Not to miss

Italian Market

The country's largest outdoor market, it's where butchers and artisans hawk produce and cheese, homemade pastas, incredible pastries and freshly slaughtered fish and meats, from lamb to pheasant. A great time to experience it in all its glory is in mid-May, for the annual Sorrento Cheese Ninth Street Italian Market Festival (www.9thstreetitalian marketfestival.com).

University Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology

The University Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology is Penn's magical museum, containing archaeological treasures from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Mayan peninsula, Greece, Rome and North America. Its fragments of Sumerian script are among the oldest examples of writing ever found.

The neighborhood of University City, separated from downtown Philly by the Schuylkill River, feels like one big college town. That's because it's home to both Drexel University and the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania (commonly called 'U Penn'), founded in 1740. The leafy, bustling campus makes a pleasant afternoon stroll

Independence Seaport Museum

Along the Penn's Landing riverfront area is the Independence Seaport Museum, which highlights Philadelphia's role as an immigration hub; its shipyard closed in 1995 after 200 years. Check out the submarine.