Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in Independence Hall, the Philadelphia building commemorated by America250’s founding-era history.
The building was completed in 1753 as the Pennsylvania State House. The Second Continental Congress met there when it debated and approved the Declaration in 1776. The Constitutional Convention also met in the same building in 1787, making it central to both independence and the creation of the federal government.
The name Independence Hall became common after the American Revolution. During the colonial period, it was generally called the Pennsylvania State House. The complex includes Congress Hall and Old City Hall, but those neighboring buildings are separate structures.
Independence Hall is part of Independence National Historical Park. The Liberty Bell is displayed nearby in the Liberty Bell Center, not inside the assembly room where Congress approved the Declaration. The site is preserved as a major symbol of American constitutional history.