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Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia: A Perfect Destination for Kids

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If you are looking for things to do with kids in Philadelphia, there is might be no better destination than the Please Touch Museum.

The Please Touch Museum is located in Fairmount Park near the Philadelphia Zoo and Shofuso Japanese Garden. This West Philadelphia children’s museum has been delighting kids since 1976 when it was housed in the Academy of Natural Sciences in Center City.

In 2008, the Please Touch Museum moved to its current location inside Memorial Hall. This is the last major building still standing from the 1876 Centennial Exhibition that was held in Philadelphia. In the basement of the Please Touch Museum, there is a fantastic display that showcases the history of this event. The display is more geared toward adults, and I highly recommend checking it out if you have the chance.

Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia's Memorial Hall
The Please Touch Museum is housed inside the last major building remaining from the 1876 Centennial Fair.

Calling the Please Touch Museum a “museum” is a bit of a misnomer. Apart from the displays on the Centennial Exhibition, there are no artifacts on display here. Instead, the Please Touch Museum features two large floors filled with tons of opportunities for kids to play and explore.

The Please Touch Museum is geared primarily for children between six months and eight years of age. However, during my visit, I still saw kids that were a bit older enjoying themselves throughout the space.

The museum is divided into approximately 14 different areas, each offering unique and hands-on activities for kids. While some of these, like the Rocket Room, reminded me of some of the activities at the Franklin Institute, there were many unique areas to visit here.

Things for kids to do at the Please Touch Museum in Philly
Doing a little shopping in the pretend grocery store.

These sections range from Roadside Attractions, which allows kids to get behind the wheels of a bus, to, my son’s favorite, Healthy Me, a pretend supermarket.

Another fun area at the Please Touch Museum is the large water table called River Adventures. While I’ve seen large water tables at other kid-friendly attractions in Pennsylvania, namely the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and the Crayola Experience, I’ve not seen any that were nearly as large as the one at the Please Touch Museum.

Carousel at the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, PA
Riding the historic carousel at the Please Touch Museum.

The most historic area of the Please Touch Museum is the Woodside Park Detzel Carousel. The carousel dates back to 1908, and visitors can ride it without leaving the building. Note, however, that there is an additional charge for riding it ($3 for one ride or $5 for unlimited rides, both per person).

In addition to these areas, the Please Touch Museum also features an Alice and Wonderland area, a theater with daily performances, a temporary exhibition space, and much more.

Overall, the Please Touch Museum shouldn’t be missed if you are looking for the best things to do with kids in Philly. My young son had a fantastic time at the museum, and I can imagine any young child would feel the same.

Please Touch Museum Parking

Please Touch Museum Review
The beautiful architecture inside the Please Touch Museum.

There are several options for parking at the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia.

The museum has its own lot which costs $16 per car. However, on all but the busiest days, this isn’t necessarily the best option.

Surrounding the Please Touch Museum are wide streets and most of the curbs are available for free parking. During our visit, we were able to park closer to the front entrance for free than we would have been able to if we’d paid to park in the museum’s lot.

Avoiding the Please Touch Museum’s parking lot is a great way to save money while visiting.

Please Touch Museum Discounts

Water table at the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
There is a lot of fun to be had at the Please Touch Museum.

Unfortunately, Please Touch Museum coupons and discounts are hard to find. If you are planning to visit frequently, a family membership might make sense, but if you are planning to only visit once, there aren’t many opportunities to decrease the admission cost.

However, if you are flexible with your visit, the Please Touch Museums offers discounted admission of only $2 on the first Wednesday of each month between 4pm and 7pm.

Also, if you have a Pennsylvania ACCESS card, you can get $2 admission per person at any time, which is a great savings.

Note: My visit to the Please Touch Museum was hosted by Visit Philly. However, the opinions expressed are my own.

Looking for more things to do in Philadelphia? Check out LEGOLAND Discovery Center, Smith Memorial Playground, the Museum of Illusions, and the Independence Seaport Museum.


Please Touch Museum

Hours: Monday-Saturday: 9am-4:30pm (closed on Tuesdays) 
Sundays: 11am-4:30pm

Cost: $19 for everyone 1 and older on weekdays; $22 Friday-Sunday

Website: PleaseTouchMuseum.org

Address: 4231 Avenue of the Republic
Philadelphia, PA 19131

 

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