Philadelphia is the city of brotherly love. I truly believed that, while exploring the historic city of Philly, that my son was suddenly going to love his sister as much as she loves him. Well, I’m here to tell you don’t get your hopes up! But we still had a great time in Philly!
History in Philadelphia
There is a lot of history to see in Philadelphia including the First Bank of The United States; it’s a beautiful city and fascinating to think that this is where our country truly began. With kids, however, it’s hard to take in all that history so at the very least go see the Liberty Bell. It might not be that interesting for really little kids, but my kids enjoyed it. My son recently studied American History in 5th grade so he was really interested.
Where to eat in Philadelphia
There are a lot of great restaurants near the Liberty Bell, but a most of them are upscale dining. For a kid-friendly atmosphere, we chose a place called Jones. They have a full bar for Mom and Dad and a fun diverse menu of comfort food specialties. They serve breakfast all day (my kind of place), have homemade fish sticks, pot pies, fried chicken, meatloaf, burgers, good mac-n-cheese and the list goes on and on. My kids loved it and asked if we could eat there every day while we were in town!
There are numerous places in Philadelphia to get an original Philly Cheesesteak! And they all claim to be the best, which is probably true. This town knows how to make a cheesesteak! Don’t leave town without getting one!
What to see in Philadelphia
Small kids would love the Please Touch Museum. I just love the name! How inviting! What’s really unique about this children’s museum, as compared to other children’s museums, is that it’s really targeted to smaller kids. This museum will take you all day and your littles will be ready for a nap when you leave. Exhibits include an outdoor imagination playground, Flight Fantasy, City Capers, and much more!
This sounds a little odd for a family vacation but we loved touring the Eastern State Penitentiary. It’s one of the oldest penitentiaries in the U.S. My kids were fascinated by the cold, dark cells, and hearing about all the inmate escapes. I think my kids were scared straight! Kids receive a booklet of information that includes a scavenger hunt, games, and a little poster of Pep the Dog. Pep was a black lab who was sentenced to life without parole in 1924 by a Pennsylvania governor for chewing on the governors’ furniture. But don’t fret, he was a beloved pet to the prisoners and staff, treated well and died of natural causes.
We loved the city of Brotherly (and Sisterly) love and hope you do too. Let us know some of your favorite places!
