Federal Study Shows History Still Big Economic Engine For Philadelphia
By Mark Abrams
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A study released by the National Park Service shows Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia continues to play a critical role in boosting the city's economy.
The 16-day government shutdown aside last October, the park service study shows spending was still up last year at the site that includes Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and much more.
Jane Cowley, a spokeswoman for Independence National Historical Park, says it's not just the park itself that benefits from tourism:
"The analysis of the Philadelphia parks shows 196 million economic benefit to the local community, which is huge."
She says the park service can't take all the credit:
"We rely so much on our partners. We have a number of organizations who either offer programming in the park or around the park and we work closely with the City of Philadelphia who is such a fabulous partner for our National Park Service."
She adds more than 3.5-million people visited the federal sites in Philadelphia during 2013.