How to Tour Philadelphia (with Kids!)

Philadelphia has so much to offer teens, children, toddlers, and babies. We moved to Philly when I was pregnant & lived there until my son was 18 months old. We spent our days visiting museums, parks, libraries, and more. Often we’d expore with friends– some of whom had children (mostly ages 0-6). I can only personally attest to these attractions being fun for toddlers & young-ish children…but I’d wager elementary-aged kids would enjoy it all, too.

Where to Stay:

I’d recommend choosing a hotel or Airbnb in either Center City or Old City if possible in order to be central to the major attractions– but close enough to your hotel for a nap or down time. City touring can be exhausting!

When to Go:

Weather will have a major impact on your family trip to Philly. You’ll spend a decent amount of time outdoors, and Philly is humid: hot and sticky summers, chilling-to-the-bone winters. The more temperate seasons will be better for your trip. Fall foliage and spring blossoms are hard to beat, much like in Washington D.C.

Getting Around:

Warning: Philadelphia is not a great city for public transportation. The subway is not very extensive so you’d also need to walk, Uber, taxi, or bus the rest of the way…at which point, it’s just easier to do one of the above in the first place, I think. It’s tough to Uber or taxi with a group of 4+, or to shuttle everyone onto a bus.

Fun fact: Philly SEPTA buses used tokens for fare until 2018, and there were only a few places that distributed said tokens. It felt archaic, but Hallelujah for the system finally going electronic! Find up-to-date SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) info here.

Walking is my personal recommendation if everyone has the energy for it. The streets and homes in this city are insanely charming and you’ll miss the small details if you’re moving too fast!

You can certainly drive and park at some of the established tourist sights, but I’d recommend checking beforehand to confirm that parking is available. Street parking is largely reserved for locals & residents; and police are quick to ticket for violations.

The Sights:

There are a ton of other fantastic local playgrounds and parks to take children if you have the extra time (or are lucky enough to live in this gloriously underrated city). This post will primarily cover the more touristy neighborhoods and point out the best activities for kids within each of those areas.

Old City

Old City is the historic heart of the city, brimming with Revolutionary American history.

If you only fit one thing into your family’s Philadelphia Itinerary, have it be the Independence National Historic Park (learn more in our historic Philly post and visit the official park website here).

All of the major sights and tours in Old City are kid-friendly so bring the whole family! [Obviously you’ll likely bring your entire family on the vacation, but I mean don’t have dad pace outside with the infant and miss the tour]. A kind ranger even said how glad he was we brought our baby along for the Independence Hall tour. Bless him.

It’s clear why adults enjoy the informative tours & centuries-old sights, but the key to why it’s great with kids? The expansive amount of land dedicated to grassy spaces & open courtyards.

Seriously, look at a map. It’s just a bunch of chunks of green. AKA your kids can run without getting hit by cars (or super determined east cost pedestrians) & stretch their legs after waiting in line all morning for the Liberty Bell.

Also Check Out:

• “Once Upon a Nation” Storytellers: there are circular yellow signs located throughout Old City that indicate where a period-costumed storyteller will be coming to share riveting revolutionary tales. History comes to life before your eyes! The actors & actresses really do a great job, and stay in character well during intense questioning (Paul and I vigorously interrogated a Redcoat officer for quite awhile once and he. would. not. break.).

• US Mint: Free tours to see how our U.S. coins are produced. Although there are 6 U.S. Mint facilities throughout the country, you can only tour the production facilities in Philly & Denver. Older kids might be more intrigued by this process I’d imagine.

• Franklin Square: One of the original, square-shaped, public parks designated by William Penn (others are Logan, Washington, Rittenhouse & City Hall). Franklin Square is especially fun for children as it has a carousel & Philly-themed mini golf.

• Betsy Ross Home Tour: If your kids are feeling the theatrics, come “meet” Betsy Ross in her 18th Century home & learn about how this seamstress [probably] made the [potentially] first American flag.

You can find up-to-date info on all of the above at the Visitor’s Center. That’s also a great area to cool down in summer/warm up in winter, or shop for a souvenir. Why yes, they do sell replicas of The Declaration of Independence (a la National Treasure)!

