
National Historic Site · Illinois
NPS Photo
Archaeological site in Illinois, United States
The New Philadelphia National Historic Site is the original site of the now-vanished town of New Philadelphia, Illinois, in the United States. It is located near the western Illinois city of Barry, in Pike County.
To a casual observer, New Philadelphia looked like a typical Illinois pioneer town. But a closer look revealed a unique and racially diverse community. New Philadelphia was the first US town platted and registered by an African American. A formerly enslaved man, Free Frank McWorter, founded New Philadelphia in 1836 and purchased freedom for himself and 15 family members.





The site is open to the public with no scheduled operating hours.
| mon | tue | wed | thu | fri | sat | sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Day | All Day | All Day | All Day | All Day | All Day | All Day |
New Philadelphia National Historic Site is free to enter.
Popular activities at New Philadelphia National Historic Site include: Guided Tours.
Temperatures at our site can range from 0°F (-18°C) in the winter to 95°F (35°C) or warmer in the summer. Summers can be very humid, with intense sun, rainstorms, thunderstorms possible. Snow and occasional blizzard conditions are possible in the winter. Please dress appropriately for potential weather conditions and plan ahead.
New Philadelphia National Historic Site is in rural western Illinois between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers near Interstate 72. The site can be reached by turning onto 306th Lane from County Highway 2. An informational kiosk is immediately on the left after turning onto 306th Lane. The small city of Barry lies two miles west and has the nearest services. Hannibal, Missouri, is 27 miles west. Springfield, Illinois, is 76 miles east. St. Louis lies about 115 miles south.
Free Admission
Temperatures at our site can range from 0°F (-18°C) in the winter to 95°F (35°C) or warmer in the summer. Summers can be very humid, with intense sun, rainstorms, thunderstorms possible. Snow and occasional blizzard conditions are possible in the winter. Please dress appropriately for potential weather conditions and plan ahead.
New Philadelphia National Historic Site is in rural western Illinois between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers near Interstate 72. The site can be reached by turning onto 306th Lane from County Highway 2. An informational kiosk is immediately on the left after turning onto 306th Lane. The small city of Barry lies two miles west and has the nearest services. Hannibal, Missouri, is 27 miles west. Springfield, Illinois, is 76 miles east. St. Louis lies about 115 miles south.
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