I am going to visit a friend in Jersey this summer and will likely head up to Philadelphia to check out some of the historical stuff up there (and the Rocky stuff I guess ). Has anybody toured the US Mint facility up there? Is it worth checking out?
I would suggest calling them first to even see if they are open to the public and if so how much is open. Last time I was in New York there were no tours of the stock exchange and no tours of the mint there.
I did, but it was long ago. Probably over 20 years, if I remember correctly. The only other mint I saw was in Canberra, and that was fascinating. Got to make my own $1, but it cost me $2. lol
I was there in 2000. Very nice historical displays and self tour overlooking the minting process. They were minting cents the day we were there. Definitely worth the trip!
My wife and I were there last year and toured through the Mint at Philly. Its well worth the time to go through it. Security there is pretty tight and you're not allowed to take a camera in with you. I had to lay mine beside the building outside and hoped that nobody would take it. So, dont even tote a camera along with you. Personal belongings or anything metal has to go through the X-ray machine before you enter, belts, wallets, watches, purses and things of that nature. Make it a point to visit Ben Franklins grave site thats located right beside the mint. Costs a few bucks to get in but worth the experience. Have a great time!!
It's been a long time but we enjoyed it. Thanks for the heads up on the camera... we are "walkers" in a city and would be carrying it with us. Can't believe there aren't places to store such items inside the mint... There are any number of other things to see as well. If the NJ Aquarium has reopened over in Camden that's a nice stop as well. There are ferries across the Delaware right to it in season.
No problem, there must have been alot of tourists unaware of the no camera policy, just as I was. There was a large group that went in just before us that had to do the same with their cameras, good thing though that I was able to distinguish my "Kodak in a bag" camera from their Canons and Nikons. lol
In order to tour the Philly Mint, you need to contact your U.S. Senator or Representive in order to get in on a tour. You must also give the names of the people going and their Social Secruity Numbers. You have to know the day you are going and what time you will be at the Mint. Karl
One other thing. I was down there a couple weeks ago. The coin store is closed and undergoing renovation. I was told that they are getting a new vendor in ther for their products. So don't go there looking to buy proof sets, etc.
Does that policy still apply? Two years ago (Jan-2005) I was in Denver, and back then the mint did indeed have that policy. Well, I am not a US citizen or resident, so while I knew about the conditions ahead of time, there was no way for me to contact "my" senator or rep, of course. All I could visit was the store in the Denver Mint building and, errm, leave some money there. But a year later or so, I read that it had become a little easier to get a tour ... Christian
Hmm, I just checked - seems that it is easier now to visit the mints, and apparently aliens are now also allowed in. Denver requires a prior reservation though. Philadelphia: http://www.usmint.gov/mint_tours/index.cfm?action=philadelphia Denver: http://www.usmint.gov/mint_tours/index.cfm?action=StartReservation Christian
"Please bear with us during this time of transition, and be advised that all tour policies are subject to change without prior notification. If the Department of Homeland Security level is elevated to CODE ORANGE, the United States Mint at Philadelphia will be CLOSED to the public unless otherwise noted. The United States Mint reserves the right to deny access to anyone at any time; in addition, members of the general public wishing to tour the facility may be subject to search by the United States Mint Police." Taken from the mint page that chrisild provided. You may want to call ahead the morning you planning on going if you going out of your way to see it.
I never had a problem getting into the mint. Just check the website ahead of time, and don't forget to visit Pat's or Geno's on 9th st. 2 of the oldest cheesesteak shops in Philly.
We never had to contact anyone about getting into the mint. Unless the rules have changed since last year. I remember when we toured the White House back in 1976 we had to do all of that. We just walked up to the mint, went through security and walked on through. In the back of the gift shop theres an elevator in the event theres someone in your party thats in a wheelchair.
See my previous replies. In 2004 and 2005 it was definitely not possible to get a mint tour without going through that Contact-Your-Congressperson procedure. My (American) friends who were with me then could have done that, but that would not have helped me. When those rules were introduced (some time after Sep-2001 probably) and when they were relaxed I don't know. Christian
Not that this matters much, since the situation now is different, but either you were tremendously lucky, or the information provided by the US Mint on its website in late 2004/early 2005 ("Tours for individuals/families ... must be arranged through Congressional sponsorship. Addresses and telephone number for members of Congress can be found at ... You will need to provide the legal name, date-of-birth and Social Security number for all people requesting a tour.") was incorrect. Also note the two comments on this page: "We knew we needed approval and reservations through our local senator in order to get into the Mint" (Aug 13, 2003) "They've just recently reopened for tours, and it's worth going. You can line up for the 9AM opening on week days and get in for free." (Jun 14, 2005) It is definitely possible to get in, without any of this pre-registration, now - friends of mine did that last year, and I plan to do it next year ... Christian
