City Tavern

The Founding Fathers drank here after long sessions at the Continental Congress. The original building burned down in 1834 and was reconstructed in 1976 as a working restaurant still serving colonial-era recipes.

Established in 1773, City Tavern was the political, social, and business center of the new United States. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Paul Revere all dined here, and the Declaration of Independence and Constitution both owe much to the discussions held within these walls. The tavern was destroyed by fire in 1834 and eventually demolished in 1854, but it was meticulously rebuilt for the 1976 bicentennial celebration, so true to its original design that even the spirits seem to have moved back in.

The most frequently reported ghost is a bride who was killed when curtains in her room caught fire. Her spirit can be seen in the tavern's windows, a tragic figure forever trapped in her final moments. A waiter who was killed in a duel also haunts the premises -- he's known for moving tableware and rattling silverware when no one is around. Guests dining or drinking at City Tavern report being touched by unseen hands.

Benjamin Franklin's ghost reportedly visits City Tavern, one of his favorite establishments in life. His phantom has been seen mulling over documents, accompanied by a distinctive musty smell that now signals his presence. The City Tavern stands as a Revolutionary-era gathering place where founding fathers dined and colonial ghosts still linger, making it a must-stop on Philadelphia ghost tours.