Where the Parkway Begins

City Hall forms the eastern anchor of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the broad boulevard running from Center City to Fairmount Park, and from the observation deck in its tower the Parkway can be seen stretching a mile northwest to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Construction on City Hall began in 1871 and, amid scandals, continued for 30 years. It was briefly the world's tallest building before losing that distinction in 1908 to the Singer Building in New York City. Though its ornate style was controversial and seemed old-fashioned even when new, its future became secure as people rediscovered the beauty of Victorian architecture. The building is crowned by a bronze statue of William Penn atop its 511-foot tower and contains more than 250 sculptures inside and out, all created by Alexander Milne Calder and his assistants. Calder, known for the sculptures on City Hall, was the first of three generations of renowned artists in the Calder family; his son Alexander Stirling Calder and grandson Alexander "Sandy" Calder also became famous sculptors.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · United States