Please Touch Museum

The new Please Touch Museum is a class act. The building was once part of a world's fair and is gorgeous. They have reimagined it for kids 6 and under. The water play room is the best exhibit... my kids would spend hours there if they could. There are some exhibits I do not like as well... mostly because of what I see as design issues. I've lost my kids more than once in the Alice in Wonderland exhibit... too many twists and turns and not a lot of overview for mom and dad to keep an eye on their little ones.

Posted 10/01/09 | Report Abuse

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My two-year-old son radiates excitement and enthusiasm each time we approach the Please Touch Museum. It is pure joy to watch and experience his delight! What higher accolades could one offer. As advertised, the museum offers kids a hands-on experience with all of its exhibits. The museum itself is smart, clean and managed by staff that understand and cater to their clientele. It is housed in a wonderful structure, Memorial Hall, which was built for the 1876 Centennial Exhibition.

Posted 09/06/09 | Report Abuse

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For $150, after 2 visits, the membership paid for itself. My son is 2 1/2, my youngest is 10 months. We take them there when the 2 year old is off from school, on the weekends when its cold, when we have nothing else to do. Parking is free with the membership and so easy. Food is discounted as well.

Posted 03/02/09 | Report Abuse

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This museum has recently moved from a cramped building to a huge one in Fairmount Park. It was not difficult to find and parking was so easy. I took my grandson and what was so wonderful was that I just had to follow him around and let him do basically whatever he wanted. It was great.

Posted 01/23/09 | Report Abuse

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My girls loved the market. I love any museum or place that is child friendly. There are not many as friendly as the Please Touch Museum. They offer membership packages that seem very good.

Posted 12/10/07 | Report Abuse

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I really love this place it is really awesome for the childern. A place were they can go play a touch everything. they have a little super market where the children can pretend they are shopping with little carts, play food, and play cash register I really enjoy seeing the kids happy.

Posted 11/28/07 | Report Abuse

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I was invited to a birthday party at a museum! Yikes! I just couldn't imagine any parent taking care of 6 children at a museum, let along one, but this parent did a great job. After the parents dropped off the little guys, Maria the birthday girl's mom, with help from the staff, took the children all through the museum. This is the first time, that I actually saw staff allowing children to touch any thing they liked. In fact, children are encouraged to touch all of the displays. I even had a great time, playing with some of the displays. This is a great place for any family, even a family with very young children. I do recommend that the parents bring antibacterial soap with them, just in case they want to get a bite to eat later.

Posted 07/31/07 | Report Abuse

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This is such a great Museum for kids and parents too. There is so much to do and so much for the kids to see. They have a play supermarket which is great for the kids, an Alice in Wonderland Exhibit (right now) and a story garden. It is a great place for kids to explore.

Posted 06/05/06 | Report Abuse

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My son had such a good time visiting this museum. Everything is hands on and interactive. The exhibits are wonderful and, my sons favorite was the miniature supermarket. Everything is made just the right size for kids and their little hands. He also enjoyed the Septa bus and pretending to drive. The only downside to this museum would be the location. It is situated on a very busy street in Center City Philadelphia and there is no parking. You most likely would have to park in a garage which are typically not cheap. Otherwise, this is an awesome place to spend the day with the kids.

Posted 03/06/06 | Report Abuse

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Please touch museum is a great place to take your kids. its a great place to spend a rainy day inside. The kids are encouraged to play and touch with all the exhbits. i especially love the grocery store feature great way to tech your kids about the day to day real life events. also have an old subway car resored. the place does get a little busy on the weekends so be ready for that.

Posted 02/05/06 | Report Abuse

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We actually went to the Cherry Hill location on Springdale Road. Kids love this place. There is plenty for them to see and do. It is fairly priced but you can spend a fair amount of time here and the children will not be bored. We have gone back a few time and have brought visiting family. They were happy to go and it helped entertain the children for the day

Posted 11/29/05 | Report Abuse

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This is a unique and fun place for everyone in the family to enjoy - make sure you bring you camera or video camera because this is one place your kids will love to watch themselves having fun at - over and over .

Plan to spend a few hours also this is not a quick in and out place- its hard to get the kids out at the end of the day !

Lots of places for ones imagination to go -
work in a g rocery store- fly a plane- drive a bus -
- ride a monorail - be a part of your favorite book
- all things are fun and ineteractive and learning at the same time .

They have a small snack machine area for snacks but
i would reccomend packing your own to bring along .

Parking can be hard to find - i had to park a few blocks down the street in an open lot . so if planning to meet a friend there make sure to give yourself some extra time to park and get to the museum .

Posted 11/21/05 | Report Abuse

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A fun and educational spot to visit for families with children primarily under age 8, the Please Touch Museum features three stories packed with activities for a variety of interests! Children can play with the characters from Where the Wild Things Are, shop and check out in a pretend supermarket, dress up or even play croquet with Alice in Wonderland--the fun is limited only by the imagination! Admission is a bit pricier than other children's museums (almost $10), but well worth the visit!

