Independence Hall to Be Reopened With Local Funds
The city announced Friday that it will use local funds to reopen Independence Hall and the nearby Liberty Bell pavilion, which have been closed by the federal government shutdown.
Mayor Ed Rendell said that the city will pay the National Park Service $8,300 to reopen the two historic attractions through Wednesday, starting at 9 a.m. EST today. If the budget impasse continues past then, he said, the city will try to raise money to keep them open.
The money comes from a special tourism fund that does not rely on tax dollars, Rendell said. An earlier city effort to reopen the two sites with volunteers was rejected.
The Declaration of Independence was proclaimed in Independence Hall in 1776, and the Liberty Bell rang to mark the occasion.
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