Betsy Ross House
Betsy Ross House
4
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The well-known and loved story of Betsy Ross sewing the first Stars & Stripes is tightly woven into the colorful fabric of America's rich history. The Betsy Ross House, the birthplace of the American flag, is alive with the sights and sounds of the 18th century. Tour the house and then stay a while longer to learn more about Betsy and her exciting life and times through our interactive, historical programming. The Betsy Ross House will be open on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Presidents' Day.
Duration: < 1 hour
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: City Center East
How to get there
- 2nd St • 4 min walk
- 5th St • 6 min walk
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2,920 within 5 kms
Attractions
682 within 10 kms
See what travellers are saying
- Sam MWalthamstow, United Kingdom3 contributionsOscar winning performance!I visited the museum in the late afternoon on 10/04/24 when in town for a conference and didn't know what to expect but was filled with delight when learning the history of Betsy Ross. After exploring the rooms filled with history I happened across Mrs Ross herself! The actress playing Mrs Ross was full method, when asking where I was from and upon being told I was British she hid the flag, then told me with full dramatic passion her story before making me a special paper star to take away. I've concluded that I would die for this actress and she deserves a gosh darn Emmie or Oscar, if she doesn't play Betsy Ross in the Biopic then frankly what is the point!Visited April 2024Travelled soloWritten 16 April 2024
- christopherbO9687MPActon, Massachusetts730 contributionsExcellent combination of restored 18th Century home and historic garbed staff to answer your questionsThe Betsy Ross House is an excellent combination of a restored 18th Century home & shop and some historic garbed staff to answer your questions about her history and contributions to the Revolutionary War. Betsy already had a thriving upholstery business before the War (George Washington was an early client for his home's furniture), so she was a logical choice to produce famous Revolutionary flags. This Museum also covers the history of her family over her long life. I hadn't been aware she had been married three times and that one of her fathers-in-law was also a signer of the Declaration of Independence. In addition to her work producing flags, her shop also produced cartridge munitions for the Revolutionary Army. Both the interpretive signs and the museum staff working (in costume) in multiple rooms helped explain all these details. The Museum is spread over multiple (cramped) rooms on three floors (with narrow staircases). Be sure you are reasonably agile to visit everything.Visited April 2024Travelled soloWritten 24 April 2024
- EstebanSaint Charles, Missouri296 contributionsA must see in PhillyI took my 10-year old daughter on this tour and we rented the speakers (only like $2/speaker). I think those made it much more interesting. It only took about 30 minutes from start to finish. It was an interesting tour and the displays inside the house were done well to demonstrate what life was like in the 1700’s. The historical significance of what the Betsy Ross house represents is important to understand for all as it shows how a woman was able to prosper in business in a time that society looked down on woman for such things.Visited April 2024Travelled with familyWritten 29 April 2024
- MeryMeCoGalesburg, Illinois937 contributionsOne of our favorite places to visit on our tripOf course Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell were our favorite places that were almost free ($1 for tickets), but after that we loved the US Mint and then the Betsy Ross House. My husband couldn't do the whole tour because of the steep steps but they gave him a booklet to read and I showed him my photos. It was a quiet and interesting place. I'm so happy that they preserved this piece of history.Visited May 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 9 May 2024
- JessieVirginia238 contributionsMore than just "The Flag"I loved this site more than I thought I was going to. I thought going into it that I would see a typical 18th century house, see a handful of signs about Betsy Ross, maybe hear a little about the flag. But I have to say, they have done an excellent job telling not only her story, but a more encompassing story. Exceptionally well done.Visited March 2024Travelled with familyWritten 22 May 2024
- CharlieV2011Chicago, Illinois2,205 contributionsSmall Home With A Ton of History!I visited on a weekday morning and I learned a lot and had a great time! The home is small and some rooms became cramped, but the exhibits are interesting and the audio guide worked well! I enjoyed learning about Betsy Ross and her family life and career. The gift shop had nice souvenirs that were all reasonably priced. There are also restrooms on the premises.Visited July 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 11 July 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Popular mentions
4.0
1,231 reviews
Excellent
474
Very good
472
Average
229
Poor
40
Terrible
16
Stacy H
Denver, CO112 contributions
Jul 2021 • Friends
If you are a huge fan of Betsy Ross you must visit. If your not a huge fan you should come here anyway. It is one of the cheaper museums you can visit in the area and it gives you a bit of history about Betsy Ross’ life and the flag. It’s not a very big museum but if you have some extra time it’s worth a look.
Written 26 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
paulfinnerty
Sydney, Australia12 contributions
Jan 2020
This is a true period piece of history. Reset your clock and step back into a time gone by. See Betsy Ross sewing the first Stars and Stripes. Watch her create a five pointed paper star, whilst she chats with you, with a few snips at the paper she. See the maid, in the downstairs laundry, preparing to do the washing, without the aid of a “washing box” as she calls it. Very interesting and well done, but the house is small so could be difficult if it is crowded
Written 31 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cookpias
Los Angeles, CA1,670 contributions
Feb 2020
The admission cost is very low, it doesn't take long, and the written descriptions are very good. I went in Winter, and very few were walking through. A Betsy Ross impersonator was very chatty. Also the grave of her and her husband were there.
