Christ Church Burial Ground is among the historic graveyards in the USA, that dates back to the Colonial and Revolution age. Located between 5th Street and and Arch Street, Christ Church Burial Ground is also very close to the Independence Visitor Center.
Tourists would definitely like to know about the history of Christ Church Burial Ground. In 1719 , the aforesaid burial ground was acquired by Christ Church in the suburbs of the city, as there was no burial space left in the cemetery of the churchyard. In 1772, a brick wall was constructed around the burial ground by the church. In 1864, Edward Clark, a parishioner chalked a plan to prevent the deterioration of the grave markers. Christ Church Burial Ground was opened once again for the public in the year 2003, after a period of 25 years.
The cemetery is a historic tourist attraction of Philadelphia, where tourists can gather a lot of information on the lives of the people buried there. There are tombs of important political leaders, of those who signed the Declaration of Independence as well
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as graves of ordinary Americans. The other graves at Christ Church Burial Ground, include those of eminent personalities like Benjamin Franklin, his wife Deborah, Francis Hopkinson, Dr. Philip Syng Physick, Dr. Benjamin Rush and John Dunlap.
From March to November, the opening hours of Christ Church Burial Ground are 10 AM to 4 PM, from Monday to Saturday. On Sunday it is open from 12 PM to 4 PM. In December, the timings are from Sunday to Friday are 12 PM to 4 PM. On Saturday it is open from 10 AM to 4 PM. In the months of January and February and on Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter Sunday, the Christ Church Burial Ground remains closed.
Proper guided tours of Christ Church Burial Ground begin every hour between 10 AM to 3 PM. The guide informs the visitors about the graves of the important people and even narrate various incidents of their lives. It is interesting to note that visitors usually toss a penny to the grave of Benjamin Franklin for good luck.
Christ Church Burial Ground covers a beautiful expanse of 2 acres and has about 1,400 graves.
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