The names of its residents alone would be enough to draw anyone to Philadelphia: Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross, Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman. Explore "America's most historic square mile" with a local licensed guide and see where the founding myths of America were created. Independence Hall saw the signing of both the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, which was read in public for the first time after the ringing of the Liberty Bell on July 8, 1776. The Bell itself now rests in its own pavilion, where it is rung every Independence Day.

See the bell that symbolizes one of the founding principles of the United States. The Liberty Bell was last rung on George Washington’s birthday in 1846 before its now-famous crack turned it into a silent reminder of what the United States stands for. Visit the center where the bell is housed; see video presentations and exhibits focusing on its origins, history and modern day role in the US.

Step back in time and see the house where Betsy Ross, according to legend, sewed the first Stars and Stripes flag. Learn about how this woman was entered into history when three men, including George Washington, asked her to create the official national flag of the United States in 1777.

Night is the perfect time to see the capital, when white marble monuments and silvery pools glow in the floodlights. See the geometric memorials of the Mall—the imposing rectangular Lincoln Memorial, and the line of the Washington Monument bisecting the sky—as well as the innovative and moving monuments to the veterans of the Vietnam and Korean Wars.

Choose between visiting the Natural History Museum, the American History Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the American Indian Museum, and the American Art Museum. In a tomb in the Smithsonian Castle lie the remains of John Smithson, an Englishman who left his fortune to the U.S. government in 1829 for the establishment of a museum in his name. (The government was a bit at a loss, given that Smithson had never visited the U.S., had no connections to the U.S., and never told anyone why he was leaving his money to the U.S.) Since then, the Smithsonian Institution has grown into 16 museums, covering everything from art to zoology. See the giant squid and the insect zoo in the National Museum of Natural History, or venture with your Tour Director into the further reaches of this world-class institution.

George Washington so liked his estate at Mount Vernon that he placed the capital nearby so he didn’t have to move when elected president. Tour his gardens and mansion, where George and Martha lived from 1761 until his death in 1799. Don’t look for any cherry tree stumps in the garden, though—Washington never actually chopped down the tree as a lad. (We hate to ruin the story, but we cannot tell a lie!)

Go on a guided tour of the building where the men and women who have been chosen to represent the citizens of the United States convene to discuss and decide on important legislature.

Visit the building that houses the most important documents in the history of the United States, including the Constitution, Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence.