National Treasure Weekend 2026: Filming Locations, Movie Screenings & Events in Philadelphia

This Thursday through Saturday, Philadelphia's Historic District is transforming into the set of one of the most beloved adventure films ever made. National Treasure Weekend runs August 20-22, bringing free outdoor movie screenings to Independence Mall, an interactive Heist Night at Carpenters' Hall, a live conversation with director Jon Turteltaub, and walking tours of the actual filming locations where Nicolas Cage's character Ben Gates chased a hidden fortune across the city. If you have ever watched the movie and thought, "I walk past that building every day" — this is your weekend.

What Is National Treasure Weekend?

National Treasure Weekend is a three-day celebration of the National Treasure film franchise — the 2004 original and its 2007 sequel, Book of Secrets — both of which prominently feature Philadelphia architecture, landmarks, and history as central characters in the story. Organized by the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation, Independence Historical Trust, and National Treasure Hunt LLC, the event is part of the city's broader America 250 celebration, tying the films' themes of Revolutionary-era secrets and hidden history into Philadelphia's role as the birthplace of the nation.

The weekend is packed with programming spread across the Historic District, with most events clustered within a five-minute walk of each other. You can start your day with a behind-the-scenes podcast recording at the Independence Visitor Center, spend the afternoon on a walking tour of filming locations, crack clues at an interactive treasure hunt at Carpenters' Hall, and end the night watching the actual movie projected on the lawn of Independence Mall. All of it is designed for fans of the films, history buffs, and families looking for a memorable late-summer outing in the city.

It is also entirely free — the movie screenings and the walking tour are no-cost, while the Heist Night and the live podcast recording have modest ticketing that supports the Historic District's preservation programs. This is the kind of event that reminds you why Philadelphia is such a special place to live: a major Hollywood franchise built around your city's landmarks, and the city decides to throw a block party about it.

Movies on the Mall: Free Outdoor Screenings on Independence Mall

The centerpiece of the weekend is Movies on the Mall, a free outdoor cinema series on the lawn of Independence Mall — the grassy expanse between 6th and Market Streets and the Independence Visitor Center. On Friday, August 21, the original National Treasure (2004) screens at 8:00 PM, with pre-show activations starting at 5:30 PM. On Saturday, August 22, National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) takes the same slot: activations at 5:30 PM, film at 8:00 PM.

Both screenings include special introductions from director Jon Turteltaub, who will be on-site both evenings to share behind-the-scenes stories before the films roll. Free popcorn is provided (first come, first served). The surrounding lawn area will feature 18th-century games and crafts for families — think colonial-era toys, quill pen writing stations, and historical reenactors — so the pre-movie window is very much part of the experience, not just waiting for the sun to go down.

Bring a blanket or a low-back chair. The screenings are on the Independence Mall lawn directly adjacent to the Liberty Bell Center at 526 Market Street. The films start at dusk — roughly 8:00 PM in late August — and the sound system covers the lawn well. There are food trucks and vendors on-site, and Reading Terminal Market is a ten-minute walk north on 12th Street if you want to grab dinner before the show.

Heist Night at Carpenters' Hall

For those who want to live the movie rather than just watch it, Heist Night takes over Carpenters' Hall at 320 Chestnut Street on Thursday, August 20 (6:00-9:00 PM) and Saturday, August 22 (6:00-9:00 PM). This is an interactive treasure hunt experience where teams of four to six people work together to crack clues, solve ciphers, and navigate a narrative inspired by the films — all set inside the very building where the Continental Congress met and where the movie's iconic opening scene was filmed.

The event is led by Aubrey Paris and Emily Black, creators of the National Treasure Hunt podcast, who have designed original puzzles that draw on real history woven into the National Treasure universe. Think decoding cryptic messages, matching historical artifacts to their stories, and navigating the historic rooms of Carpenters' Hall by candlelight. The experience runs about 90 minutes, and teams compete for National Treasure-themed prizes.

Tickets are required for Heist Night and are sold per team. This one tends to sell out — the Thursday session was already filling up as of this week — so if you want in, grab your spot soon. It is a fantastic date night, family activity for older kids, or a unique way to celebrate the end of summer with friends.

Live Podcast: A Conversation with Director Jon Turteltaub

On Friday, August 21 from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, the Liberty View at the Independence Visitor Center (1 N Independence Mall West, at 6th and Market Streets) hosts a live podcast recording of National Treasure Hunt featuring director Jon Turteltaub in conversation with hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black. This is a rare opportunity to hear the director of both films talk about what it was like shooting in Philadelphia's most sensitive historic sites, how the production designed the iconic treasure-hunting sequences, and what the films' enduring popularity says about America's relationship with its own history.

Turteltaub is known for being an entertaining and candid interviewee — he does not hold back on the stories of what went right and what nearly went wrong during production. If you are the kind of fan who watches the DVD commentary track, this is your event. The session is ticketed, with proceeds supporting the Independence Historical Trust's educational programming.

