The Liberty Bell isn't the only thing to see in one of the East Coast's most interesting cities.  Philadelphia is a participant in the CityPass Program which includes admission to the following popular attractions: The Franklin Institute Science Museum, the Adventure Aquarium, the National Constitution Center, a Trolley Tour provided by Philadelphia Trolley Works, the Philadelphia Zoo and the Independence Seaport Museum OR the Academy of Natural Science for one price, reflecting a substantial savings off individual tickets.

Getting around is easy too:  Philadelphia Trolley Works (215/389-TOUR) runs guided tours of all the landmarks aboard Victorian-style, burgundy and green trolleys.  Choose a 90-minute ride, or an all-day pass which enables you to hop on and off at select stops.  For more information on Philadelphia and the region, visit www.gophila.com, or contact the city's Convention and Visitors Bureau (215/636-3300).

Great Fun for the Kids

(Toddler to Age 8)

Please Touch Museum
210 North 21st Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215/963-0667
One of the country's best children's museums and the first designed for children aged 7 and under, the Please Touch Museum treats kids with interactive science labs, television studios and supermarkets scaled down to their size. Water play areas, overhead mobiles, tunnels and life-size buses to drive add to the fun.

Franklin Institute Science Museum
220 North 20th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215/448-1200
This contemporary science museum, one of our favorites, is dedicated to one of the city's most famous minds. Exhibits that will delight the kids include the world's largest pinball machine, a walk-through human heart, the chance to sit in the cockpit of a T-33 jet trainer and the Fels Planetarium.  There is also, a new 3-D theater and the "Sky Bike" - where visitors can ride a bicycle along a one-inch cable, three stories above the ground (netting included). Be sure to get outside and visit the Science Park, a collaborative effort between the Franklin Institute and the Please Touch Museum and free with admission to either, where kids can learn from interactive displays while running and playing outdoors.

Academy of Natural Sciences
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215/299-1000
Kids will love this classic, dusty natural history museum for its vast collection of dinosaur bones and fossils, including the T. Rex and its larger, newly-discovered challenger Giganotosaurus on display.  Also, check out the "dig" area where kids can search for real fossils. Parent's will be intrigued to visit the first museum of natural history founded in the United States.

Philadelphia Zoo
3400 West Girard Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215/243-1100
This zoo is an historical attraction in itself, as the first established zoological park in America in 1874.  Besides the more than 1,700 animals on display, notable attractions include two very rare white lions, a toddler-friendly Children's Zoo and the Small Mammal House. When you're done, stroll over to the Fairmount Park and Waterworks (215/685-6110) and watch the dozens of rowing crews plying the Schuylkill, as well as the park's Waterworks, a National Historic Engineering Landmark, designed by Frederick Graff as the first steam-pumping station of its kind in the U.S.  

Adventure Aquarium
1 Riverside Drive
Camden, NJ 08103
856/365-3300
Located just across the Delaware River, this terrific, modern aquarium is worth the short ferry ride (you can drive, too). Kids have a chance to pet a shark, learn about a vast assortment of the world's most exceptional and strange fish and have a submerged diver answer questions via "scubaphone." Don't miss the showtime when he/she offers food to lure fish closer to the theater's window. Don't forget to check out the SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D ride!  And the aquarium even encourages kids to not only look, but touch too, with its five new interactive attractions, including "Touch-a-Shark." (Photo provided by Adventure Aquarium.) 

Fun for Older Children

(Up to Age 18)

Independence Seaport Museum
211 South Columbus Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215/413-8655
At this clever nautical museum children can view naval wartime artifacts, dozens of model ships, jump in a small boat to row around the Schuylkill River, utilize a miniaturized crane to unload cargo from container ships, and purchase tickets for the USS Becuna and Olympia at Penn's Landing.  The first is a 318-foot-long submarine of the World War II "guppy class." Kids and navy fans will love the authentic submarine veterans who guide tours that detail what life was like at war in these tight quarters.  The Olympia is the last remaining flagship from the Spanish-American War.

