Elfreth's Alley Museum

Absolutely loved walking down this street! It’s so charming with the old brick houses, colorful shutters, cobblestone path, and all the flowers in front of the windows. It really feels like you stepped back in time but in the best way. There’s also a little museum right on the street that’s only $3 to enter, and it’s such a nice way to learn a bit of history while you’re here. Totally worth the stop! It’s quiet, pretty, and such a nice spot just to stroll, take pictures, or sit for a bit. Honestly one of my favorite little finds in Philly—definitely worth checking out if you’re nearby.

The museum tells the history of “one of the oldest continuously inhabited residential streets in the United States” according to their website. The street is charming, if overpriced, and ironically began as a working class neighborhood. My biggest complaint are the ugly buildings constructed next door to the alley during the late 1970s. If you enjoy taking walks to see things, this is a decent stop.

This is a pretty street to wonder down. Its small and some of the houses are in better condition than others. Is it worth the trip? Probably but i wasn't wowed. It will take you about a minute to walk down and the your done apart form walking back the other way.

You can walk these historic street any time of the year but for their fete day you could tour parts of homes, the small alleys were open/unlocked. There was pasty to purchase. There was music and people dressed up like the 1700-1800, a tarot card reader in a home, tour guides all over to talk to. It was amazing, I have always admired this street so going to the fete was a bonus for me.

Meh. Property owners exploiting their one claim to fame. It’s pretty. But nothing to write home about. If you live in one of the original 13 colonies, you most likely have a historic area with homes. So it might be something that you’ve seen before. Personally, I think that Frederick, Maryland, downtown is much prettier!

This is a must see if you visit Philadelphia!!! Experience a street like it was in the 1720s Elfreth's Alley is one of the oldest continuously inhabited residential streets located in Old City, Philadelphia. There is one house open for tours with guides that explain the way the houses were used back then. Overall experience took us about 30 minutes. Worth it!!

Cobblestone streets whisper stories of centuries past. History comes alive, offering a captivating glimpse into the past. House visits are available for a fee of $3, although I did not perceive any significant value in doing so.

A landmark historic place in the city. Even though we have lived in Philadelphia for over two years, we only just took a walk here and were very, very pleased. My husband and I walked holding our breath, soaking in every detail of the surrounding history. We also met a couple of locals on the street — they seemed like kind, friendly people. Since we visited on Halloween Eve, we were offered sweets, and everything around was decorated with pumpkins. I recommend setting aside time for this walk, as the street is full of atmosphere and charm — history literally breathes here, in every door and window shutter.

During our vacation, my wife and I stumbled upon Elfreth's Alley Museum, and it was a fantastic find! The place is packed with incredible artifacts and stories from the 1700s, and the well-preserved houses truly transport you back in time. The staff was welcoming, adding to the overall charm of the visit. It was quite busy, and the spaces are a little tight, but that didn't take away from the experience. If you're into history, this is a place you'll really appreciate!

Stop here for a quick step back in history! It only takes about 10 minutes to explore this spot but it's SO COOL to walk where our country's forefathers walked. People still live here so don't be a jerk. It's simple. My favorite detail is the cobblestone street with the center drain that was used for so much more than rainwater if you know what I mean.

Very cool alley to explore. Nice to see the homeowners are so proud of their street. The gift shop was free to enter and showed a small portion of the interior of the home and a back garden. Next door was the museum that cost a small fee. I think $4? It had three levels of a home to explore. Not wheelchair friendly. They had the scariest stairs I have been on in a while. Very tiny spiral steps so be careful!

This was awesome to see. Not sure where one parks but we just put our car in probably some not supposed to park location and we were only here 10 minutes at the most lol. Waze funny enough was telling us to turn on this street like omg no waze! :P We didn't do a tour or anything just walked around and took pictures.

One of the most photogenic experiences during our time in Philly. Thanks to Yelp, it wasn't a part of our original itinerary but popped up when we landed in town. What to expect? America's oldest standing residential street with some of the cutest homes ya ever did see! Unfortunately, the museum was closed when we arrived but the street alone is worth a visit. Take a moment to wind through the back alleys as well.

Excellent spot. 1) If you are into American history, this is a must visit spot. 2) I enjoyed the old architecture and area. 3) Will definitely come back.

Didn't visit the "museum", but strolled down the historically significant oldest residential street in the US... Takes all of 5 minutes to do... Strolling is free... As I walked down the street, I wondered how the residences were retrofitted with modern conveniences like water, sewage, and electricity. Oh well, since I didn't go inside the museum, I didn't find out...

This Alley is SO cool! It's like you step back in time, and see how the rich people live, however, it wasn't rich peple who were living here, but poor people! Crazy! The houses are so well maintained and it's amazing that people still live there today! The cobblestone street is very quaint and their are workers all around to answer any questions. The colors are vibrant and it's really cool to check out!

