Camden Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Camden

The Nipper Building is a colloquial name for The Victor condominiums, and originally, Building 17, RCA Victor Company, Camden Plant. The Nipper Building, now known as 'The Victor', was originally constructed in 1909-1916, by the architectural and engineering firm of Ballinger & Perrot.

Francis Barraud, an unknown British artist, saw his dog, Nipper, sitting attentively in front of a talking machine. Barraud was so impressed that he decided to put it on canvas. Nipper, the alert Fox Terrier with an ear cocked to an antique phonograph, became the best known dog in the world. The painting, called His Master's Voice, was sold to the British Gramophone Company Ltd. and became the trademarks of both the Gramophone Company and its new American affiliate, the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1901. RCA purchased the Victor Company in 1929. The purchase included the Camden manufacturing plant and the "His Master's Voice" trademark. After manufacturing ceased in 1992, the building became vacant, vandalized and a general eyesore to the surrounding area. Utilizing the Investment Tax Credit, the structure was converted into a complex featuring a mix of 341 upscale loft apartments with outstanding views of the Philadelphia skyline. The restoration was completed in August 2003 at a cost of $65 million.

The Walt Whitman Arts Center is a non-profit organization and an amazing cultural center, which promotes the legacy of local poet and writer Walt Whitman. Throughout the year, the center hosts a number of cultural activities such as readings, dance recitals, concerts, theater performances and other visual art events. The Arts Center is located in a former public library, which was built in 1916 in the Classic Revival style.

The Rutgers-Camden Center For The Arts is an important cultural organization in Camden. It was created in 1976 to serve as the "Major Arts Organization of New Jersey", and it is located on the campus of Rutgers–Camden University. The center includes three venues: the Walter K. Gordon Theater, the Stedman Gallery, and the Black Box Studio. It organizes visual and performing arts events throughout the year, in addition to hosting seminars and lectures on topics pertaining to these fields.

Camden City Hall is located in a magnificent, 113-meter-tall skyscraper, which is the tallest building in the city. The structure was built in 1931 in the Neo-Classical style. The tower rests on a large base and narrows at the top, resembling a bottle. At the top of the building there is an enormous clock tower and gorgeous art on two sides of the building. There are several expansive, engraved quotations decorating the walls.

The Walt Whitman House is a historic house and museum that showcases the life and work of American poet Walt Whitman. This modest, wooden-framed house was built in 1848 in the Greek-revival style and was purchased by Walt Whitman in 1884. It was the first house he owned and the last one he lived in. It was here that he wrote his last works. After Whitman's death, the house was sold to the state of New Jersey, and in 1926 it opened as a museum. Here you can see a collection of rare photographs, antique furnishings, Whitman's original letters, his personal belongings, his death notice and much more.

The Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial, known as BB62, is a former battleship and educational maritime museum, which opened in 2001. The ship was built and launched at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in 1942. It has served in WWII, as well as in Korea, Vietnam and the Middle East. It was decommissioned in 1991, but was officially stricken from the Navy list only in 1995. In 1999, the ship arrived at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and was carefully restored. It opened in 2001 as a Maritime Museum, where visitors can view artifacts belonging to the ship and its crew and learn about life on-board.

The Camden Children’s Garden is operated by the Camden City Garden Club, Inc and is located on the Camden Waterfront, across from downtown Philadelphia. This venue was created in 1999 and is designed for children and families.

This 4.5-acre (18,000 m2) garden features a variety of themed educational exhibits for children for creative and imaginative play, such as the Dinosaur Garden, a Giant Picnic Garden, Storybook Gardens, Red Oak Run and Tree House, Cityscapes Garden and more! The facility includes indoor attractions such as the Philadelphia Eagles Four Seasons Butterfly House, Plaza de Aibonito, a Puerto Rican tropical greenhouse exhibit, and Benjamin Franklin’s Secret Garden and Workshop. Many exhibits and gardens were original displays in the Philadelphia Flower Show and come back to the Camden Children’s Garden to find a permanent home. There are three amusement rides: carousel, Arrow River Express Train Ride, and Spring Butterfly Ride. The Garden is closed January and February. Garden Festivals are family-oriented special events held at the Garden on the second and fourth weekends of the month, from April through November. The Garden also hosts the Annual Holiday Festival of Lights through December.

The Adventure Aquarium, formerly the New Jersey State Aquarium, is a for-profit educational entertainment attraction operated in Camden, New Jersey on the Delaware River waterfront by the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation. It originally debuted in 1992, and re-opened in its current form on May 25, 2005, featuring approximately eight thousand animals living in varied forms of semi-aquatic, freshwater, and marine habitats. The facility has a total tankage volume of over 2 million US gallons (7,600 m3), and public floor space that covers nearly 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2).