Are you a parent in the tri-state area? A family planning a visit to Philadelphia? Check out our guide to family activities near the City of Brotherly (and Sisterly) Love!

Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse is treasured Philadelphia institution providing opportunities for creative, unstructured play. It offers free indoor and outdoor play spaces and is open year-round.

Please Touch Museum enriches the lives of local children through its child-centered exhibits, programs, and theater experiences. Kids of all ages are encouraged to let their imaginations take flight in the museum’s two floors of interactive exhibits. And on the first Wednesday of every month, admission is just $2!

On the first Sunday of every month and Wednesday nights after 5pm, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is pay what you wish. Check out the real life Indian Temple and the reconstructed Japanese Tea Room, not to mention the sword collection and the coats of armor!

The Barnes Foundation has drop-in programs for all ages on Free First Sundays, including art projects, storytime, and family gallery tours.

Located in a restored firehouse, the Fireman’s Hall Museum has firefighting equipment, uniforms, and interactive displays for kids to explore.

Want to spend a wild afternoon with your little lovebug?  Check out the Insectarium, the nation’s largest insect museum. Located in the Great Northeast, there’s three floors of exhibit space to explore, including live exotic insects, working beehives, and Arachnid Alley!

Kids Castle in Doylestown, PA is an eight story wooden playground structure designed for kids ages 5-12. Romping, climbing, shouting, and chasing are recommended!

The City of Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program offers trolley, walking, and subway tours of the nation’s largest public arts program. Tour guides are brimming with information about the muralists, their artistic process, and the diverse communities that support and create this art form.

Philadelphia Historical Sites
Edgar Allen Poe National Historic Site
Junior Ranger Program at Independence National Historical Park
Story Telling Benches are located in the historic area of Philadelphia– you and your kids can talk to Ben Franklin or Betsy Ross!

Indoor Play
Nest Philly
Ali’s Wagon
Lulu’s Casita
Momo’s Treehouse
Philly InMovement
Baby Wordplay at Little Theater and Fairmount Theater
Creative Clubhouse

Story Hours
Check your local branch of the Philadelphia Free Library for storytime and other activities
Barnes and Noble Rittenhouse hosts storytimes every Wednesday and Saturday

Outdoor Adventures
Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education
Wissahickon Environmental Center

LGBTQ Services and Events
The Attic Youth Center
The Mazzoni Center Youth and Teen Services