Educational Travel for Families: Philadelphia
Philadelphia, a city rich in history and culture, is a great destination for families looking for an educational and family-friendly travel experience. It was a recent travel destination for my family this past summer and it was such a great adventure for us with so many learning opportunities throughout. We took a 3, 6 and 8 year old and the oldest adult was 70. While traveling with young kids can be intimidating at times, this post offers some quick tips to make it less of a challenge. Here are some top attractions and fun activities to consider adding to your itinerary when visiting Philadelphia with your family:
- Visit the Liberty Bell: The iconic symbol of American independence, the Liberty Bell is a must-see attraction for any visitor to Philadelphia. Learn about its history and significance while exploring Independence National Historical Park. It became a National Park in 1956 and the bell is now available for viewing in Independence Hall.
- A tour guide takes in groups to talk about the history of the Bell and America! It is such an experience to visit the room in Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed.
- No admission fee or tickets required for the Liberty Bell Center. Check the site for admission times as they vary based on season and to get tickets for the Independence Hall guided tour. There is a $1 ticket fee associated with this site most of the year. This is a time based tickey entry that lasts about 20 minutes.
- Explore the Franklin Institute: A hands-on science museum with interactive exhibits and educational programs for visitors of all ages. From the giant heart to the brain exhibits, the theater, eatery and sportszone, there are plenty of fun and educational experiences with three floors of exhibits to enjoy at the Franklin Institute. Definitely plan for a planetarium showing while you’re there, too.
- My kids truly love our small hometown children’s museum and science center near our home, and they love even more the larger one about 40 miles from our home. This however, was on a whole different experience level for them. They would gladly go back tomorrow, there was so much to see and do.
- Travel tip: Be mindful of popular field trip times: Wednesday through Friday before 2pm during the school year (particularly March through May) are usually the busiest with field trips. Visit mid afternoon Monday – Wednesday or anytime Thursday through Sunday. August is a popular time for summer camps and may also have large crowds.
- Discover the Philadelphia Zoo: Home to over 1,300 animals from around the world, the Philadelphia Zoo, America’s first zoo, is a great place for families to learn about conservation and wildlife. Don’t miss the Zoo360 trails, where animals can roam above and around the zoo grounds.
- This is a unique and immersive zoo experience unlike ever before. While we come from near New Orleans with access to a beautiful Audubon Zoo that is ranked in the top lists of Zoos, this was a fantastic animal experience that is a must see when visiting Philadelphia. We will definitely return on a future trip back to this city.
- Tour the Please Touch Museum: This is Philadelphia’s Children’s Museum, Please Touch Museum offers interactive exhibits and play areas focused on art, science, and literacy. It offers great hands-on learning experiences for young children. Not only are there fantastic permanent exhibits, there are traveling exhibits that make a unique experience with each visit. The learning team staff also create special programs to foster curiosity and learning daily for visitors.
- Know that they are closed on Tuesdays and most holidays, and they do require you to make an online reservation before arriving.
- Visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art: While known for its iconic “Rocky Steps,” the Philadelphia Museum of Art also houses an impressive collection of art from around the world. Families can enjoy guided tours and hands-on activities to help children engage with the art. This is one of the oldest art museums in the country and hosts impressive works by artists Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Cezanne, and Renoir. There are free guided tours daily with museum admission.
- Take a historic walking tour: Explore Philadelphia’s historic neighborhoods like Old City and Society Hill on a guided walking tour. Learn about the city’s founding fathers, the American Revolution, and other significant events in Philadelphia’s history. This Visit Philly site offers a DIY version with 30 self-guided walking tour options to pick from. This is a highly recommended guided tour for top Philly highlights.
- Enjoy a meal and snack at the Reading Terminal Market: A bustling indoor food market with a variety of dining options, Reading Terminal Market is a great place for families to sample local cuisine and support small businesses. Don’t miss the famous Pennsylvania Dutch section for delicious baked goods and hearty meals. There were great coffee stops, delicious appetizers and unique food items and great selection of dessert finds.
- Take a Big Bus Tour: Take a ride on Big Bus to get easy access to all of Philadelphia’s top attractions. The hop on, hop off style bus allows you to listen to an audio tour while you travel through the city and sight-see and then depart at destinations you wish to visit. Some of the top sights include the Liberty Bell, Memorial Hall, Eastern State Penitentiary, Betsy Ross House, the African American Museum, City Hall, the Love Sculpture, the US Mint, and Rodin Museum. My kids enjoy sitting at the top of the bus!
- Travel Tip – if using the Big Bus Tour seems like a helpful way to explore the city, which it definitely is, then staying in a hotel on the route is the way to go. We stayed at the Home2Suites and it was adjacent to a Bus stop and an overall nice room with simple breakfast options in the morning.
- Travel tip for Philly and beyond! Be prepared for long days on the go with waters and snacks! We got this bag before our trip and have since taken in on 3 other trips and evenings to family and friends homes. Having a backpack that doubles as a cooler helped on trips to bring bottles of water, that are often easily refillable throughout most cities, and we brought a few snack type items such as cheese sticks, beef sticks, diy lunchables, oranges, frozen yogurt tubes, and premade sandwiches.
- It has held ice very well and does not leak. There is a dry front storage pocket as well. It saves on eating out, especially in destinations that you are not traveling to for specialty food. As for us, we are from a town near New Orleans, and so we do travel for food, but outside of our Philly Cheesesteak day, there were sometimes we could save money with snacks we packed in advance.
With its rich history, diverse cultural attractions, and family-friendly amenities, Philadelphia offers a wealth of educational and entertaining experiences for families to enjoy together. Plan your trip to Philadelphia today and discover all that this vibrant city has to offer. Before taking your trip, read our post on tips for traveling with young kids here.
If you are like us, while traveling to a new destination, we prefer to pack in as much sight seeing and as many destinations as we can based on our allotted time, and we like to give each area its justice. If time allows, there are two great cities near by for additions to the Philadelphia trip
First, take a day and travel through Lancaster Pennsylvania and visit Amish country. It was interesting to see the horse pulled buggies and it gave us an opportunity to teach our children about another culture.
Next stop, and most importantly second to Philly, is Hershey Pennsylvania. If you or anyone is your house is a chocolate fanatic like we are in my house, it is a worth it destination. I will write a whole blog about Hershey Pn, but know there is a lot to do and its worth a visit!
Lastly, and still nearby is a town named Pottsville that is home to Yeungling Brewery, which is America’s oldest Brewery. This was a kid friendly tour of the brewery and museum, and at the end of the tour, there was a beer tasting with a rootbeer option for kids that mine loved! Fun for all!
Let us know if you make the trip and share your experiences with us!
– — Heather & Curt S.
– – Tiger Tales Travel Family