57 Awesome Philadelphia Activities

Visit one of the premier natural and environmental science research institutions in the country and view specimens, illustrations and hands-on, educational activities relating to birds of paradise, dinosaurs

Don't miss your chance to see the one aquarium in the world that features hippos, along with the largest collection of sharks on the East Coast and 8,500 additional sea creatures housed in an enormous water tank

The nation's premier helicopter museum is located less than an hour's drive from Philadelphia in Westchester, Pennsylvania and contains over 35 helicopters from 1940 to the present. Climb aboard one of these

Founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin and John Bartram, the American Philosophical Society was created to promote the study of the natural world. In 1789, a building dedicated to this organization was completed

Philadelphia is home to the nation's oldest museum dedicated to the celebration of Swedish and Swedish-American culture and traditions. Tour the museum's 12 galleries and discover Swedish treasures such as furniture

Aquatopia Indoor water park is a massive water park that is open for water adventure year-round, the stunning water park has adventure water slides, wave pools, kiddie pools, flow rider surfing, cabanas and restaurants

Spend an hour or two at a museum dedicated to one of our nation's most important historical figures, Benjamin Franklin - a diplomat, politician, scientist, inventor and so much more. See the many artifacts, manuscripts

A 40-minute drive from Philadelphia to Chadd's Ford, Pennsylvania will lead you to pastoral, rolling hills and the Brandywine River, where the Brandywine River Art Museum is housed in a renovated 19th century

Take a short trip from Philadelphia across the Delaware River, and you will find Camden Children's Garden, a 4-acre oasis containing such interactive exhibits as a Dinosaur Garden, Storybook Garden, Benjamin Franklin

The Delaware Children's Museum is a popular attraction in Wilmington, Delaware which features a wide variety of interactive exhibits for visitors of all ages. As you explore the museum you can learn about the

From Friday to Sunday, the Philadelphia home of Edgar Allan Poe can be explored. A Ranger guides visitors through the three-story, brick building where Poe lived with his wife and mother-in-law. Watch an 8-minute

Escape the 1980s is a thrilling, interactive, "escape the room" game nestled in the heart of Philadelphia! Players don't necessarily need to know anything about the 1980's to play or win. Besides the awesome

In the midst of the Old Historic District, one will find a renovated fire house serving as the nation's premier museum dedicated to the history of firefighting. Firemen's equipment, uniforms and even 10 antique

Less than an hour's drive from Philadelphia lies Fonthill Castle, a stunning structure completed in 1912 as a home for archaeologist, anthropologist and ceramist, Henry Chapman Mercer. The Mercer Museum is a

Visit this historical site, named for General Thomas Mifflin of the Revolutionary War, and see the fortress that was attacked by British forces yet has stood the test of time and today is the oldest fortification

The Garden State Discovery Museum is a children's museum located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, which is just 10 miles away from Philadelphia. It features over 20 hands-on exhibits designed for children under the

A half hour's drive from Philadelphia lies Glencairn Museum, an impressive structure completed in 1939 as a home and castle to house the collection of medieval objects owned by attorney, Raymond Pitcairn, and

Great Wolf Lodge is one of the best indoor water parks and play areas, a perfect destination for family fun, the wonderful water park features twisting water slides, lazy river, wave pool, indoor and outdoor pools

Don't miss your chance to see a 300-year-old Quaker village where time has essentially stood still. The historic village of Fallsington, about a half-hour ride from Philadelphia, offers a guided tour through

Tour the birthplace of paper in our nation when you visit historic Rittenhouse Town. In 1690, William Rittenhouse, an immigrant to the New Land from Germany, built the continent's first paper mill, and a second

Drive an hour northwest of Philadelphia and find Hopewell Furnace, an iron-producing village in operation from 1771 to 1883 and preserved to look as it did in its heyday circa 1835. This "iron plantation," as

Don't miss out on a tour of the building where our government was born. Independence Hall was completed in 1753 to serve as the home for the new province of Pennsylvania. The Second Continental Congress met

Philadelphia's only maritime museum offers visitors a rich history of commercial and military use of the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers and many opportunities for hands-on learning. Stroll through the museum's

Founded in 1963, the University of Pennsylvania's Institute of Contemporary Art is considered one of the nation's premier modern art venues and offers free admission to interested viewers. Featured artists have

About an hour's drive north from Philadelphia to Doylestown will lead you to the art museum named after Doylestown native, James A. Michener, who envisioned such an establishment during his days as a Pulitzer-prize

The U.S. Constitution is brought to life through the educational presentations, theatrical performances, debates, exhibits and interactive displays at the National Constitution Center. Created in 1988, the Center

Visit the museum dedicated to those who worked tirelessly for freedom and justice for all. The stories of many abolitionists and such famous freedom fighters as Nelson Mandela are brought to life through the museum's

In the heart of Independence Mall lies the National Museum of American Jewish History, a 5-story repository containing 30,000 artifacts that celebrate 350 years of Jewish culture and tradition in the United States

