Second Bank of the US

Philadelphia


Modeled after the Greek Parthenon, this 1824 marble-faced Greek Revival masterpiece now houses a Portrait Gallery. Many of the paintings are by Charles Willson Peale, America's top portrait artist at the time of the American Revolution.

The building was home to the nation's bank until President Andrew Jackson dissolved its charter in 1836. After this it was the Philadelphia Customs House until 1935.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Philadelphia attractions

1. American Philosophical Society

0.05 MILES

The oldest learned society in the US was founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin with the aim of 'promoting useful knowledge.' It continues on its mission by…

2. Old City Hall

0.05 MILES

It was in this building, Philadelphia's Old City Hall, that the US Supreme Court made its first decisions between 1791 and 1800.

3. Carpenters' Hall

0.09 MILES

Erected as a calling card for the skillful work of the Carpenters' Company of Philadelphia in 1774, this is where the First Continental Congress met.

4. Independence Hall

0.09 MILES

The 'birthplace of American government', this modest, early 18th-century Georgian building is where delegates from the 13 colonies met to approve the…

5. Science History Institute

0.11 MILES

A must-stop for scientists and young explorers, this museum offers not just a look back at the history of chemicals and the materials made from them, but…

6. Congress Hall

0.11 MILES

Congress Hall is where the first legislators met when Philly was the nation's capital. Entrance (no ticket necessary) is through the security checkpoint…

7. Benjamin Franklin Museum

0.11 MILES

This underground museum is dedicated to Franklin's storied life as a printer (he started the nation's first newspaper), inventor (Bifocals! Lightning rods…

8. First Bank of the US

0.12 MILES

Although closed to the public, it's impossible to ignore the grand neoclassical architecture of this 1797 building that housed the First Bank of the US…