My wife, myself, and our three kids are driving out to the general Philadelphia area to visit some family in June. We’ll be spending a lot of time just hanging out, swimming at the house, etc. – but we may go do some things out in the city. We’re looking at doing things that are enjoyable, but cheap…
Anyone have any suggestions? We will have two families that are hosting us and I’m sure they will have plans of things we should do, but I’d like to look into some options.
Brendon
How old are the kids, and roughly where will you be?
My parents live in Bucks County (Warrington, between Willow Grove and Doylestown), and when we visited when the kids were little, the Kid’s Castle play structure in Doylestown was a fave. It’s the biggest damn city park play structure I’ve ever seen. They are in the middle of a three phase renovation project, which is entirely privately funded. If you do go there and like it, make a donation.
Not far past Doylestown are scenic drives along the Delaware River. Also, the New Hope ¶/Lambertville(NJ) area is pretty for walking around, eating, and shopping at quaint, over-priced antique stores.
Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell are part of the National Park system, and are free (or at least very cheap), as are a lot of the other historical attractions in Center City. More pricey, but really worth doing are the Franklin Institute and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
We’re going to visit my folks at the end of July, so I’ll look forward to seeing other ideas for outings (though my “kids” are now 19 and 16, so no Kid’s Castle).
My kids are 6, 2, and 7 months right now. We’re staying in West Chester, actually, but the family that is hosting us are going to be doing normal things (working, normal activities) as well so we may venture out into various places on our own.
Kid’s Castle looks pretty awesome. I’ve done Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, but taking the kids might be a great idea. Thanks for the ideas so far!
Tawnesha. Cheap, but certainly not free. (Of anything)
Please Touch Museum isn’t free, but is perfect for their ages. if you’re facing the building, one block to the right is the Whispering Benches, which are free.
Approx ½ West on Rt 30 is Lancaster County, with all of it’s Amish, outlets, & Dutch Wonderland, a kids amusement park (not free).
Oaks, PA (US-202 N to US-422 W) has a SkyZone, a Bounce U, & Arnold’s family fun center, all in the same complex. Again, not free, but not too expensive either.
Valley Forge is interesting and free.
Please Touch is worth it. Wednesdays after 5:00 (I think) and the first Sunday of the month are pay-what-you-want at the Museum of Art. The Franklin Institute has the same deal on the third Wednesday or something like that, but I think you might miss that in June. There are mural tours and other cool artsy things but I don’t know if the two littlest would be up to that. The Love Letters murals are one of my favorite things about the city, and you can do your own unofficial tour instead of the like $20 one just by getting on the Blue Line at the right stop. I bring it up anytime anybody asks, but maybe not interesting to a 2 year old, if I remember being 2 years old. Which I don’t.
There’s a lot of historical stuff beyond just the Liberty Bell – Franklin stuff, Jefferson & Betsy Ross houses, the first post office, the Poe House, the waterworks – but those are maybe best stumbled upon when you have more time. Franklin Square is worth seeing and is mostly free. Fairmount Park is gigantic and awesome - go to Smith Playground!
As long as you’re in West Chester, check out Baldwin’s Book Barn! It’s weird and it’s awesome and definitely counts as an experience rather than a place to go shopping. Lin Villa Orchards is only about 20 minutes away from WC and is fun, too; you can pick your own fruit and there are constantly fairs and stuff going on. Valley Forge National Park is nearby and historical but to be fair is mostly just a big green space you can walk around in, rather than something the importance of which is obvious from looking at it. The John Heinz wildlife preserve, similar.
There’s lots of fun, good, inexpensive food in the city. Reading Terminal Market and the Italian Market are cool just to walk around in even if you don’t eat anything, which you probably will.
Also, on the exact dates you’re around, make sure to check for events either out in Chester County or in the city! I dunno what it’s like in other places but around here it seems like there’s something really cool and can’t miss every weekend in the summer.
Check out Uwishunu, a comprehensive listing of everything going on in Philly.