums plus at least one outdoor anchor.

Your pass works on consecutive calendar days after you use it for the first time, and you only activate it when you enter your first attraction. That means your “day 1” should be the day you’re ready to get moving—don’t start it on a night when you only plan to stroll outside.

Also note the weather reality: the overall experience is tied to good weather. If you’re aiming at parks, waterfronts, and gardens, plan a flexible day or two.

Big Bus Philadelphia loop: the fastest way to get your bearings

The included bus ride is one hop-on hop-off loop on the Blue route, with 25+ stops. The full ride is about 90 minutes if you stay on the whole loop. The practical win is that the narration happens live—so you’re not just riding past landmarks, you’re learning what you’re seeing while you’re seeing it.

Buses run often, with departures from the 5th and Market area near East Corner roughly every 15 to 20 minutes, and you can ride on both levels. If it’s hot, being up top gives you the breeze; if it’s rainy, the covered first level is the calmer choice.

Where this really helps you: when you use the bus as your “map,” you can choose the best stops for your next walking segment. That turns a day of random wandering into a day where you know where you are and why each stop matters.

The Revolutionary core: Betsy Ross, the Revolution museum, and the Constitution Center

If you want one theme that ties together a lot of Philly in a small area, it’s the Revolutionary story. The pass includes the Betsy Ross House, the Museum of the American Revolution, and the National Constitution Center—and they complement each other.

• Betsy Ross House (about 1.5 hours): This restored circa-1740 row house is set to the period around 1777. The self-guided audio tour focuses on Betsy Ross as an upholsterer turned business owner and flag maker, and you’ll hear the story framed as both craft and commerce, not just legend.
• Museum of the American Revolution (about 1.5 hours): The exhibits run chronologically from the early conflict days in Boston through independence. What I like about this place is that it uses objects—uniforms, weapons like muskets and swords, maps, transcripts—so you don’t just read timelines.
• National Constitution Center (about 2 hours): This museum leans hard into interaction. The setup includes major exhibits like Freedom Rising, The Story of We the People, and Signers’ Hall. If you enjoy learning through participation, you’ll like the built-in civic activities, like voting and taking oaths modeled on the Constitution’s story.

A smart way to use these three: start with Betsy Ross for context, move into the Revolution museum for the “how it happened” part, and close with the Constitution Center to connect past debates to what the document means now.

Eastern State Penitentiary and Christ Church Burial Ground: history with an edge

Philadelphia does solemn well. Two included stops—Eastern State Penitentiary and Christ Church Burial Ground—offer very different kinds of gravity.

• Eastern State Penitentiary (about 1 hour 30 minutes): This National Historic Landmark was designed around solitary confinement and labor. The architecture is the shock: cell blocks spread like wheel spokes, with running water and central heat in its era. Today, the prison stands in haunting ruin—empty guard towers and crumbling walls that make the “how did we think this was justice?” question unavoidable.
• Christ Church Burial Ground (about 45 minutes): This is a self-guided graveyard tour with serious historical names. You’ll find Benjamin Franklin and four other Declaration of Independence signers among the resting places, plus around 1,400 markers across two acres. There are also vaults tied to prominent families that were used into the 20th century—so it’s not just early history; it’s long continuity.

If you’re doing these on the same day, I’d schedule one big museum-style stop and one smaller, self-paced stop. That pace helps you absorb without rushing.

Ghost Tours and walking tours: when you want stories, not just exhibits

Not every included stop is a building. If you want a nighttime change of pace, there’s a candlelight walking option plus a guided historical walk.

• Ghost Tours of Philadelphia (Candlelight Walking Tour) (about 1.5 hours): You’ll walk around Independence Park and Society Hill with a costumed storyteller. The stories are presented as researched and tied to specific historical sites, and you’ll hear about graveyards, gardens, and haunted-history claims grounded in documentation.
• Bow Tie Tours Independence Walking Tour (about 1 hour 15 minutes): This is a teacher- or historian-led guided walk, focused on how the colonies gained independence. You’ll see 20+ landmarks, including Independence Hall, the Constitution Center, and homes connected to Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Betsy Ross.

These work best when you’re pairing them with museum days. After a few hours indoors, a guided walk gives you a break—plus you’ll see street-level Philly you’d otherwise miss.

Franklin Institute and Drexel’s Academy: science that actually grabs kids and adults

Two included stops cover “hands-on learning” better than most city museum bundles: The Franklin Institute and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.

