Philadelphia History Museum

A $6 million facelift has transformed the old dusty Atwater Kent, which retains its Grandma’s-attic charm—and the curiously fascinating scale map of the city you can walk on.

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Visit the Philadelphia History Museum: 15 South 7th Street, 215-685-4830.

Carpenters' Hall

Cool scale models show how the building as it looked to the Founders. Bonus: You can rent it out.

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Visit Carpenters' Hall: 320 Chestnut Street, 215-925-0167.

Congress Hall

The site where both George Washington and John Adams were both inaugurated.

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Visit Congress Hall: 6th and Chestnut Streets, 215-965-2305.

National Liberty Museum

You wouldn’t know it from the title, but the star attraction here is the glass art.

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Visit National Liberty Museum: 321 Chestnut Street, 215-925-2800.

Battleship New Jersey

All of the tour guides are military vets (so they know their stuff), and the ship itself is a cool look inside life on an actual war ship that saw action the year after Pearl Harbor.

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Visit Battleship New Jersey: 62 Battleship Place, Camden, NJ, 866-877-6262.

Brandywine Battlefield

Site of the 1777 Revolutionary War battle (we lost), the site’s museum is so-so, but the battlefield itself is majestic.

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Visit Brandywine Battlefield: 1491 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, PA, 610-459-3342.

African American Museum

Really knowledgeable staff + cool mix of permanent and traveling exhibits (such as the current one on the history of the singing group The Supremes) = worth-it afternoon plan.

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Visit the African American Museum: 701 Arch Street, 215-574-0380.

National Museum of American Jewish History

Perhaps the best flow of any of the city’s museums, with well-curated historical artifacts, videos and interactive exhibits.

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Visit the National Museum of American Jewish History: 101 South Independence Mall East, 215-932-3811.

Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania

A place with a National Treasure vibe: grand architecture, sober portraits and an 80,000-volume library. The only thing missing is a growling Nic Cage.

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Visit The Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania: 1 North Broad Street, 215-988-1917.

Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

U of P’s homage to the cradle of civilization delivers, stuffed with Egyptian and Mayan ruins. Don’t miss the Dome Room.

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Visit University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology: 3260 South Street, 215-898-4000.

Rosenbach Museum and Library

Oz for the local literati, with homages to Maurice Sendak, Jane Austen and most notably James Joyce, among others.

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Visit Rosenbach Museum and Library: 2008-2010 Delancey Place, 215-732-1600.

Fonthill Castle

Located just blocks from one another, both bestowed upon Doylestown by collector Henry Mercer. Both worth a look, but Fonthill is the jewel, an actual castle tucked away in Bucks County.

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Visit Fonthill Castle: East Court Street & Route 313, Doylestown, PA, 215-348-9461.