JAD SLEIMAN & VALERIE RUSS, Daily News Staff Writers sleimaj@phillynews.com, 215-854-5938 Posted: Thursday, October 10, 2013, 12:16 AM

ANNE McLaughlin, director of tourism at Old City's Christ Church, spent years handing out Beyond the Liberty Bell pamphlets to encourage visitors to see Philly's less-famous historic sites.

Thanks to the government shutdown, they no longer have a choice.

"We've had a lot of people coming up and thanking us for staying open, being very grateful," McLaughlin said between greeting German tourists.

Visitors from abroad, school groups and long-haul charters routinely plan trips to the city well in advance. Flights confirmed and time off reserved, they're still coming to Philly to glimpse American history, just not necessarily at 6th and Market.

"They're useless now," he said while visiting Elfreth's Alley, the nation's oldest residential street.

More than a dozen hours of air travel got him close enough to the bell to snap a pic from the street.

A Historic Philadelphia news release notes that Independence Mall typically sees about 10,000 visitors a day this time of year. Tourism officials don't have solid numbers, but many of the museums and landmarks surrounding the mall have noted a modest uptick in visitors as the shutdown enters Day 10.

The National Museum of American Jewish History, on Independence Mall, is effectively operating for tips to welcome those rejected at the Liberty Bell.

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Liberty Bell's closing boosts visits to city's lesser-known historic sites