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Posted in Philadelphia November 04, 2017 by Kim Magaraci

12 Facts About Philadelphia You Never Knew Were True

Get ready for your next trivia night… here are 12 facts about Philadelphia that even those of us born and raised here might not know. How many of these had you heard before? Do any of them surprise you?

1. Philadelphia's 9,200 acres of park space makes it one of the most expansive park systems in the country.

2. Philly is known as the Mural Capital of the Country, with over 2,000 gigantic art pieces.

3. In fact, Philly is really known for its art scene - we're home to more Impressionist paintings than any other city outside of Paris!

4. And we've got more public art than any other city in the United States.

5. The Liberty Bell, Constitution, and Independence Hall all use the spelling "Pensylvania" - which was the accurate way to spell our state name in the early years of the country.

6. City Hall is the largest municipal building in the country.

7. It wasn't until the Comcast Center placed a Penn statue high on top of their building in 2007 that the curse was broken. The Phillies won the World Series in 2008.

8. Speaking of baseball, from 1943-1949, the Philles were called the Blue Jays.

9. The whole "Betsy Ross Flag" story might be complete fiction. There's little evidence to back it up.

10. Thanks to the Quakers, Philadelphia was one of the first cities in the world to guarantee religious freedom... all the way back in 1682.

11. Medical School is a big part of Philly life. In fact, 1 in 6 American doctors received their education in Philadelphia.

12. Philly is a city of America's firsts: the first university, first zoo, first lending library, and, of course, first cheesesteak.

We’re definitely a pioneer city – did you know that Philadelphia was the first to do these 11 things?

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Kim Magaraci graduated Rutgers University with a degree in Geography and has spent the last seven years as a freelance travel writer. Contact: kmagaraci@onlyinyourstate.com