• The Franklin Institute (about 2 hours): It’s built around interactive exhibits and frequent temporary shows. Expect big visual moments like climbing into a fighter jet, an exhibition tied to the science of sports, and a giant two-story human heart experience. If you’re traveling with kids, this is the kind of place where they’ll move without needing constant reminders.
• Academy of Natural Sciences (about 2 hours): This one mixes living animals with science play. You can see dinosaur skeletons, a tropical indoor garden with live butterflies, and activities like digging for fossils. There’s also a Fossil Prep Lab concept, where you can watch preparations before fossils go to researchers.

My tip: treat these as “anchor mornings.” They’re designed to keep energy up, and you’ll get more out of them before you’re museum-tired.

Art stops that reward time: Philadelphia Museum of Art, Barnes, Rodin, Brandywine

If you like art, the pass includes several heavy hitters, not just one token gallery visit. I’d plan at least one art-focused half day, because switching between history and art helps you avoid fatigue.

Here’s how they compare:

• Philadelphia Museum of Art (about 3 hours): You’re looking at an enormous collection (240,000 objects) across major categories. You can expect things like Impressionist masterworks, plus distinctive spaces such as a Japanese Teahouse and an Indian Temple Hall. If you love breadth, this is your stop.
• Barnes Foundation (about 1.5 hours): Barnes is different from most big museums because the collection is arranged in dense “ensembles.” Expect a strong core of French and modern painting, plus other collections like African art and Pennsylvania German furniture. It’s a “look longer” museum rather than a “scan fast” museum.
• Rodin Museum (about 2 hours): This is devoted to Auguste Rodin, with more than 140 bronzes, marbles, and plasters. If you like sculpture, this is an easy win.
• Brandywine Museum of Art (about 1.5 hours): This spot is centered on Wyeth art across three generations: N.C., Andrew, and Jamie. It’s a focused collection that feels more like an extended conversation than a quick stop.

If your schedule is tight, choose one: big breadth (Philadelphia Museum of Art) or focused art immersion (Barnes/Rodin/Brandywine). Trying to do all of them in one day is how people start sprint-reading.

Animals and waterfronts: Zoo, Adventure Aquarium, and Battleship New Jersey via ferry

Philadelphia’s waterfront day is where the pass can feel especially fun—if you plan transport. The RiverLink Ferry is included, and it’s the key connection for Camden-side waterfront options.

RiverLink Ferry (about 30 minutes)

You’re riding the 500+ passenger ferry Freedom during the summer season. It’s a simple way to cross the river and pair waterfront stops without relying on taxis for every move. From Camden, the ferry lets you reach places like the Adventure Aquarium or Battleship New Jersey. From Philadelphia, it connects you toward Penn’s Landing area attractions like Independence Seaport Museum.

Adventure Aquarium (about 2 hours)

This aquarium is built around major animal draws, including hippos and a large collection of sharks on the East Coast. It’s also known for seeing a great hammerhead shark. You’ll find seven touch exhibits and lots of interactive displays (14 total interactive and immersive exhibits are mentioned). If you go with family, check the daily schedule for feeds and events like hippo feeding and African penguin feedings.

Philadelphia Zoo (about 3 hours)

Philadelphia Zoo covers 42 acres and has 1,300+ species. The Zoo 360 concept is a big part of the experience, with treetop walkways and tunnels so animals move at multiple levels. You might spot suspended mesh enclosures and treetop bridges for apes, plus programmed experiences like scheduled thunderstorms inside the alligator and crocodile area.

Battleship New Jersey (about 1 hour 30 minutes)

This is a self-guided, docent-assisted tour on a floating museum. Expect lots of stairs and steep ladders, plus tight passageways. You’ll go up to turrets and see areas tied to Tomahawk and Harpoon missile launch pads, the bridge, communications center, and command spaces.

For a one-day “animals + ships” plan, I’d do it like this: start with the aquarium or battleship on the Camden side, then cross back via RiverLink. That keeps the ferry from turning into a time sink.

Maritime and civic identity: Independence Seaport Museum plus the National Liberty Museum

Two civic-minded stops sit near Philly’s riverfront action and history core.

• Independence Seaport Museum (about 1 hour 30 minutes): This is hands-on maritime history near Penn’s Landing. You can explore interactive exhibits and see more than 1,000 artifacts, plus you can climb aboard National Historic Landmarks like Admiral Dewey’s cruiser OLYMPIA and the WWII submarine BECUNA. There’s also a wooden boat being built in the boat shop.
• National Liberty Museum (about 2 hours): This museum is built around learning about liberty as part of American life. You get a Welcome to Liberty gallery where you can touch and take a picture with a replica Liberty Bell made by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, and you can interact with an iPad exhibit and film in the theater.

If your group includes people who normally skip museums, these two are often easier sells because they’re more activity-forward than lecture-forward.