Old City - Birth of a Nation
Front and 2nd Streets between Arch and Race Streets
A walking tour through the Old City is the best way for the family to gather an impression of Colonial Philadelphia.  Elfreth's Alley (215/574-0560) is one of the oldest preserved residential communities in America.  The Betsy Ross House at 239 Arch Street (215/686-1252), the home of the presumed seamstress of the first Stars and Stripes is worth a stop on the tour.  Another great stop for kids is the Fireman's Hall Museum at 147 North 2nd Street (215/923-1438), dedicated to the complete history of fire fighting. Franklin Court, at Market between 3rd and 4th Streets, is an unusual subterranean museum built under the excavated remains of Franklin's first permanent home that's designed to answer questions about his life and his inspiration for invention.

Mummers Museum
1100 South 2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19149
215/336-3050
Older children will enjoy this museum devoted to the extravagently costumed Mummers, who give a parade up Broad Street every year on New Year's Day.  Kids are given the opportunity to compose their own push-button medleys, dance, and observe filmed footage of past historical parades.

University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
3260 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215/898-4000
One of the best archaeological/anthropological collections in the world, this museum at the noted University of Pennsylvania, offers great exhibits to intrigue the kids, as well as incredibly rare finds to astonish parents.  Ancient wonders include an exhibit of the world's oldest writing and a 12-ton Sphinx from Egypt, gathered during the university's early-20th century digs.

Mutter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia
19 South 22nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215/563-3737
Incredible, if gory, collection of preserved brains and body parts, and exhibits and artifacts that span the history of medical science. Of particular interest in the museum's collection are the connected livers famous Siamese Twins Chang and Eng, and the skeleton of a woman whose rib-cage was compressed by tight lacing. Certainly a fun afternoon for the family when the more prominent attractions in Philly have already been covered. Children under 6 are admitted free, though they may find some of the displays a little frightening.

Fun for the Family

The Liberty Bell
Market Street between 5th and 6th Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215/597-8974
At the city's most famous attraction, guides and volunteers will inform you of the bell's amazing history, from the time it beckoned Philadelphians to the first reading of the Declaration of Independence, to its repeated cracking and recasting, until it lapsed into silence.  Remember, the "No Touch" policy is in effect here!  After visiting hours, you can still see this heirloom through the glass walls protecting it, and listen to a recorded rendition of the bell's history. 

National Constitution Center
Independence Mall
525 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215/409-6600 or 866/917-1787
The recently-opened museum is dedicated to honoring and explaining our Constitution, doing so through interactive and multimedia exhibits and artifacts. Your family will interact constantly with the displays, which range from live performances to video carousels, sounds to photographs, historical artifacts to real-time polls to Supreme Court beanches, and other techniques aimed at engaging citizens in the value of their constitution.  If you spend the day at Independence Mall, this so-called historical park that runs from Walnut to Race Streets between 5th and 6th Streets includes the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, is a fascinating tour.

Philadelphia Museum of Art
2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19101
215/763-8100
The city's leading cultural attraction, the museum's 99 steps leading up to the main entrance were immortalized in the movie Rocky.  A work of art in and of itself, the building covers 10 acres and offers 200 galleries containing more than 300,000 works and a very nice afternoon tea cafe. The museum's permanent collection is often accompanied by special exhibitions that range from small, tightly focused to major traveling international loan exhibitions.

Reading Terminal Market
12th and Arch Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215/922-2317
For the family wishing to sample the diverse gastronomic pleasures offered by the city, this extensive market has more than 80 food stalls and many shops selling homemade jewelry and crafts. We particularly like the Amish pretzel makers or Delilah's soul food.  Great for budget souvenir shopping.

National Liberty Museum
321 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215/925-2800
A new interactive museum on the Liberty Trail which features 350 exhibits of famous heroes thoughout history. Artworks depicting important figures such as Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey, Mohandas Gandhi, and many others, are scattered around the musuem. In addition, the NLM boasts exhibits depicting various ideals of American life, such as democracy, liberty, and tolerance. There's a simulated voting machine for kids, a collection of White House china, a stained-glass depiction of Noah's Ark, and two life-size statues created entirely from 25,642 jellybeans.

City Hall
Market and Broad Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215/686-2840
This 642-room structure, the largest, tallest, and most expensive city hall in the country, is well worth a short visit from the family.  Don't miss the bronze plaques in the courtyard with sayings by famous Americans.