This is awesome!! $5 for a tour where you can learn all about the oldest neighborhood in the country! Lots to learn about the houses, furnishings, life at the time and more. Don't miss out on this!

The original cobblestone stone is found here. The architecture is narrow, charming and quaint. This oldest street in America has been restored over the years since 1736 and the fact that some people chosed to still live in the homes on this alley. Bring your camera. It'll bring you back in time.

Rumor has it that this is the oldest continuously lived in street in America. Its narrow, its charming and all the buildings have been kept up by over 300 years of Americans. Now the narrow buildings host many art galleries. Take your camera. Its so quaint its surreal. Might I suggest walking down it barefoot. Yeah I did. My sandals were killing my feet that day and I realized it is also the CLEANEST street in Philadelphia. It felt good to walk barefoot on the cobblestones and think of how many thousands of other people used to walk on it barefoot to save their shoes for good back when shoes were harder to come by than today.

I had no idea this was such a large part of Philadelphia history. Upon coming here I thought I would see just an alley of houses--no big deal. WRONG! The houses here are super cute and very unique. Each has a piece of history on it--things you cannot find built into houses of our current day, such as the busy body (mirror) or a shoe scrapper cemented into the ground next to the door. Call me geeky, but I thought the history of it all was very cool. So glad we came!

Very cute and quaint alley worth stopping by to check out. They have tours you can pay for, but walking through the alley just to check it out and take pictures is free. There's also a free cell phone tour you can take. It's a narrow cobblestone road and the homes still have a lot of character. People still live her to please be respectful. Love all the history Philadelphia has to offer.

Could this little alley please be more adorable? No? That's what I thought. We walked the whole alley (including the little cul de sac thing) and unfortunately didn't realize there was a phone tour available until we were already done. So.. learn from my mistakes: there's a phone tour. You can learn all about the various artisans and craftspeople who once lived in the houses. Super nerdy? Yes. And yet... also super cool.. in a nerdy way.

It was POURING rain the first time I visited Elfreth's Alley but that didn't stop me from going. And I liked it so much that I went back the next day and walked down the alley in much nicer weather. It's free to visit and though it's not very long, it's really cool to see this piece of history - the street that that's been continually inhabited for the longest time in the U.S., apparently. It's amazing to think that real people actually live in these homes (and then to have tourists like me walking up and down their block all day). If you are into architecture and/or history, Elfreth's Alley is a fun place to visit while in Philly. Note: I didn't visit the little museum, just walked up and down the street.

This I enjoyed more than Betsy Ross House. I got the feeling of what it was like to live there. The steps are crazy slim & winding though. We weren't allowed to take photos but I had managed to get one before she told us though. We saw a bedroom and kitchen as well as the backyard which was huge. This was also on my free list but when we got there it was $3 for adults and $2 for kids under 10. So we saved $2 there unlike Betsy's House.

This was a surprisingly fun stop for me. I had been living in the Philly area long enough that I thought I'd seen all the worthwhile sites but thought I should add this one too. I was blown away - and immediately realized I'd live there in a heartbeat (though it takes a special patience to deal with tourists constantly brushing by your front door). Because it is so enclosed, it really does feel like you've been trapped way back in time. And the current home owners have to be proud of it, and do their best to keep that feeling alive. There is a small gift shop and museum and apparently tours, but I didn't really take advantage (though, kudos to them - as I understand, it's all operated by the neighborhood, not "professional" tour guides). Just being there was a unique experience. This is a great stop if you're on the way somewhere else or if you have time to kill.

In this day, age, time when a huge portion of the population wants constant photos of themselves, this is certainly a solid 'photo op'. I appreciate it's the oldest street, I also don't care that much... History buffs, etc probably have higher appreciation!

This is worth seeing! You can either walk through on your own, or enjoy a guided tour of one of the house and the street for 5$. The houses are privately own, it is such a great historic site.

We didn't actually go to the museum but we walked the alley. Its really small but I thought it was a cute little thing to do while we were in the area. I always like to do historical things whenever possible on vacation and I consider the first residential street in the US pretty historical. The street is cobblestone and the houses are close together.. walking from one end to the other probably takes about 5 minutes. I tried to imagine the families that lived there when it was first built and people walking exactly where I was walking at that moment... kids playing in the middle of the alley... I dunno, there is something really special to me about walking where so many other people have walked for hundreds of years. Makes me feel connected to history or something. Anyway, its a cute thing to do that doesn't cost anything (unless you do the tour) and doesn't take too much time.

I didn't actually go to the museum, but I'm going to assume it would add an additional star to the experience! I wouldn't go out of my way to see this site if I was most people, but having been a history major in college I was pretty excited about walking down the oldest residential street in the country. I also found it pretty cool that you can still live in the houses!

