Washington Monument Philadelphia, cropped again from original GettyRF_578992171.jpg

©joe daniel price/Getty Images


Rudolf Siemering's 1897 monument to General George Washington is a marvelous ensemble. Proudly mounted astride his horse, the first US president sits atop a band of allegorical figures and is surrounded at the monument's base by American flora and fauna with figures that include equally proud looking Native Americans.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Rocky

0.06 MILES

A major Philly selfie spot is this 1980 work by A Thomas Schomberg of the fictional boxer Rocky Balboa from the 1976 Oscar-winner Rocky. The statue was…

2. Paine's Park

0.11 MILES

Philadelphia is a national leader for skateboarding culture and this riverside park, designed specifically for boarders, is the first of several that a…

3. Philadelphia Museum of Art

0.16 MILES

The premier cultural institution in Philadelphia, this epic art museum would stand out even without Rocky's famous antics on the east steps. Every visitor…

4. Perelman Building

0.23 MILES

This fine art-deco building, a branch of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, houses small galleries devoted to special exhibitions of costumes, textiles,…

5. Rodin Museum

0.31 MILES

This is the only institution outside of Paris dedicated to the French sculptor Auguste Rodin. The superb collection is based on works amassed by Jules E…

6. Fairmount Waterworks

0.37 MILES

A National Historic Engineering Landmark, this beautiful Greek Revival complex was built in 1815 and pumped water from the Schuylkill River for the city's…

7. Eastern State Penitentiary

0.43 MILES

The modern prison didn't just happen – it was invented, and Eastern State Penitentiary was the first one, opened in 1829 and finally closed in 1971. A…

8. Barnes Foundation

0.44 MILES

Since 2012, Dr Albert C Barnes' eye-popping collection of artworks – predominantly focused on French masterpieces from the late 19th and early 20th…