Congress Hall

The U.S. Congress met here from 1790 to 1800 when Philadelphia was the capital. Washington and Adams were both inaugurated in this building, and the Bill of Rights was ratified inside.

Congress Hall was built as the Philadelphia County Courthouse but served as home to the U.S. Congress from 1790 to 1800 when Philadelphia was the nation's temporary capital. George Washington took his oath of office for his second presidential term on the upper level, and John Adams was also inaugurated here. Within these walls, Congress established the First Bank of the United States, the Federal Mint, and the Department of the Navy, while also ratifying Jay's Treaty with England.

The spirits of founding fathers reportedly still walk these revolutionary halls. Benjamin Franklin and George Washington have both been spotted by visitors, and witnesses describe the building as a place where the founders' ghosts still seem to show up. The ghost of Benedict Arnold has also been seen in the area around Independence Hall and Congress Hall, perhaps eternally tormented by his betrayal of the cause these halls represent.

Congress Hall is managed by the National Park Service as part of Independence National Historical Park. Guests have reportedly seen figures in colonial dress, adding the building to Philadelphia's reputation as one of America's most haunted cities. Ghost tours meet nightly at Congress Hall, and the building stands as both a shrine to American democracy and a gateway to the supernatural.