When Adriana Arvizo was studying for the U.S. citizenship test, she realized that more than half of the 100 questions on the study guide were related to events that happened in Philadelphia.

Having lived in the city of brotherly love for the last seven years she also realized she already knew most of the answers even though she never studied American history. 

“I am lucky enough to live here, but I want others to know that a visit to Philadelphia will help future citizens get ready for the test and current citizens reconnect with America’s roots,” said Arvizo.

That’s how she came up with the idea to create the “New Americans Tour” for Visit Philadelphia, where she is a public relations manager.

The self-guided tour includes sites and attractions that tell the story of the nation’s founding like the Betsy Ross House; where the seamstress created the nation’s original flag; Independence Hall, where delegates from the 13 colonies signed the Declaration of Independence, and Liberty Bell Center, home to the cracked but mighty Bell that serves as an international symbol of freedom.

Along the way, visitors can pick up tips for the naturalization test, like the fact that the The American Flag has 13 red and white stripes to represent the original 13 colonies; and that the rights granted by the Declaration of Independence include life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and that the Constitution was written in 1787.

“Philadelphia should be on every American’s and every aspiring American’s must-see, must-visit list,” said Meryl Levitz, CEO of Visit Philadelphia. “And our new tour shows them exactly where they should go and why these sites and attractions are so important to our nation’s story.”

The New Americans Tour was launched Friday in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant & Multicultural Affairs (MOIMA).

“Philadelphia’s New Americans Tour is an experiential study session for the naturalization test to help aspiring new Americans obtain citizenship,” said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “The tour takes immigrants to historic sites, highlighting many of the answers to questions on the test, and gives them a real connection to America’s past.”

The launch took place at the The National Constitution Center (NCC), a very special place in the tour where one can learn about the most influential four-page document in U.S. history as it relates to the most number of questions in the citizenship exam compared to any other site. 

“Out of the hundred citizenship questions, 62 of these questions can be answered right here in Philadelphia”, said, Vince Stango, COO at the NCC. “And 46 of the 62 can be answered right here at the National Constitution Center.” 

There are also places that show the diversity of this country, like the President’s House Site, an open-air venue that explores the paradox of slavery and freedom at the nation’s first executive mansion, and the African American Museum in Philadelphia, that explores the lives and contributions of people of the African Diaspora.

There are also other places that tell the immigration story, like the National Museum of American Jewish History; the 

Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

The brochure for the tour is available online in English and also Spanish, French and Mandarin. Also in print at the Independence Visitor Center, the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians and at the 13 tour locations.

Additionally, beginning in early December, Visit Philadelphia will launch a scavenger hunt using the free mobile app, Scavify, that will allow users to get incentives and prices by completing 18 interactive tasks, such as taking photos, checking in at tour locations and answering trivia questions about the locations while learning the answers to the questions on the citizenship test as they go.