Why was the Liberty Bell moved to the Presidents House site?
After its removal from the tower, the Liberty Bell was put on public display in Independence Hall from 1852 to 1975. Because of the large crowds anticipated for the Bicentennial, Independence National Historical Park built a modern glass and steel building to house the bell about 500 feet north of its old home. This building has been criticized as being bland, but it fulfilled its function well by not competing for attention with the bell. With the growth in tourism, the building was outgrown, but there also is a desire at INHP to change how a visitor experiences the Liberty Bell. The new Liberty Bell Center, triple the size of the old, allows much more space to educate visitors about the bell’s history and significance. A 200-foot-long exhibition hall houses interactive displays. The bell itself is separate; housed in a quiet, contemplative space at the south end of the building. The bell chamber is angled to face the tower of Independence Hall, in a view that screens out the 20th cen
