Unusual Facts(and undocumented rumors)

[FACT] Visitors have no access inside the statue - Maintenence workers can climb up through a small accessway. The elevator must be at the observation level. Climbing atop the elevator, a ladder through the statue can be accessed. This ends at a 22" hatch in the top of Penn's hat. It's an extremely tight space!

[FACT] Nobody has ever ridden a bicycle or a horse & buggy around the brim of Penn's hat - Even though the hat is over 7 feet in diameter, and the brim would make a track about 2 feet wide, a bicycle or horse & buggy would not fit through the access hatch & would have to be hoisted up outside the statue.

[FACT] A daredevil once stood on his head atop Penn's hat to raise money for World War I veterans.

• [FACT] In December, 1980, a City worker, Erve Fioravanti, dressed in a gorilla suit and stood on the brim of Penn's hat to promote the Philadelphia Zoo and the 50th birthday of Massa, the world's oldest captive gorilla.

[FACT] During the tower reconstruction, an unnamed Ironworker stood atop Penn's hat & "Mooned the City"- This was an unpublicized event which very, very few people are aware of, but it could someday become a trivia question of the future.

[FACT] Dave Coble, rookie catcher of the 1939 Phillies, was the only one of several participating team players who managed to catch a baseball dropped from the top of the tower. - The players all wore football helmets for protection, & Coble's knees buckled from the impact of the ball.

[FACT] Spotlights placed in the tower in 1924 were used to direct traffic along Broad St. - Broad street traffic stopped when the lights were turned on & crosstown traffic stopped when they were turned off.

[FACT] Alexander M. Calder, the sculptor of the Penn statue, wanted it to face south in constant sunlight - The architect set it so it faces the Northeast where Penn signed a treaty with the Indians in 1682. To Calder's dismay this orientation put the statue's face in shadow most of the day.

[????] A ramp was built from Spring Garden St. to City Hall to erect the blockwork for the tower? - This rumor is one that is yet to be denied or confirmed but archive pictures show a crane that was used in the tower construction, so it's probably rumor.

[FACT] Philadelphians in 1906 used the tower clock to set watches - Carbon arc lights at the top of the tower were turned off every evening at exactly 3 minutes before 9 p.m. Setting one's watch to Nine when the lights reappeared would give the exact correct time according to The Bureau of City Property.

[FACT] City Hall, in the early 1900's, had its own direct dedicated water line from the Belmont Reservoir. The elevation of the reservoir enabled the upper floors of City Hall to get water pressure from gravity without the need for pumps.

[FACT] The Penn Statue had lights placed in it's hand to promote the United Fund.

[FACT] The Penn Statue wore a giant fire helmet to promote Fire Prevention Week.

[FACT] The Penn Statue had lights strung from it's hat to celebrate the Fourth of July.

[FACT] The Penn Statue wore a Phillies helmet in 1993 during their drive to the World Series. The Phillies were given the helmet after the series.

[FACT] The Penn Statue wore a baseball helmet when Philadelphia hosted Baseball's All Star game in 1996.

[FACT] The Penn Statue was dressed in a Flyers jersey during their drive to the Stanley Cup.

[FACT] A pair of falcons live in City Hall Tower & help control the pigeon population - On May 5, 1998 a pair of 2 week old chicks were found in the nest.