President-elect Barack Obama, his wife Michelle and their two daughters, Malia and Sasha, began their inaugural journey at 30th Street Station on Saturday morning.
But unlike his other stops along the way, Obama did not hold a public event in the city.
In his prepared remarks, Obama addressed the small gathering of ticketed supporters in a private room within the station, telling them it was fitting to begin his journey in Philadelphia because "it was here, in this city, that the American journey began."
He paid tribute to the Founding Fathers and their "meeting in the summer of 1776" and recognized that "the trials we face are very different now but severe in their own right."
The President-elect ended by challenging audience members to "each do our part to rebuild this country."
The Penn Democrats were able to obtain seven tickets to participate in a "small meeting" with Obama before the event. They asked students who wished to attend the event to fill out a form that included a question about their past involvement with the group.
On the concourse, a crowd gathered that could neither see nor hear the President-elect.
Philadelphia local Malissa Herd, who was on the concourse, said she was there to "just feel the energy of other people - even if I can't get a glimpse."
"The fact that he's starting in Philly is a great thing," she said.
Not everyone in attendance was quite as positive.
Lynda Timbers, who had volunteered at the 40th Street campaign office during the election, expressed her frustration about the private event.
She said that she had "worked like a dog" for the Obama campaign, shouting to the officials, "This is what I get?"
Some people on the concourse used the occasion to send a message to the President-elect.
Rebecca Subar and her family held signs that read, "U.S. Jews say: End the Siege on Gaza."
Jefferson nursing sophomore and family member Jonah EtShalom said she hoped that Obama would stop spending "our tax dollars killing people and more saving the lives of people in Philly."
Obama made two stops on his journey from Philadelphia to Washington, first in Wilmington where he was joined by Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his family, then in Baltimore. In both cities, he spoke at public events.
The crowd on the 30th Street concourse remained until people received calls indicating that Obama had arrived in Wilmington.
