About Philadelphia

Your Guide to Philly
Go beyond your hotel room and the convention center – soak up the lively energy of a city rich in history, culture, shopping, sports, dining and family-friendly activities.  Explore the customized Web site provided by the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau for ideas and links to the best Philadelphia has to offer. 

Be sure to check out their Show Us Your Badge Delegate Discount Pass program: Present your 6th ISSCR Annual  Meeting badge for great discounts at participating locations around the region.

About Philadelphia
Famous as the birthplace of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, Philadelphia offers much more than cobblestone streets and historical landmarks. One-third of the conventions held in Philadelphia are health care-related. The city attracts more than 400,000 international visitors each year. Top visitor attractions include the Liberty Bell Center, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the National Constitution Center, Independence Hall, and the Franklin Institute Science Museum.

Philadelphia is a hub of science, education and medicine. The area is home to almost 80 percent of the world’s largest pharmaceutical and biomedical firms. The city boasts the United States’ premier medical education and research system, featuring six medical schools, 19 nursing schools, and 100 hospitals, including 23 teaching hospitals. (Philadelphia is the home of the first hospital in the United States.)

With more than 80 colleges and universities, Pennsylvania is the top destination for U.S. students who choose to study outside their home states. There are 150,000 college students in the city, including 12,500 university students from around the world.

Philadelphia's history from 1774 to 1800 is inextricably linked to that of the American Revolution and the young nation. In Independence National Historical Park, "America's most historic square mile," visitors can see two of the nation's most precious monuments to freedom -- the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where the American Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. The Constitution of the United States was written in Philadelphia in 1787 and Philadelphia was the nation's capital from 1791 to 1800.

Updated January 8, 2008