Having navigated Washington DC successfully for 4 months, I thought I was prepared for another big city. I was definitely wrong. Philadelphia is OLD. The streets are crowded, the parking scarce, and it seems that no no takes credit cards. I’m so glad we had friends to act as tour guides and point out the best parts of their lovely city. Touristing is always better with friends anyway, right? Here are a few things to do on a quick trip to Philadelphia with kids:
When We Visited: November 2013
Ages of Kids: 8, 6, 3
Tips: Bring lots of cash – most vendors/small restaurants don’t take credit cards.
1. Ride the Train. Since there are no RV Parks within an hour of Philadelphia, we graciously courtesy parked the Airstream at our friends’ house in Havertown and took the train in to the city. It was great. The kids love trains anyway, and it gave us a way to avoid parking. Check the cost compared to parking all day in a lot though – while it may save on the hassle, it could possibly cost more than driving in.
2. The Franklin Institute. ASTC Pass participant. There’s a giant statue of Ben Franklin in the Rotunda and a small light show. They also have a room that’s all about the heart, including a two story, beating replica Cara was terrified of. The other kids thought it was cool. They also have a planetarium, and a small younger kid’s room.
3. Independence National Historic Park. I’ve written a longer post on this you can see HERE. We earned our Jr. Ranger Badges, waited in line to see the Liberty Bell, and watched a ranger hand press copies of the Declaration of Independence. If you want tickets to actually go inside Independence Hall, you have to show up really early as they sell out quickly.
4. Eat Philly Stake Sandwiches. You can’t go to Philadelphia and not eat one. Unless you are a vegetarian I suppose. We found a fairly random little shop within walking distance of Independence Square using Google Search and made sure the place had good reviews before we went. Plenty of places sell them, so just find one that’s closest to you at lunch time.
5. World’s Largest TV & the LOVE Sign. At the Comcast Center in downtown Philadelphia is the largest TV in the World. The building’s lobby is also quite interesting so its definitely worth the stop. Nearby is also the LOVE statue, located fittingly in Love Park. We did a quick stop and then jumped back on the train headed to Independence Hall.
Other ideas:
The Benjamin Franklin Museum – located next to the printing press we visited, this museum looked very interesting. After learning about Jefferson and Washington, I would have loved to learn more about this great historical figure but we just didn’t have time. Although it is an NPS run museum, there is an additional cost to get in.
Please Touch Museum – This one has FANTASTIC reviews on Google and sounded like so much fun. We chose the Franklin Institute as it was free, but next time I think we’ll splurge on the Children’s Museum Pass so we can get in on a discount.
Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse – a free, safe place to play for children 10 and younger. Its 6 1/2 acre Playground includes the Ann Newman Giant Wooden Slide and more than 50 pieces of unique, age-appropriate and accessible pieces of play equipment. This sounds awesome!
Although it was a quick trip, I did love it there! I can’t wait to go back and explore more areas of the beautiful city. Have you ever been to Philly? What was your favorite part?
I remember visiting Philadelphia as a young teenager, but don’t remember many specifics. I’ve always wanted to go back, so when the opportunity arose to visit some friends while we were living on the East Coast we jumped at the chance!
Surprisingly there was quite a long line to see the Liberty Bell, but the kids really wanted to, so we worked on our books while daddy stood in line.
