PLEASE NOTE, THIS POST MAY INCLUDE AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING THAT IF YOU CLICK ON A LINK AND MAKE A PURCHASE, I’LL RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISION. THIS WILL COME AT NO COST TO YOU.
“Where is his musical?” I ask the volunteers at the Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial in Philadelphia. The staff love the idea. We start discussing the script and songs for Thaddeus’ musical. It’s overwhelming. Thaddeus Kosciuszko lived a hundred lives in his single lifetime. Do we focus on his brilliant fortification engineering during the United States’ Revolutionary War? Should his show concentrate on his passionate military career fighting to free Poland from Russia? Surely part of the musical would highlight his zeal for human rights and his crusade against slavery? The song options are endless.
I’ve lived in the Philadelphia area my entire life and never heard of Thaddeus Kosciuszko. The Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and other National Historical Park stops were field trip priorities. Independence Historical Park attracts many tourists. Meanwhile, off the beaten path, down quiet Pine Street sits the former Philadelphia boarding house where the genius military engineer spent a winter.
Loving a superlative, we had to visit the Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial. This National Park Site is the smallest unit in the entire United States National Park System. A successful visit depends on the timing of your trip to Philadelphia. The site is only open Saturdays and Sundays, April-October. Don’t be surprised if you show up on a Saturday or Sunday and it is closed or has a delayed opening. Patience is required.
Location
Being the smallest National Park unit, the self-guided house tour will take an hour or less. You can make it part of your Independence National Historical Park day or fit in one or two other great Philadelphia attractions.
If you are spending a Saturday or Sunday hitting all of the Independence National Historical Park stops, the Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial is a ten minute walk from the Historical Park’s Washington Square.
Not part of the National Historical Park, the Hill-Physick House is a three minute walk away. If you like historic homes and/or are fascinated with medical history, a tour of the Hill-Physick House is worth the admission fee. Visiting days and times vary, so check the website to be sure they fit into your schedule.
Philadelphia’s famous Magic Gardens art museum is a twenty-minute walk from the National Memorial. If you are an art enthusiast and/or lover of unique, quirky places, a Magic Gardens visit is a must. Tickets are timed and frequently sell out. Be sure to reserve them ahead of time. Set aside a few hours to immerse yourself in the mosaic wonderland.
Sometimes, when visiting a destination, your time is short, and logistics are limited. Still, you want to try the food special to the destination. We’ve found ourselves in this position many times. I’m not here to start a best cheesesteak war. If you are visiting the Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial, Jim’s Steaks on South Street is a 5 minute walk away. They make a decent cheesesteak. If you need to check eating a cheesesteak off of your Philadelphia visit list without going out of your way, stop at Jim’s.
While eating your cheesesteak in the upstairs dining area, you can also enjoy viewing some of artist Isiah Zagar’s mosaic murals.
The House
The National Park Passport Stamp at the Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial is located on a desk, steps away from the front door. The downstairs features various exhibits highlighting Thaddeus’ life history and accomplishments. In the United States, he is best known for designing brilliant fortifications. These fortifications helped the Patriots win battles against the British.
One of the things I admire about Thaddeus Kosciuszko is his determination. As a young man, Thaddeus moved to France hoping to increase his military education. Because he was a foreign citizen, he was disappointed to find that he was not permitted to attend France’s military academies. Kosciuszko developed a workaround. He attended the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, enhancing his drawing and architecture skills. Though he couldn’t officially attend the military academy, he audited classes and utilized the library, voraciously reading and learning all that he could. Impressive.
There isn’t time to go into every amazing thing this under-recognized historical figure achieved. Like Alexander Hamilton, Thaddeus Kosciusko’s accomplishments are endless .
The house’s second floor is a reconstruction of what the room looked like during the freedom fighter’s stay. Like most colonial homes in Philadelphia, the stairs can be a bit precarious.
Despite visiting during the height of Philadelphia’s tourist season, there are only a few other people inside the United States’ smallest National Park Site. I imagine that on a busy day, the upstairs room gets crowded. You may have to wait your turn to get an up-close view of Thaddeus’s room.
The staff are extremely passionate. A National Park first, the staff handed out history character cards.
The Film
At some National Park Sites, the film plays on a continuous loop. At some, the film plays at a designated time. While visiting sites like the John Muir National Historic Site, you ask a Park Ranger to start the film. At the Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial, the theater room has a button to press to play the short film. The film is animated. Since drawing was one of Kosciuszko’s life-long hobbies, I
think the film perfectly fits the history-making artist. Because he is a beloved hero in Poland, the site is popular with Polish tourists.
If you press one button, the Park film plays in English. If you press a different button, the Park film plays in Polish.
Read about our visit to the John Muir National Historic Site
Conclusion
The con of the park is its operational days and hours. Depending on the schedule of your Philadelphia trip, it may be a miss simply because it’s not open.
The pros
-It is neat learning about an underrated historical figure who is just as important to the Revolutionary War as Alexander Hamilton, Ben Franklin, or Betsey Ross.
-You get to say you stepped inside the smallest National Park System unit in the United States.
-Due to its diminutive footprint, it’s easy to add to your busy day exploring the city of Philadelphia.
The Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial packs a lot of information into a small space. I recommend stopping in if it is open and learning about this remarkable man worthy of his own musical.
Find a Place to Stay in Philadelphia
Leave a Reply