Written 11 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christina M
Burleson, TX60 contributions
Jun 2022
The staff that work here are what makes this visit worthwhile. The entry to the museum is not really worth it and there should be a notification that it is not easily accessible (lots of narrow stairways going up and down).
But the women that work here are an absolute delight and share wonderful stories with visitors! And the giftshop has some fun treasures as well.
But the women that work here are an absolute delight and share wonderful stories with visitors! And the giftshop has some fun treasures as well.
Written 6 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Topaz
Glen Allen, VA5 contributions
Aug 2021
We visited the Betsy Ross House and did the self guided tour. There is an audio option for an additional $2. We should have done that. I think that would have added to the overall experience. Touring the house took about 15 minutes. It was worth visiting and I'm glad we did it but something was missing. Enthusiasm ? Maybe a video/short movie about her life would have helped. I would have liked more info/emphasis on ...... She was a courageous, talented woman who successfully ran a business during very turbulent, difficult times ! Hooray, Betsy !...... There was a 'Betsy Ross' in the house who answered all our questions in character. She was good. There is a very nice and cute courtyard where you can sit in the shade. And the gift shop is nice also.
Written 17 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mama Bear P
Indianapolis, IN29 contributions
Sept 2021 • Family
Another touristy thing to see, but was slightly more interesting to me than the other ones like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. The stairs are narrow and I didn't see anywhere for wheelchairs to navigate. The woman playing Betsy seemed to genuinely enjoy her roll and engaged my toddler (showing him the stars on the flag and how she made the stars with scissors). It was interesting to see the "rooms" of the house and how different everything was. There is a patio out front with tables and chairs before you enter the museum (through the gift shop where you must purchase tickets). Overall a nice place to see while you're in town.
Written 2 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MelissaClaire93
Elizabeth City, NC1,044 contributions
Jul 2021 • Solo
I love historic houses and this was such a cute house/museum. It had so much information and fun facts about Betsy Ross and the time period. A lot of stuff I didn’t know or hadn’t heard. They also had actors playing Betsy showing some of her sewing skills and why she did some of them in the ways she did. It doesn’t take a super long time to go through but it’s really neat. I was there on the 4th of July so it was crowded (perhaps more crowded than usual). The house is tiny so its a little hard to navigate through when it’s crowded but I was still able to see everything. It’s really cool. I’d recommend checking it out if you like history.
Written 11 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lifebeforethemantle
New York City, NY63 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Made a quick visit, paid the extra for the audio tour and I think it was really informative and helped us truly understand what we were looking at. I did see small children but I think this would work best for adults or school age children. There were several staff dressed in costume given great information. The laundry lady was exceptional in my opinion. There are stairs to go up and down so be advised. Also the ceiling is low in the basement but there were several men (6'2) who managed just fine. The had really cute souvenirs in the gift shop
Written 25 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Esteban
Saint Charles, MO296 contributions
Apr 2024 • Family
I took my 10-year old daughter on this tour and we rented the speakers (only like $2/speaker). I think those made it much more interesting. It only took about 30 minutes from start to finish. It was an interesting tour and the displays inside the house were done well to demonstrate what life was like in the 1700’s.
The historical significance of what the Betsy Ross house represents is important to understand for all as it shows how a woman was able to prosper in business in a time that society looked down on woman for such things.
The historical significance of what the Betsy Ross house represents is important to understand for all as it shows how a woman was able to prosper in business in a time that society looked down on woman for such things.
Written 29 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JOJO
19 contributions
May 2021
This small house on the outside is packed with household items and rooms arranged as they might have been in the 1700s. My granddaughter used the audio program and really enjoyed it. Much too small for groups of more than five to tour together, but we got the real sense of how a household in Philadelphia would function 250-300 years ago.
Written 25 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
inspire132017
Strasburg, Pennsylvania
When is good time to visit or times to avoid due to crowds?
Written 24 June 2017
We were there the end of May, on a Friday, and it was not very crowded then.
Written 16 July 2017
What is the difference between audio tour and self guided tour? I could not find anything on their website or google.
Appreciate your inputs on this! Thanks!
Written 19 December 2015
The audio tour is I believe $2 more...well worth it!!! The self guided tour will walk you through the house and they have very minimal signage. The audio tour explains the history of the house...the story of the flags creation...and everything. Two people were there without the audio tour and I could tell by their questions to the living history gal that the signage was not enough to really give them any idea oF anything more than the base story!
Written 21 December 2015
We did the self guided tour without the listening device, so we stopped and read the informational signs. This way we were able to spend more time on the areas in which our grandkids were interested. We spent the most time in the room where "Betsy" gave us some background on herself and the time period. In all, we were probably there for 30 minutes.
Written 18 October 2015
Years ago when my wifes Grandmother was little her father bought each of the children a "share" in the Betsy Ross house, can you supply any info on that?
Written 8 August 2015
Kim S
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
"Shares" to the Betsy Ross House were actually 10 cent subscriptions to the House. In 1898, the American Flag House and Betsy Ross Memorial Association sold 10 cent subscriptions to help purchase the House and turn it into a museum. With each subscription, the donor received a numbered certificate featuring Birth of our Nation's Flag (painted by Charles Weisgerber, who helped save the House) and their name was recorded in a register of names (now in the BRH archives).
Written 22 February 2016
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