Jim Murphy, a Philly resident, author and certified tour guide, offers a limited number of exclusive, private tours.
$25
Per Person
$25 per person for up to two-hour walking or step-on bus tours. May be payable in advance on Square. Tour cost does not include any admission charges.
Available Tours
My ideal tour group:
“People interested in learning something new and exciting about my extraordinary city”
The Amazing Success of William Penn: How he turned a howling wilderness into America’s fastest-growing city
Philadelphia Then and Now: Stroll through Old City and Society Hill and experience more than 300 years of history in two hours
![High Street Market, Philadelphia [graphic] _ Drawn, Engraved & Published by W. Birch & Son ; Sold by R. Campbell & Co., No. 30 Chesnut [sic] Street Philada. copy.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a2bc2304d5c431716dc36e/1621442774510-OQAI4J8JW7T0FNK80PFK/High+Street+Market%2C+Philadelphia+%5Bgraphic%5D+_+Drawn%2C+Engraved+%26+Published+by+W.+Birch+%26+Son+%3B+Sold+by+R.+Campbell+%26+Co.%2C+No.+30+Chesnut+%5Bsic%5D+Street+Philada.+copy.jpg)
The First Market Street in the U.S. – Where Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison and Franklin all lived and worked
Penn and Ben: Learn how our two superstars, William Penn and Ben Franklin, made Philly the largest city George Washington ever saw
How Society Hill Changed from a Slum to a 5-Star Neighborhood – with greenways, refurbished homes and Society Hill Towers
5 Philly-Tough Women: Meet Philadelphia females from three centuries who have shown guts and grit, perseverance and success
Barry, Conyngham and Decatur: 3 Extraordinary Philly Naval Heroes History Has Forgotten About – all buried close to one another
Philadelphia’s Military Monuments Near Penn’s Landing, with memorials to veterans of the Korean and Vietnam War & Beirut conflict
A Remarkable Self-Guided Tour: “Avenue of Our Founders”
Take a stroll through American history and walk in our Founders' Footsteps. Along the way, as well as on nearby streets, you'll see numerous signs and markers about these and other Colonial leaders. Download for free to take your walk.
5 surprising things that make Philly different from any other U.S. city!
Started as a “Holy Experiment” in 1682, William Penn’s colony and his city of Philadelphia attracted lovers of religious freedom worldwide. Why? There was no persecution or religious tax here. That’s why you see so many churches.
Although Philly started 58 years after New York City and 52 years after Boston (if they were people, both cities would have qualified for AARP) – by 1770 it was the largest and most important city in America. By 1790, when it became the Capital of the U.S., Philly had two theaters, a subscription library, a hospital, 10 newspapers and 30 bookshops.
Our two superstars Penn and Ben – William Penn and Ben Franklin – are responsible for this extraordinary growth, even though they missed each other by about 20 years.
Penn’s innovative grid plan for Philadelphia was copied by cities all over the country. The American Society of Civil Engineers added the plan to its List of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks in 1994, where it joined such icons as the Panama Canal, Golden Gate Bridge and Hoover Dam.
Penn’s twice-a-week markets drew huge crowds. In his biography of “John Adams,” author David McCullough says: “Swarms of people moved up and down the sidewalks and spilled into the streets. At no point on the American continent could so many human beings be seen in such close proximity or is such variety.” Philly’s Market Street is also the granddaddy of all Market Streets in the country.
Book a Tour
Want a specially-tailored tour? Request it using this form.
Note: If I’m unable to accommodate your tour request, because of my busy schedule, I’ll refer you to phillyguides.org – the website for the Association for Philadelphia Tour Guides – or to other special guides I know and respect.