Walking Tour of Filming Locations

On Saturday, August 22, join a guided walking tour of the filming locations used in both National Treasure films. This is a free, docent-led walk through the Historic District that stops at the actual sites where key scenes were shot — including the exterior of Carpenters' Hall (used as the opening scene location), Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence theft is plotted), Congress Hall, Old City Hall, 2nd Street (standing in for various D.C. streets), and the Benjamin Franklin Museum site.

The tour runs about 90 minutes and covers roughly one mile of walking. Guides point out which scenes were filmed at each location, share behind-the-scenes production notes, and explain how the filmmakers blended real history with Hollywood fiction. It is a great option if you have seen the films a dozen times and want to see the real places behind the frames. No tickets required — just show up at the meeting point.

Why Philadelphia Is the Real Star of National Treasure

One of the things that makes the National Treasure films so rewatchable is that they treat Philadelphia not as a generic backdrop but as a character with its own secrets. The films use the city's geography as a puzzle: the underground tunnels beneath the city, the hidden chambers in historic buildings, the Masonic connections, and the physical layout of the Historic District itself. When Ben Gates stands in the Library of Congress (actually filmed elsewhere) and talks about the Founding Fathers, his dialogue is rooted in real Philadelphia history — the city where the Declaration and Constitution were actually signed.

The production shot extensively in and around Independence Hall, the Second Bank of the United States (which doubled for the Bank of the United States in the film), and Elfreth's Alley (the oldest continuously inhabited residential street in America, tucked between 2nd and Front Streets in Old City). The famous "Declaration of Independence theft sequence" was filmed in the actual rooms where the document was debated and adopted — a level of authenticity that no set designer could replicate.

For Philadelphia residents, watching the film is a game of "I know that spot." The Franklin Institute makes an appearance. Betsy Ross's house at 239 Arch Street factors into the second film. And the climactic treasure reveal — well, I will not spoil it for anyone who has not seen it, but let me just say it involves a location in Philadelphia that you have probably walked past without realizing its significance.

How to Make a Weekend of It in Old City

National Treasure Weekend is centered in Old City, which means you have access to some of the best dining, drinking, and sightseeing in Philadelphia all within a few blocks. Here is how I would plan a full day:

Start the morning with coffee and a pastry at Old City Coffee at the Headhouse Shambles (2nd and Pine), a 1745 marketplace building that is one of the oldest market structures in the country. Spend the mid-morning exploring Elfreth's Alley and the Museum of the American Revolution at 101 S 3rd Street. Grab lunch at Fork at 306 Market Street — a Philly institution that has been doing excellent New American food for over 20 years.

In the afternoon, take the walking tour or visit Carpenters' Hall on your own time. Grab a drink at The Franklin at 112 Chestnut Street, a bar tucked inside a former bank building with a speakeasy feel and one of the best craft cocktail programs in the city. Then grab dinner on 2nd Street — Han Dynasty at 108 Chestnut Street for excellent Szechuan, or Zama at 130 Chestnut Street for incredible Mexican with a hidden garden patio. By 8:00 PM, walk over to Independence Mall, lay out your blanket, and watch Nicolas Cage steal the Declaration of Independence while the Liberty Bell glows in the background. It is a very Philly way to spend an evening.

Is It Family-Friendly? Absolutely.

National Treasure is a PG-rated adventure film that was designed for exactly this kind of family viewing. The movies on the Mall are about as family-friendly as it gets — the activations start at 5:30 PM with colonial games and crafts that occupy younger kids, and the films themselves are clean, exciting, and full of the kind of historical Easter eggs that spark good questions from curious children. The walking tour is manageable for school-age kids who can handle a mile of walking with frequent stops. And the Heist Night, while better suited to teens and adults, is a fantastic activity for older kids who love puzzles.

The Independence Mall lawn is stroller-friendly, and there are plenty of public restrooms inside the Independence Visitor Center. Bring snacks, a blanket, and bug spray — it is August in Philadelphia, and the mosquitoes come out around dusk.

Why This Weekend Matters

National Treasure Weekend is the kind of programming that Philadelphia does better than almost any other city. It takes something that could have been a simple movie screening and turns it into a celebration of place — of the real history that inspired the fiction, of the buildings and streets that millions of people recognize from screen, and of a community that loves sharing its heritage with humor and pride.

In a summer already packed with blockbuster events — the Chinese Lantern Festival, the 2nd Street Festival, the BlackStar Film Festival, the 250th anniversary celebrations — National Treasure Weekend stands out because it is genuinely unique. No other city in America could host this event. No other city has Independence Hall at its center, Carpenters' Hall around the corner, and a two-film franchise built entirely around its historic landmarks.

If you are a Philly resident who has never quite made it to the tourist side of the city, this is your excuse. Bring a blanket, bring your family, and rediscover your own city through the lens of a ridiculous, wonderful, historically inaccurate, completely lovable adventure movie. And if you find yourself walking home from Independence Mall past the glowing windows of Carpenters' Hall, thinking about what it would be like to put down roots in a city with this much character — well, that is a conversation I am always happy to have.