Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/113255
•Pg_50-58__BMT_pg86-162 2/27/13 8:50 AM Page 53 AREA GUIDES river and beyond. Endless adventure trails, riverfronts, bicycling and neighborhoods are woven through the city unlike anywhere in the U.S. Philadelphia recognizes its distinct African-American history, tradition and culture during the annual Black History Month celebration. Highlights include culturally significant exhibitions such as Come See About Me: The Mary Wilson Supremes Collection at The African American Museum in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Theater Company's performance of The Mountaintop, inspired by the last night of Martin Luther King's life, and African-American art tours led by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. The African American Museum in Philadelphia collects and preserves art and artifacts and, through exhibitions and programs, interprets the history and stories of African-Americans and those of the African Diaspora. Getting to this historic city is a breeze! At Philadelphia International Airport, 28 airlines (three of which are low-fare carriers) operate nearly 600 daily nonstop flights from 120 cities, including 60 daily and seasonal flights from 36 international destinations. VALLEY FORGE Located just 18 miles from Philadelphia, the Valley Forge/Montgomery County area offers an ideal setting for any reunion or convention. It's easily accessible via major highways, Philadelphia International Airport and Amtrak. The area's signature attraction, the 3,500-acre Valley Forge National Historical Park, where George Washington's Continental Army encamped during the winter of 1777–78, brings a key period in the American Revolution to life. One of many monuments at the Park, a tribute to Patriots of African Descent, honors the estimated 5,000 Black soldiers of the Continental Army a racial integration the U.S. Army would not see again until the Korean War. Just a stone's throw from Washing-ton's pivotal encampment is the recently opened Valley Forge Casino Resort. It offers 486 guest rooms among two hotels, 100,000 Valley Forge Reenactment Fighter Photo Credit: Valley Forge CVB sq. ft. of meeting space, and seven dining options. The area's largest meeting space, the Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks, features 240,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting and event space all on one level, easily accommodating groups of 6,000-plus. Of its yearly highlights is the National Dog Show, televised • • • STATS • • • HOTEL ROOMS Philadelphia Marriott Downtown 1,408 Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel 757 Loews Philadelphia Hotel 581 Courtyard by Marriott, Philadelphia Downtown 498 Doubletree Hotel by Hilton Philadelphia 432 Hotel Monaco Philadelphia 268 The Latham Hotel 139 EXHIBITION FACILITIES Philadelphia Convention Center Total Exhibit Space 679,000 sq. ft. Meeting Rooms 79 African-American Chamber of Commerce(215) 751-9501 WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Philadelphia CVB – 215-636-3300 Philadelphia MAC – 215-636-3404 www.discoverphl.com www.philadelphiamac.org) B M & T ••• January/February 2013 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 53