Since 2008, the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides (APT) Handbook has served as a key resource for tour guides, those seeking APT Tour Guide Certification, and history lovers. Every few years, the Handbook is updated.
2025 UPDATES
The 2025 Handbook has kept the same overall mission and core content as the 2021 edition but has:
- Added more pages and updated the purpose statement to emphasize both well-visited and “less-frequented but equally significant” sites that capture Philadelphia’s “heart and soul”;
- Added a seventh section Public Art;
- Refined neighborhood labels and added one more; and
- Introduced a clickable Table of Contents and Index, allowing users to jump directly to a corresponding subject page. This feature is a significant usability upgrade for guides using phones, tablets, or laptops during test or tour preparation.
HANDBOOK CONTENT
The APT Handbook is divided into seven sections:
- The Business of Guiding explains the many opportunities afforded to tour guides, from part-time volunteering to owning a full-time business. This section also features tour guiding techniques and offers valuable advice to both novice and seasoned guides.
- Touring Philadelphia features 13 (up from 12 in the 2021 version) popular tourist areas and neighborhoods, with interesting facts about each site. Entries are listed alphabetically for ease of search. Most sections include a recommended tour route.
- People of Philadelphia highlights those who contributed to Philadelphia’s history and development.
- Public Art (new section) features initiatives and associations involved with public art in Philadelphia.
- Architectural Styles and Terms provides a basic, illustrated overview of Philadelphia building types and gives visual examples.
- Further Reference offers guides additional recommended reading materials.
- Index (now clickable) is an alphabetical listing of sites, directing users to the neighborhood where a given site is located.
BUYING THE HANDBOOK
The APT Handbook is your main resource for APT certification exam preparation.
The 2025 Handbook is available for purchase in the APT Store on APT’s website. Members are invited to access the document online or download it to print relevant sections. A hard copy is still available to those who would like one.
APT requests that members do not share the password to the online version with others. The Handbook is reasonably priced to make it accessible to all who would like to purchase it, while allowing some operating income for the association.
- $25 online version*
- $50 hard copy by mail
- $65 hard copy by mail plus online version*
*With a one-time purchase of the online version (a PDF file), any future updates will always be accessible through the website at no extra cost. Anyone who purchased the online version in the past has access to this updated version.
To purchase a Handbook, please visit the APT Store.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides (APT) expresses its heartfelt gratitude to all those who contributed to the completion of this handbook update. The unwavering support, insightful feedback, and invaluable expertise of the committee members have been instrumental in shaping the content and direction of this work. This handbook stands as a testament to the committee’s collective efforts as well as to the efforts of the committee members who worked on all of the previous foundational versions.
2024-2025 Handbook Committee:
Pamela Covey, Jenn Hensell, Antoinette Langeveld, Vance Lehmkuhl, Vince McCafferty, Lauren McKinney, Charlene Mires, Alexandra Morigi, Jim Murphy, Lena Pinto, Diana Pope, Judith Robinson, Bill Rooney, Mike Teti (Chair)
The first Handbook was completed after the Association was founded in 2008. A remarkable number of members contributed to its original content and design, with Bob Skiba and APT founder Ed Mauger overseeing most of the work. Since then, the Handbook has undergone numerous edits. Thank you to all APT handbook committee members past and present for their hard work, commitment to excellence, and devotion to historic truth and accuracy.
MOVING FORWARD
We invite members to submit changes and additions – other neighborhoods, more people of historical significance, more details on architecture, etc. – to create a truly inclusive document. Your feedback will be saved for consideration in the next Handbook revision. It’s your Handbook!