Posted 11/19/05 | Report Abuse

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We took our children (ages 2 and 3) to the "Please Touch Museum". We went on a weekday to avoid any crowds (did not happen) and had a great time. The children may have been a little young for the exhibits, but had a blast just the same. Their favorite was the water table and the train set. I really did not feel it was that expensive, considering what they had to offer. We were able to save $4 through a triple A discount that is not advertised.

PROS: Fun for kids, lots to do
CONS: Can get really crowded and overwhelming

Posted 11/14/05 | Report Abuse

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The Please Touch Museum is an absolute "must visit" for families with young children. Everything in it is really geared towards its youngest visitors who are encouraged to play and learn all day long. The supermarket is especially popular. It is a large space set up just like a supermarket where kids can fill their carts and check out- just like the grown-ups! The Septa bus display is fun and special for any Philly kid. The museum also offers a quiet space to curl up with a book with your child.

Posted 11/11/05 | Report Abuse

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I haven' t been to this museum in many years, the last time I went I was probably 7 so I'm sure it's changed, but I wanted to add that from a child's perspective this place is phenomenal - so much fun & so memorable. It's also a great way to get kids to learn about what it means to be in a museum - even though the rules are much laxer than, say, the Met, it's still a place where you share common space with others you don't know & have to be respectful of their boundaries. It's also not a far walk to the Franklin Institute or Academy of Natural Sciences if you are looking to do a full day of touring.

PROS: Wonderful early museum experience for children
CONS:

Posted 11/11/05 | Report Abuse

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My daughter tood my grandson to the please touch muesmum in Phila for his birthday.
They had a little city and he really liked touching everything, it was quite an experience and reasonable. too.
There were so many things to see and touch. For grade school age children.
A very pleasant experience.
However, parking is the pits.
You have to park to far away.

PROS: lots of things to feel and touch
CONS: parking is far away

Posted 11/08/05 | Report Abuse

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Please Touch Museum is a wonderous little place, it's great for kids, but not so much for adults. For families, this is a great place to spend an afternoon, because most of the exhibits are touch-able, keeping the kids excited and interested. Employees know how to work with kids, keeping them interested instead of bored. For the adults, there are little signs which provide a brief background for a lot of the exhbits which adds a little bit of interest for the adults, but this is mainly a place for the kids. All of exhibits are high-quality, but the problem is, there isn't that many. We were able to clear the entire museum in about an hour, and for the expensive price we paid we entered, we were quite shocked to see the 'exit'. Still, if you are willing to pay the extra cash, this is a great place to take your family, even if it will only kill an hour.

Posted 11/07/05 | Report Abuse

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Like the title "Please Touch Museum" implies, this isn't a cold, stuffy museum where alarms and bells will sound if anything is disturbed. Instead, it invites you to get your hands on exhibits and feel the texture of everything! This has a studio to operate a camera or control a sound panel, a chance to hop aboard a real bus, use microscopes, and the Alice In Wonderland rabbithole with optical illusions and surprises behind each door. A real treat and joy for kids, and a place where they can let loose and not have to follow strict rules.

Posted 11/06/05 | Report Abuse

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Our entire family visited the Please touch museum this past summer. There are a fair amount of hands on activities for the children to Explore .Among my children's favorites were the Septa Bus and the simulated grocery store. To be honest, I was expecting the museum to be a little larger and contain more exibits. After about an hour and a half, the children became restless because the entire museum had been covered. Parking is inconvenient and expensive.

PROS:
CONS: Parking and Price of admission

Posted 09/14/05 | Report Abuse

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We just went here today for the first time and our son loved it! I think the $9.95 admission is well worth it. I agree that the snack/lunch room leaves a LOT to be desired. I found so much in the gift shop that would be good for him, I may go back just to shop for his birthday. Our son loved the Barnyard babies, the SEPTA bus, and the reading area. He also loved the drum machine. This is a place where you let your kids lead and you follow and join them. We parked on the street at a meter and think we got lucky at the place we found. But I really don't think it's that hard to find a spot. The new location will open in 2007 at Memorial Hall in Fairmount park promises to be 100% better, and I have complete faith in that.

Posted 07/17/05 | Report Abuse

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While it is a bit expensive it is alot of fun for kids. It is an all day affair with so much to do. Your kids will love it. My son loves to go here and spend the day.

PROS: Fun, lots to do.
CONS: Pricey, parking is expensive.

Posted 07/12/05 | Report Abuse

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I remember going to the Please Touch Museum when I was a child. Now that I have my own child, I frequent the Please Touch Museum, because quite frankly, it's fun! The group lunch rooms leave a lot to be desired, but the play areas, including the Septa Bus and a grocery area are a delight for kids young and old. Just make sure you let the kids have a little fun and don't let all the hands on activities regress you back a few years!

Posted 06/13/05 | Report Abuse

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