As soon as the Philly Plash pulled up in front of the Please Touch Museum, I turned to Joseph. “Is this it?” I asked. Neither one of us was expecting such a majestic building. This was a children’s museum after all. We walked up the grand steps and into the lobby where I was to pick up our tickets. I learned that the museum was within Memorial Hall and that it was built for the 1876 World’s Fair to celebrate the Centennial. Now the grandeur made sense.
Norrin immediately started pulling on my hand eager to explore. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t crowded or overwhelming. There were plenty of things for kids to see and do. It was tough to keep up with Norrin but I loved seeing him happy. He was so excited, moving from one activity to the next. Our favorite exhibit was the Centennial Exploration/ Railway Play. I didn’t have to worry about Norrin touching anything because everything was designed to be touched.
The Please Touch Museum didn’t only appeal to children but to adults. They had an amazing Wonderland exhibit. There were displays of vintage toys that made me nostalgic. And it was easy to feel like a kid again. Joseph and I called out to each other, “Hey did you see this?” It was just as much fun for us as it was for Norrin.
We arrived late in the afternoon and were mindful of catching the bus back to our car, so we had cut our visit short. There were a few things we didn’t get to see and I was disappointed we didn’t ride the century old carousel. So we will definitely return! It was about 2 hours away so it could even be a great day trip for us.
The Please Touch Museum is so much more than a kid’s museum – it’s a play space that offers a wealth of tactile learning experiences and history.For more information on the Please Touch Museum visit or to purchase tickets please visit –
For more information on the Please Touch Museum visit or to purchase tickets please visit – http://www.pleasetouchmuseum.org
Since 1976, Please Touch Museum has been the Children’s Museum of Philadelphia. The Please Touch Museum was the first in the nation whose target audience was families with children seven and younger. Their mission is to enrich the lives of children by creating learning opportunities through play.
We went to Philly a few years ago and this is one of the spots we missed out on. I'm hoping to visit the next time because I am a HUGE kid myself! I LOVE museums – especially the ones where you can explore with your hands. 😉
Lisa you must! You will love it! There is so much to see 🙂