I wasn't actually aware of the museum or any sort of phone tour until I looked up the place to review on yelp. As far as the alley itself it's one of Philly's best treasures a short walk north east from Independence Hall. It's virtually unchanged by time right down to the fact that people still live in the homes here. Its just a beautiful small alley of homes that is clean and well kept and worth strolling through if you're ever in the area.

Great architecture and history. Worth walking down the alley if your visiting Philadelphia. It's free and takes 4 and a 1/2 minutes.

A must see if you go sight-seeing in Philly! We've come here a few times and absolutely love it! Strolling down the street takes you right back in time. Residents of the oldest street in America are required to maintain their homes with its original appearance. Residents of Elfreths Alley tend to be extremely friendly and have chosen to live on this street to help preserve a peice of history. Some of the families have typed descriptions of their house and historical information posted in their first floor windows for visitors to see. The museum is pretty neat as well and the workers there have a wealth of information about this unique part of the city! I'd highly recommend stopping by there and checking it out!

Don't just walk through, pay the $5 and take a tour. That's what the volunteers are there for! And they know their stuff! Plus, you get to go inside one of the houses, learn about clothes, textiles, what life was like. More than worth the $5.

A favorite outing on a visit to Phlly! Our nation's oldest residential street dates back to the early 1700s and was once home to an eclectic mix of artisans and craftsmen. Now it's the perfect place to take a break from the bustling modern city and take several steps back in time. I just peeked into the museum...it was tiny and informative with a hint of a gift shop. I'm sure I would have learned something interesting if I had the patience for museums...but, I don't. I was too busy snapping pictures and sneaking into hidden alleys...

There is not enough funding for this gem. The guides are volunteers, but ask a question and they won't stop with information. Short tour, but then again..it is a tiny place.

If you love history, then you've come to the right place as Elfreths Alley is a great place to take a tour of one of the oldest houses and blocks in Philadelphia. It costs 5 dollars and is well worth it. The tour is wonderful and informative. There is so much to learn. The tour starts in the gift shop where usually the clerk is the one giving the tour. Please take the tour with the tour guide and you will be able to go inside one of the houses that was lived in, in the 1700s. I hope you enjoy it!

I got some amazing photography shots. How cool is this place!!!! ... I kind of feel sorry for the people that live their though. It is like living on display!

To give you a glimpse of what much of Philadelphia was like back in the 1700s take a stroll down this street. Don't miss one of the skinniest houses you'll ever see. A couple times per year, there are free open house tours of many of the homes (which are still inhabited) on the street.

Sad, little excuse of a museum and gift shop in an idyllic residential alley of Olde Town Philadelphia charm. Don't expect to see much in this specific museum house and be prepare to pry information from the museum keeper and what tour guides they have there. Do stop by for a chance to walk through a model Elfreths Alley house amongst the charming gems in this historic area.

Super cool street to visit in Philadelphia. Take the volunteer's tour at $5 per adult and learn a little more.

The oldest residential street in America..how's that for some history?! When we were in Philadelphia, I was not going to leave until we stopped by here. The homes and little courtyards are so rad and you can't help but go back in time here. There is a tour but the museum was closed by the time we got there. But not to worry! There's a cellphone tour! A number you dial and gives you info as you walk on. Thank you to those who have preserved this amazing slice of history!

A lovely little piece of history. Definitely a must while visiting Philadelphia... To walk down the oldest residential street in the country is just something I think everyone should do at least once if in the area! I really enjoyed it.

It is very neat to see this original little space. I love that people still live here too. Its quaint and adorable and simply neat as a pin. You should take a look when in the area, you will be glad you did.

Quaint but not as interesting as it could be. I get the feeling the museum doesn't have much funding. The "tour" of one home was pretty lame--the guide seemed knowledgeable but she wasn't very forthcoming with information. She was able to answer most questions but she didn't have much to say unless someone asked a question. Seeing the interior and hearing a little about the structure was nice but I can't say I learned all that much. I did, however, grow up with parents whose idea of a swell vacation was touring nearly every historical site/recreation village in the Northeast. So there's not too much general knowledge on the Revolutionary period that I haven't already been told at some point. You've got to dig a little deeper to wow me. Elfreth's Alley didn't dig that deep--more like a brush against the surface. We also tried the cell phone tour of the alley but found that likewise pretty basic and therefore boring. Still, the alley is certainly historic and is cute and old-timey. Worth stopping byt if you're in the area, but don't go out of your way for it.

The Elfreths Alley Museum itself is very nice, the art is impressive if you're into that sort of thing.Not just on the freeway itself, but also the surrounding streets. I would just avoid it all together until the freeway gets fixed.