Charlene Mires | Historian

I lead custom, casual, story-filled walking tours in historic Philadelphia and Camden’s Cooper Street Historic District. This includes the Colonial Philadelphia tour offered through Context Travel and the Mural Mile tour for Mural Arts Philadelphia. I also have a new “Callowhill Cross Section” tour for the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia.

Certified Tour Guide, Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides. Ph.D., American History, Temple University.

Small Group Private Tours

Contact me to book directly for any of the personalized tours described below for groups of up to 10 people. Tours last 2 to 3 hours. Pricing comparable to commercial vendors.

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This Season’s Tour Topics

Old City / New City
I lived in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia for more than two decades, and I have some stories to tell! We will see iconic colonial sites like Elfreth’s Alley and the Betsy Ross house, and along the way we will explore how one of Philadelphia’s oldest neighborhoods survived through the centuries and continues to be a living, breathing community in a dynamic city. Walking distance approximately 1 mile, level terrain (some uneven surfaces).

Revolutionary City and the New Nation
On this walk, we will follow the story of the American Revolution and birth of the United States from the Stamp Act crisis to Philadelphia’s decade as the new nation’s capital. I literally wrote the book about Independence Hall (Independence Hall in American Memory), so you will hear stories direct from the archives about one of our nation’s most significant landmarks. This walk will conclude at one of Philadelphia’s newest landmarks, the President’s House site adjacent to the Liberty Bell Center. Walking distance approximately 1 mile, level terrain (some uneven surfaces).

Legendary Philadelphia
For a unique cross-section of Philadelphia history, join this walk from the Betsy Ross House to South Street (“where all the hippest meet”), and we will sort out fact and fiction along the way. We will delve into Betsy and the flag and the fiction that helped to make the Liberty Bell famous, and we will learn about towering historical figures including Richard Allen, the founder of Mother Bethel AME church, and rediscovered stories including Ona Judge, an enslaved woman who escaped from President George Washington’s household. On South Street, you may choose to finish off your experience with an authentic Philadelphia cheesesteak. Walking distance approximately 1 mile, level terrain (some uneven surfaces).

The Iconic Benjamin Franklin Parkway
This walk begins at the iconic LOVE sculpture near Philadelphia’s City Hall and ends at the Rocky Statue at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Along the way, we will explore the parkway and how it came to be, get acquainted with the neighborhood’s many museums (great orientation for returning on your own!), and examine important monuments and other works of public art. End the walk with a photo at the Rocky Statue and a run up the famous steps. To top it off, you may choose to continue into the renowned Philadelphia Museum of Art. (Note: no museum admission fees are included in the tour.) Walking distance approximately 1.4 miles, level terrain.

Camden’s Cooper Street Historic District
Directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Camden grew in Philadelphia’s shadow but became an industrial powerhouse in its own right–the home of the Campbell Soup Company and the Victor Talking Machine Company, among others. We will learn the stories of Camden’s transformation from countryside into city by exploring the architecturally-distinctive Cooper Street Historic District and adjacent campus of Rutgers University-Camden. Adding to the experience, we will reach Camden on the transit line that runs across the Benjamin Franklin Bridge for unparalleled views of the Delaware River. In season, the return journey can include a ferry ride back to Philadelphia, convenient to Penn’s Landing and the Independence Seaport Museum. Walking distance approximately 1 mile, level terrain. Steps may be required for transit options.