Visit the nation's first museum celebrating the history and culture of the African-American Muslim community. Using pictures, magazines and books, the experience of the African-American Muslim is traced from the

Travel by foot, trolley, train or bike to see the city's generous amount of expansive and provocative murals. Learn about the artwork, the artist, and the neighborhoods in which these public art displays are

Trace the evolution of humanity by touring the numerous galleries of the Penn Museum (also called the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology), where you will find close to a million

An impressive collection of American artwork from colonial times to the present is found at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. A multitude of works can be found by established and emerging artists, including

Opened in 2005, the Pennsylvania Veterans Museum is dedicated to the remembrance of those who served their country in wartime and conflict and keeps their stories alive through veterans' own accounts, interactive

Experience this renovated, early 18th-century estate that was used as a headquarters by George Washington in 1777 and later as a seasonal home for Governor Samuel Pennypacker of Pennsylvania. Governor Pennypacker's

A former showroom for tombstones and mausoleums dating back to 1865, the historic Finney & Son building for the past few years has been know as the Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art, a showcase for

A must-see for any visitor to Philadelphia is the regal-appearing Museum of Art, sitting at the end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and offereing a look at over 200,000 works of art from countless genres, cultures

Off the beaten path, you will find Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, a tribute to and preservation of artist Isaiah Zagar's work. In the 1960's Zagar, his wife and other artists began buying and renovating buildings

Take your little ones to one of the nation's most renowned children's museums. The Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia has six unique areas containing dozens of interactive displays, with four of these areas dedicated

Let your kids experience the outdoors and swing on trees, walk through obstacles, and see the world from 40 feet above. Pocono Tree Ventures offer a fun-filled family adventure in the outdoors. Experience rope

Its building resembling a temple, the Rodin Museum sits on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway near the Philadelphia Museum of Art and contains close to 150 bronze, marble and plaster statues created by the famous

Drive 30 minutes north of Philadelphia to Langhorne, PA to find Sesame Place, a one-of-a-kind theme park devoted to the Emmy-award winning, long-running series, Sesame Street. Children will love the rides, characters

Founded in 1976 as an added attraction to Philadelphia's bicentennial celebration, the Shoe Museum housed at Temple University's School of Podiatric Medicine showcases 250 pairs of shoes from multiple cultures

Nestled in Philadelphia's verdant Fairmount Park, the Shofuso Japanese House and Garden is a tranquil, lush, 1.5 acre oasis containing a traditional Japanese home and a pond filled with colorful fish in the midst

Just 5 minutes from the Philadelphia International Airport lies the Simeone Foundation Museum, Neurosurgeon Frederick Simeone's impressive array of race cars dating from 1909 to the mid 1970's. Dr. Simeone's

Storybook village or storybook land is a theme park that offers tons of entertainment for the families, especially for kids in the age group of 1-8. The theme park has been providing entertainment, fun and education

Located in the heart of the historic district, the African American Museum in Philadelphia was one of the structures built as part of the city's bicentennial celebration and the first publicly funded museum in

A National Historic Landmark completed in 1768, the Johnson House provided shelter for three generations of a family that acted as abolitionists in the days of slavery. Underground railroad activities were said

No trip to Philadelphia would be complete without a visit to The Liberty Bell Center, the iconic symbol of Philadelphia and our country's freedom. This special monument is housed in a bright, expansive, glass

Wealthy inventor, Atwater Kent, created a museum dedicated to Philadelphia's heritage in 1938. Today this recently renovated structure continues to tell Philadelphia's story through its multiple galleries, 400

Established in the early 1990's, the Philadelphia Insectarium provides hours of delight for children who have the chance to observe a tank of glow-in-the-dark scorpions, a collection of exotic butterflies, a working

Don't miss exploring our nation's first zoo which is chock full of animals both in caged displays and roaming around a unique set of mesh-covered pathways overhead. Wide-eyed visitors can look up and see lions

In 1954, the estate of the Rosenbach brothers, collectors of rare books, manuscripts, antiques and art, was organized into a museum in Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach's stately, 19th-century townhouse. Visitors to

Art lovers will appreciate the Abington Art Center and its impressive Sculpture Garden, located just 10 miles outside of Center City, Philadelphia.  A stately manor, the Art Center offers multiple, various

Three Stooges fans will not want to miss the world's only museum dedicated to the zany classic. Visitors to The Stoogeum, located about a half hour's drive from Philadelphia, will find movie props, costumes, photos

The U.S. Mint, located on Independence Mall, is an interesting take-in, where one can see the inner workings of the facility responsible for at least half the country's coins in circulation and a good number of

In the 1850's, William Wagner created this natural history and science museum as a free means of educating the public. His mission continues today with science classes offered for all ages onsite and access to

The Woodmere Art Museum is located inside of a beautiful 19th century Victorian mansion in Philadelphia's historic Chestnut Hill neighborhood. Since 1940, visitors have been able to view its impressive collection