Travel the Portfolio: Where It Began
June 26, 2026
The story is 250 years in the making.
This summer, the birthplace of American independence is having its moment.
As Philadelphia marks America’s 250th birthday (the Semiquincentennial), visitors have a rare opportunity to experience the places where history unfolded while the city hosts one of the most extraordinary years in its modern history. FIFA World Cup matches are running through July 4. Wawa Welcome America, the nation’s largest free Fourth of July festival, fills the Parkway June 19 through July 4. The First Bank of the United States, closed since the Bicentennial in 1976, reopens July 1. And from the galleries of Old City to the trails of Chester County, Philadelphia 2026 extends well beyond a single day and far beyond the city itself.
The best part? You do not have to stay in the middle of the crowds to experience it. Newport Hospitality Group manages these three hotels across the Philadelphia region, each placing you within easy reach of America’s most iconic landmarks while connecting you to the landscapes, stories, and communities that helped shape a nation.
Courtyard Philadelphia Valley Forge / Collegeville
Where Washington’s Army Endured | About 15 minutes from Valley Forge National Historical Park
History feels different when you stand where it happened.
Just 15 minutes from the hotel, Valley Forge National Historical Park invites visitors to walk the grounds where General George Washington and the Continental Army endured the winter of 1777-1778. What was once a military encampment is now one of the country’s most inspiring landscapes, with miles of trails, reconstructed cabins, monuments, and rolling countryside that has changed very little since the soldiers marched through it.
This summer carries an extra layer of significance. The park is marking its own 50th anniversary as a National Historical Park alongside America’s 250th, and the NPS is celebrating with Retreat to Valley Forge, a free three-day commemoration running July 3-5. Expect living history demonstrations, musical performances, family programming, and a hop-on/hop-off shuttle throughout the park. It is the kind of event you will not see again for another generation.
Beyond the July 4 weekend, summer is a beautiful time to explore the park on your own. Bike the trails, tour Washington’s Headquarters, or spend an afternoon tracing the footsteps of the soldiers who helped shape a nation. Back at the hotel, gather around the outdoor firepit or relax on the terrace as the day’s discoveries settle in.
Best for: Revolutionary War history, outdoor exploration, couples’ getaways, summer road trips, July 4th weekend
Plan your stay at Courtyard Philadelphia Valley Forge / Collegeville
Courtyard Philadelphia Great Valley / Malvern
Where History Meets the Countryside | Chester County, 20 minutes from Longwood Gardens
Not every chapter of America’s story happened in a city.
Surrounded by the rolling hills of Chester County, Malvern offers travelers a different perspective on the nation’s beginnings, including a different kind of Revolutionary War history than what you will find at Valley Forge. Just minutes from the hotel, Paoli Battlefield marks the site of the Paoli Massacre of September 20, 1777: a night ambush in which British forces surprised a Continental Army brigade under General Anthony Wayne. The 44-acre site is largely untouched, and the monument and soldier gravesites there are among the most affecting in the region.
For those drawn to landscape and culture, the Brandywine Valley is twenty minutes in every direction. Visit the Brandywine Museum of Art, wander the breathtaking grounds of Longwood Gardens, where the Festival of Fountains runs through September 27 with an America’s 250th-themed Fountain Fest weekend included, or spend a morning at Brandywine Battlefield in Chadds Ford, where 30,000 soldiers clashed in the largest single-day engagement of the Revolutionary War.
The result is a trip that feels equal parts educational and restorative.
Best for: History enthusiasts, garden lovers, cultural travelers, long-weekend explorers, Revolutionary War deep dives
Plan your stay at Courtyard Philadelphia Great Valley / Malvern
Homewood Suites by Hilton Philadelphia / Mt. Laurel
Your Gateway to America’s Birthplace | About 25 minutes from Old City Philadelphia
Some stories are best experienced together, and some are big enough to need more than one day.
Located just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Homewood Suites Philadelphia / Mt. Laurel offers families and travelers a comfortable home base for experiencing the city in its biggest year in a generation. In 2026, Philadelphia is not just hosting America’s 250th birthday celebration. It is hosting the FIFA World Cup, the MLB All-Star Game, and a once-in-50-years reopening of the First Bank of the United States, which has been closed to the public since the Bicentennial in 1976.
Spend a day standing inside Independence Hall and seeing the Liberty Bell. Spend another at the Museum of the American Revolution, where The Declaration’s Journey, a landmark exhibition exploring the 250-year global legacy of the Declaration of Independence, runs through January 2027. Cross town to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts for A Nation of Artists, the most expansive presentation of American art ever mounted in Philadelphia, running through 2027. Walk the cobblestone streets of Old City, or find your way to the Parkway for Wawa Welcome America, the nation’s largest free Fourth of July festival.
Spacious suite-style accommodations and extended-stay amenities make Homewood Suites the natural base for families and multigenerational groups who want to do it all. Two or three nights here barely scratches the surface.
Best for: Family vacations, multigenerational travel, educational experiences, extended stays, Philadelphia 2026 event travelers
Plan your stay at Homewood Suites Philadelphia / Mt. Laurel
Still Unfolding
The Fourth of July may be the centerpiece, but America’s story was never meant to be contained within a single day, or a single city block, or a single year.
This summer, explore the places where independence took shape. Walk the paths where history unfolded. Experience the landscapes, the galleries, and the battlefields that continue to inspire generations of visitors. And come back. The 250th is a year, not a weekend.
We invite you to stay with us and discover where it all began.
Browse the full Newport Hospitality Group portfolio at nhghotels.com
