Tour guide Jim Murphy shares fascinating facts about real Philadelphia history

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Paid Sponsor Partnership: Philadelphia Corporation for Aging

America's big 250th celebration is almost here and if you're looking to brush up on your history, maybe it's time for a tour?

If you walk around town with Philadelphia tour guide Jim Murphy, you'll get a history lesson.

"I'm gonna tell you things about Philadelphia that most people don't know," says Murphy.

He moved from the suburbs to the city in 2008 and soon joined the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides.

"I have absolutely loved every minute since then," he says.

He often leads tours around Philadelphia's Historic District, Old City, the birthplace of America.

Typically starting at the Independence Visitor Center, Murphy points out locations such as the President's House.

"Where George Washington lived for seven years and John Adams lived for about three and a half," he says. "I've had people who can only walk like one square block, and I can do most of the tour in that."

His gift for guiding came as a result of writing for a local newspaper, "The Society Hill Reporter." In 2010, it was looking to start a new column.

"And so, I said, 'Well, how about we do exploring the city?'" says Murphy.

The columns were compiled into a book called, "Real Philly History, Real Fast."

"It ended up with about 52 stories, none of them more than four pages, but packed with detail," he says. "And I dedicate it to Penn and Ben."

The two are early Philadelphians he likes to call "superstars," because they "made us the fastest growing city in the country."

"This is William Penn's original plan for his city," says Murphy, showing his tour group a map.

Penn's so-called "Holy Experiment" offered religious freedom.

"And then Franklin came along 20 years later and improved everything," he says.

"It turned out that it was the seed of a nation. The first and second Continental Congress took place in Philadelphia. We ratified the Declaration in Philadelphia," he says.

Murphy says his research told a different story than what he'd been taught.

"I was told it was some farmland, William Penn came along, built a city, boom. It wasn't farmland, it was a howling wilderness," he says.

And freedom was hard fought. A story he tells at the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier in Washington Square. An eternal flame burns there in front of George Washington's statue.

Murphy shares his passion for the past on both private and group tours.

"I consider myself an ambassador. If somebody wants to come to Philly, I want to give them a good tour," he says.

If you want to book a tour with Jim Murphy, you can get in touch with him at RealPhillyHistory.com, where he also writes a free history blog.

For more information:

Real Philly History with Jim Murphy
Book a Tour with Jim Murphy
"Real Philly History, Real Fast"
Free History Blog