The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
The building was known in 1776 as the Pennsylvania State House. It served as the meeting place of the Second Continental Congress, which debated independence, approved the Lee Resolution, and adopted the Declaration of Independence.
The name “Independence Hall” became common later because of the building’s association with the Declaration and the United States Constitution. The Constitution was also drafted there in 1787, making the site important to both the revolutionary founding and the creation of the federal government.
A common mix-up is assuming the Declaration was signed in a separate ceremonial building. The engrossed parchment was signed in the State House, though the signing process took place over time and is often pictured as one dramatic event on July 4. Today the hall is part of Independence National Historical Park.