Christ Church Burial Ground

Philadelphia


Hard to believe, but back in the early 18th century this was the outskirts of town, thus the ideal location for a burial ground. The cemetery is the final resting place for over 4000 members of Christ Church, including five signers of the Declaration of Independence: Benjamin Franklin, Joseph Hewes, Francis Hopkinson, George Ross, and Dr Benjamin Rush.

Franklin is buried along with his wife Deborah and their two children, Francis and Sarah; if the cemetery is closed, you can still see his burial plot from the sidewalk at the corner of 5th and Arch through a set of iron rails.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Philadelphia attractions

1. United States Mint

0.08 MILES

Take the 45-minute self-guided tour to see coins being made (they can churn out 50 million of them per day), and to admire the Tiffany mosaics inside this…

2. National Constitution Center

0.08 MILES

This whiz-bang museum makes the US Constitution jump off the page, starting with a dramatic theater-in-the-round presentation by a single actor relating…

3. Arch Street Meeting House

0.08 MILES

Built in 1804 on land donated by William Penn in 1701, this is the largest Quaker meetinghouse in the US. The furniture is original and predates the…

4. Independence National Historical Park

0.12 MILES

This L-shaped Philadelphia park, bound by 6th, 2nd, Walnut and Arch Sts, protects and honors the institutions that formed the foundation of the United…

6. President's House Site

0.16 MILES

This free outdoor exhibition is constructed on the former location of the presidential offices of George Washington and John Adams. Displays focus on the…

7. Betsy Ross House

0.18 MILES

Legend has it that this is where America's first flag was made, although most historians doubt it – and it's pretty certain that the actual house Ross…

8. Franklin Court Printing Museum

0.19 MILES

These rooms are set up as a recreation of an 18th-century printing press operation similar to that used by Ben Franklin. A costumed park ranger will take…