As you walk into the NCC you can't help but feel a sense of awe at the size of the building and its feeling of openness. The NCC contains 160,000 square feet of public space, including the galleries. It also includes 67,785 square feet of exhibit space which will be in heavy use during the next year.
As you look high above you notice the flags of each of the states and U.S. territories, along with a huge, 12' x 18' American flag which has flown above each state and territorial capitol, as well as over the John A. Wilson building in Washington D.C.
You will purchase a timed ticket which will ensure your seating in the 336-seat Kimmel Theater for the first portion of the exhibit/tour which is a 17-minute multi-media and live action presentation called "Freedom Rising." combining film, a live actor and video projection on a 360-degree screen.
Following the presentation you will exit at the top of the theater where you enter the large DeVos Exhibit Hall, where you will find numerous multi-media interactive exhibits telling the story of the Constitution and of the many civic responsibilities derived from it.
Numerous exhibits of period artifacts are also on display as well as 10 walk-in period environments. Circling the hall on the wall above is the entire text of the U.S. Constitution and all amendments.
Also on this level is the "Family Theater" which contains a fun and humorous look at the Bill of Rights through a "Top Ten List" of the first 10 Amendments.
As you exit the exhibit hall you will enter "Signers Hall," easily one of the highlights of the NCC. Here you can walk amidst life-size bronze statues of the contains 42 delegates to the Constitutional Convention as they may have been seated or standing in Independence Hall. This is a prime photo spot where visitors can have their picture taken standing next to statues of men such as Benjamin Franklin or George Washington.
As you exit "Signers Hall" you once again enter the public area of the hall where there is an internet cafe where you can email government officials and watch government proceedings on a large video wall. Look out the huge glass windows and you will have a stunning view of Independence Mall and Independence Hall, three blocks to the south.
The NCC also includes a 225-seat ground-level indoor restaurant with outdoor terrace seating above. It also is home to the Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach which includes the large Kirby Auditorium. The NCC is high on the day-trip itinerary for most schools in the Mid-Atlantic region of the country.
The NCC was designed by the architectural firm of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. The firm is responsible for the expansion of the Louvre in Paris and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Ralph Appelbaum Associates designed the NCC's visitor experiences and exhibition hall. Appelbaum has created the visitor experiences and exhibition halls at the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C., and the Rose Planetarium in New York City.
As part of the Ben Franklin 300 Philadelphia celebration, the Center hosted the world premiere of the Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World exhibition. Featuring more than 250 priceless artifacts, interactive devices, and hands-on family fun, the exhibition was the centerpiece of the city’s celebration of Franklin's 300th birthday.
Sports: Breaking Records, Breaking Barriers is the Center's 2006 Summer Exhibition. Read our review of Sports: Breaking Records, Breaking Barriers