Logan Square

Another of the original designed public squares, Logan Square is surrounded by culture on all sides:

• The Free Public Library
• The Franklin Institute
• The Barnes Foundation, etc.

You can tailor your itinerary based on your kids’ specific interests (art history, science, books, they’ve got it all).

The focal point is this fountain. I frequently saw people splashing and swimming in the fountain in the summertime, met by varied reactions from different security guards 😉

If your family is in Logan Square (perhaps on your way down to The Philadelphia Museum of Art & Rocky Steps??) make sure to let your kids cool off and play at:

• Sister Cities Park: This gem of a park isn’t very large but it packs a punch within its square footage. The grounds are gorgeous. You’re surrounded by amazing architecture (you can see the temple in the background where we worshipped during our time in Philly!) and tucked carefully away from the traffic by shrubs & trees. Most importantly for kids: THE WATER FEATURES. There’s a splash pad area as well as this shallow natural pool with larger rocks and a creek you can climb around. Kids of all ages flock here in warm months.

• The Academy of Natural Sciences: This museum is perfect for your budding biology lovers. Learn all you can about plants, animals, butterflies, and dinosaurs. The fossil digging area upstairs is a win for curious younger kids. The Franklin Institute next door is another popular alternative for kids that love science–though admittedly we never went inside.

Center City

Center City covers, well, the center of the downtown area. For the most part it’s a lot of tall office buildings, shops, restaurants & skyscraper apartment buildings. The focal point and area not to miss (can’t miss won’t miss b/c it’s gargantuan) is definitely City Hall.

An old government building? So… that sounds boring. WRONG! You could make up scary stories about the gargoyle-ish statues up on the building (which maybe happened when my sister and I toured as teens)…OR you could pay about $10 for a view at the top of the building.

• Dilworth Park lies at the base of City Hall and is so engaging for all ages. In winter it’s an ice rink, a traditional Christmas market, and a walk-through winter garden. In summertime there are grassy areas to picnic & large splash fountains to run around in.

• Rittenhouse Square & Fitler Square: These two parks are definitely not priorities if visiting Philadelphia for a few days. However, they are very useful to know about if you plan to be in the area anyways (Rittenhouse is only a 10 minute walk from Logan Square & City Hall). Younger kids will enjoy finding all of the brass animals: the well-loved Billy the Goat at Rittenhouse (which btw was recently replaced with an identical, newer Billy so OG Billy could rest) & the Fitler turtles & bear. Older kids could read on a bench or check out the frequent live entertainment (jazz music, jugglers, etc.) For those of you keeping track, Fitler Square is NOT one of the original Penn public parks and actually it’s not even a square– it’s a rectangle.

• Reading Terminal Market: Taste delicious foods made by local Amish cooks and so many more. Watch donuts & pretzels made before your eyes! Warning, it’s preeeetty narrow & crowded– but doable– with large strollers.

Just A Drive Away

If you’re touring with a car and wanting to see some sights outside the downtown area, then here are a few great places to take kids:

• The Philadelphia Zoo: Zoos don’t normally make the cut if I’m visiting a new city, but this one has something unique going for it: it’s America’s FIRST zoo! If that’s enough of a draw, or if your children really love animals, this zoo is great. I remember the giraffes being friendly 🙂

• Fairmount Park: It’s commonly referred to as “Philly’s backyard”. Fairmount Park is certainly spacious enough to claim that title, and boasts a great view of the city skyline in the distance. The reason to drag your kids out here, though, is the massive slide and outdoor playground. Also, the cherry blossoms in spring are 10/10.

• Please Touch Museum: If you really have time to spare, this kid’s museum is very interactive (though hardly unique to Philadelphia). The water play area, pretend grocery store & carousel are popular attractions here.

In Conclusion:

You should RUN, not walk, to visit Philly with your kids (as soon as COVID stops raging). The green spaces are beautiful, the food is incredible, and there are museums to match any child’s interest.

Did I miss anything? What are your favorite places for kids in Philly??

Check out these other posts about Philadelphia, too!

Best Historic Sights

Best Cultural Sights

Best Food (This one will be especially useful with kids!)