Things to do in Philadelphia with kids: best attractions and family tips

Philadelphia packs its family sights into two walkable clusters: the historic district around Independence Hall, and the museum mile along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. You can do one cluster per day without a car.

Start with the free stuff. The Liberty Bell Center needs no ticket, and the surrounding Independence National Historical Park is a park, not a building, so kids can run between stops. Independence Hall itself uses timed entry, so book ahead or arrive at opening.

For a paid anchor, the Please Touch Museum in Fairmount Park is built for under-8s, with a carousel and a miniature city. Older kids get more from the Franklin Institute, where the walk-through heart and the train exhibit hold attention for two to three hours.

Across the Delaware in Camden, the Adventure Aquarium has sharks, hippos and a walk-through tunnel; it is the best wet-weather option and reachable by PATCO from Center City without driving.

Most Philadelphia museums open around 9:30–10:00 and close mid-afternoon to early evening; the last entry is usually 60–90 minutes before closing. Check each site the week you travel, because school-holiday hours differ.

Budget roughly US$20–30 per adult and US$15–25 per child for the big paid museums, with under-2s usually free. A CityPASS-style multi-attraction pass can pay off if you plan three or more paid sights in one trip (check).

The free sights — Liberty Bell, Independence National Historical Park, the Rocky steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Spruce Street Harbor Park in season — cost nothing but time. Go early: the historic district is busiest between 11:00 and 15:00 in summer.

Philadelphia is on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor: about 1 h 30 from New York and 1 h 45 from Washington, DC, with 30th Street Station a short taxi, bus or trolley ride from Center City hotels. Flying into PHL puts you about 20 minutes from downtown by taxi or the SEPTA Airport Line train.

Once downtown, SEPTA's subway, buses and trolleys cover the Parkway and the historic district; the Philly PHLASH loop bus links the main sights in season (check). Driving is the weak option: parking is expensive and the one-way streets are unforgiving.

For Camden's aquarium, take the PATCO Speedline from 15th–16th Street or 8th–Market Street; it crosses the river in minutes and avoids the bridge toll.

Book timed tickets for Independence Hall and any special exhibition before you leave home; walk-up slots vanish on summer weekends.

Feed kids before the museum, not inside it: on-site cafés are convenient but pricey, and Reading Terminal Market is a short walk from the historic district with far more choice.

Bring a refillable bottle; the Parkway museums and the historic district have water fountains, and July–August afternoons are humid.

If the weather turns, switch to the rainy-day list rather than pushing through outdoor sights with tired children.

April to June and September to October give mild walking weather and thinner crowds. July and August are hot, humid and busy, so plan indoor museums for the middle of the day and outdoor time for the morning.

Weekdays beat weekends in the historic district year-round. Late November through December brings holiday lights and the Christmas Village at City Hall, which works well with kids in the early evening.

Check school-holiday calendars: a Philadelphia school break or a US long weekend can double queue times at the Please Touch Museum and the aquarium.