Penn Museum and the Academy of Natural Sciences: world collections, made human

If you want a day that feels like “how we got here,” the pass has two strong options in different styles.

• Penn Museum (about 3 hours): Anthropology and archaeology with around 1 million objects. Galleries include Egypt (Sphinx and Mummies), Africa, Canaan and Israel, China, Etruscan Italy, Greece, Rome, Japan, and Mexico/Central America. The building itself is part of the attraction because it went through multiple construction phases from 1899 to 2005, plus there are gardens with fountains and sculptures.
• Academy of Natural Sciences (already covered above) adds the “world outside” angle with fossils, animals, and science play.

Pick Penn Museum if you want people-and-cultures. Pick the Academy if you want animals-and-ecosystems.

Big conversations in smaller museum time: African American history and American Jewish history

The pass includes two museums that take identity, memory, and community seriously without needing you to be an expert beforehand.

• African American Museum in Philadelphia (about 1.5 hours): You’ll learn about African American and African Diaspora life through themes like the African Diaspora, the Philadelphia Story, and Contemporary Narrative. The topics listed include arts, entertainment, sports, medicine, architecture, politics, religion, law, and technology.
• Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History (about 1.5 hours): This museum covers about 350 years of American Jewish history through interactive exhibits and a collection of 1,200+ artifacts plus 30 original films. The focus is on immigration, worship, hard work, entertainment, community, and family life.

If you only have one museum block for “stories about America,” I’d choose the one that most matches your interests in race, immigration, or civic life. Both are built around short learning pathways, not just long exhibits.

Longwood Gardens: your weather-proof plan for a calm afternoon

When the forecast cooperates, Longwood Gardens is a great change from museum rooms. You’re visiting a horticultural showpiece with 1,077 acres indoors and out, plus formal gardens, fountain systems and shows, and kid-friendly plant displays.

You’ll also see a range of plant types—from seasonal blooms to cacti and succulents—so it doesn’t feel repetitive. Plan about 1.5 hours here, and if you can stretch longer, do it. Gardens reward slower walking.

How to avoid the usual pass problems (and keep the day fun)

This type of pass works best when you treat it like a planning tool, not a magic ticket.

First, check which stops require reservations, because the pass data notes that some do. Second, remember the one-visit rule: each attraction can only be visited once, so don’t “activate” your pass on a day you’re not ready to use.

Third, give yourself wiggle room around transit. The bus has set departure points and a loop schedule, and waterfront spots can involve ferry connections and walking. I’d build at least a small buffer between major stops, especially if you’re stacking multiple long indoor experiences.

Finally, if you’re traveling with kids, prioritize the energy-friendly wins early. The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, LEGOLAND Discovery Center, and the Zoo all have hands-on pull. Save the slower graveyard or art browsing for later in the day.

Should you book the Philadelphia Pass?

I’d book it if you’re planning a real mix: at least 4 to 6 major attractions, one of the big history anchors, and one family-friendly animal or science stop. At $59, the pass becomes smart fast when you’re stacking popular sites instead of picking just one or two.

I would hesitate if your days are extremely tight, because you’ll want time for schedules and occasional reservations. I’d also hesitate if you hate planning transport steps—waterfront stops and the ferry connection mean you should know your next move before you’re standing around.

If you’re okay with a little structure and you like seeing Philly as a collection of walkable neighborhoods, this pass is a solid value. It’s not just discounts—it’s a way to turn several separate tickets into one day plan that actually holds together.

FAQ

What’s included with the Philadelphia Pass?

The pass includes digital admission to 30+ activities in Philadelphia for 1, 2, 3, or 5 days, including major stops like the Big Bus hop-on hop-off tour, Eastern State Penitentiary, Adventure Aquarium, and Philadelphia Zoo. Use the Go City app for the most up-to-date attraction list, since included attractions can change.

Do I need a printed ticket?

No. The pass is available as a digital ticket you can sync in the Go City app, and you can also print at home if you prefer.

How long is the pass valid?

Your pass is valid for 1 year from purchase. It’s activated when you visit your first included attraction and then remains valid for the number of consecutive calendar days you purchased (not 24-hour periods).

Can I visit the same included attraction more than once?

No. The pass notes that each attraction can be visited only once.

Do I need to reserve anything?

Some attractions may require reservations. You should use the Go City app to plan your itinerary and reserve where needed.

Is the Big Bus tour included?

Yes. The pass includes 1 day of the hop-on hop-off Big Bus tour on the Blue route, with live narration and 25+ stops.

Are food and drinks included?

No. Food and drinks are not included unless an attraction explicitly specifies otherwise.

FAQ

What if it’s canceled due to bad weather?

The experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund as stated in the experience notes.