Traveling to Philadelphia?
Pack Light. Travel Happy.™ Rent baby gear in Philadelphia.Heading to “The City of Brotherly Love” this summer and bringing the entire family? Whether you’ve got babies, toddlers or kids (or one of each!), Philadelphia is a great place to explore! It’s the 8th largest metropolitan area in the US, so there’s tons to see, do and experience!
We’ve collaborated with a local Philly mama and avid traveler, Sari Marissa (aka @fabphillymom), to give you a list of family friendly things to do while in Philadelphia. Sari Marissa has two adorable daughters and their family travels have taken them to 48 states, 29 national parks, 22 countries, and 4 continents! They definitely know how to travel and explore a city! Philadelphia is the traveling family’s home and Sari says of her hometown: “Philly is such a wonderful city for families! It’s filled with history, it has a funky urban edge and has many eclectic outdoor areas for play, too!”
Our official list kicks off below, but you’ll want to fuel up before you start your Philly adventure so we recommend…cheesesteaks! You can’t visit the city known for the delicious subs and not indulge. So, on your mark, get set, go! Explore Philadelphia on a tummy full of a delicious cheesesteak (hint: here’s a great list of cheesesteak places in the city!).
Explore Fairmount Park in Philadelphia
Sari says, “We love trips to Fairmount Park, one of the largest urban green spaces in the country, for visits to The Please Touch Museum and Smith Memorial Playground to ride the 100 year old wooden slide! This is a MUST! We enjoy the carousel rides, making wishes in the fountain and Philly landmark themed mini golf at Franklin Square Park. Don’t miss grabbing a milkshake made with Philly’s own Tastykake! If you visit in the warmer months, there’s an amazing Chinese Lantern Festival you must see at night. In the winter, they have an Electrical Spectacle where lights dance around you!” Fun fact: Fairmount Park was visited by more than 10 million people the nation’s Centennial Exposition in 1876!
Experience historical Philadelphia and dine like our Founding Fathers!
“For an authentic old school Philly experience, we head to City Tavern in Old City not far from The Liberty Bell. Not only is the waitstaff dressed from the colonial era, but you can sit at George Washington’s table and enjoy ales and original recipes from our founding fathers! We combine trips here with strolls down the oldest street in the country, Elfreth’s Alley, and then have dessert at Shane’s Confectionery, the oldest continually run candy shop in America! Don’t miss Thomas Jefferson’s hot drinking chocolate in the back.”
A theme park dedicated to Sesame Street? Yes please!
If you have babies, toddlers and preschoolers, chances are you love and they love Sesame Street. The show has been loved and watched since 1969! Our Philly mommy blogger, Sari Marissa, says the theme park is a must-see: “Sesame Place just outside of the city is sure to delight any fan, and definitely worth the trek!”
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Nap time for baby = Philadelphia museums for mom, dad, and the big kids.
We may sound like a broken record, but no matter where you go, make sure to bring (or rent!) a stroller and put baby in a front pack. That way you can explore all day long! While baby is napping, spend some time in local museums with older kiddos who have a longer attention span. Baby can sleep while the rest of the family learns! “The Franklin Institute and The Academy of Natural Science are great ways to spend part of the day. We like to hit up Sister Cities Park across The Parkway for toy-boat racing afterwards!”
Go to the harbor for summertime fun in Philly!
Located on the Delaware River Waterfront the Spruce Street Harbor Park is the perfect urban, water recreation area. “Spruce Street Harbor Park is a neat place! They have colorful hammocks, fountains for splashing, oversized games, plastic building blocks, as well as character paddle boats. Don’t miss ice cream in a takeout container from Franklin Fountain!”
Last but certainly not least, channel your inner Sylvester Stallone and live like Rocky.
“We can’t mention Philadelphia without talking about Rocky! If you wanna get your “Rocky on”, take a family jog up the art museum steps, nosh your way through The Italian Market on 9th Street and dine at Victor’s Cafe, where they sing opera in an old RCA record building!” Here’s the perfect go to “Rocky” guide to hit all the iconic Creed tour spots!
You guys have loved our Philly recommendations in this blog so much that we did some more scouring of the interwebs and found a few awesome new gems to add to this list! Here’s 6 more fun, fab and totally family-friendly things to do in Philadelphia!
Put your overalls on and head to the farm.
About 30 minutes outside of the city, is Linvilla Farms, a 300 acre interactive farm adventure! You can pick your own fruits and veggies, see tons of animals, and explore a real life farm. For the little ones, we highly recommend a stop at their playground and maybe a hayride! The farm also offers lots of seasonal activities so make sure to take a look at their calendar before you plan your trip.
Enjoy some authentic Chinese food in Chinatown!
Philadelphia has a pretty awesome Chinatown neighborhood and it’s centrally located so you can make a pit stop as you adventure throughout the city. The colors are vibrant, there’s tons of interesting things for the kids to look at, and of course, the food! Here’s a list of popular eateries in the neighborhood. Go hungry!
Take a day (or overnight trip) while you’re in Philadelphia and visit the Poconos!
Maybe you want to pack the family up and get out of the city for a day or two of your trip? We recommend heading to the Poconos, which is just about 2 hours away. Regardless of the season, there’s TONS of family friendly things to do in this region. It will be awesome to contrast your city adventure in Philly with an outdoorsy adventure in the mountains! We encourage you to check out all the kid friendly resort options such as the Camelback Lodge (bring your swimsuit, there’s an indoor water park!), the Great Wolf Lodge, or the Skytop Lodge (it looks like a European estate!).
Snap an Insta-worthy family pic in front of the LOVE sign.
The Love Park located near city hall is an awesome photo opportunity as it is home to Robert Indiana’s LOVE statue. This is a great way to remember your Philadelphia vacation forever!
Money, money, money……MONEY!
The United States Mint has a production facility in Philadelphia, and yep! You guessed it! They offer super awesome tours that are perfect for your older kiddos. They’ll get to see real coins being made and learn the history behind the Mint.
Get a birds eye view.
Did you know you can see Philly “from the top”??? This sounds picturesque! One Liberty Observation Deck is a must do and is perfect for the entire family! You’ll be 57 stories high and get to experience a full 360 degree view of the city. Make sure to purchase your tickets in advance; they even have a Family pack for extra savings! If you want to see Philly sunup and sun down, buy the Sun & Stars package so you can go during the day and night. What a neat experience!
We hope these new additions are added to your next Philadelphia itinerary! And remember to rent everything you need for baby from a BabyQuip Quality Provider in Philadelphia and in the Poconos!
Traveling to Philadelphia?
Pack Light. Travel Happy.™ Rent baby gear in Philadelphia.
Kaylee Garcia is the mama to one sweet boy and one sweet girl, and wife to an awesome husband. Kaylee and her son (he’s only 4!) have completed over 20 trips via air travel (thank you, Alaska Airlines!) on over 40+ airplane rides! They love sharing travel tips with other families since they’ve learned a lot in the last 4 years. Kaylee enjoys spending time with family, researching baby gear, and exploring the Pacific Northwest.
The please touch museum is really great. The best kind of museums for kids!
It’s so cute to get sibling pictures at the love sign. :)