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Please Touch Museum
Rating Details »
4231 Ave of the Republic
Philadelphia, PA 19131
(215) 581-3181
Philadelphia, PA 19131
(215) 581-3181
- Hours:
Mon-Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
22 reviews for Please Touch Museum
I've never seen anything like it! My kids had a blast and so did their parents!
Everything there is very "hands on" as you would expect from a place with a name like Please Touch. There is a lot of creativity in the way the sections are put together. I was continually surprised by each section -
As we were about to leave, it started raining cats and dogs. Unfortunately, we had left our umbrellas in the car. A couple of very kind staff members stood at the entrance and handed out garbage bags for make-shift ponchos. I thought this was above and beyond... I'd recommend this to anyone with small kids in the area.
I really don't understand how they can call this a Museum.
They cleverly did somehow manage to swindle me out of $30 to take my niece to a place to play with toys that she already has, with parents who sit around reading the newspaper or socializing while their child tries to eat fake groceries and chokes.
While the name states Please Touch, I thought it would be a learning experience with various exhibits on animals and how their skin feels, the difference between hot and cold, things that are actually worth a lesson or two. I didn't think it would a "dog park" for children and a usual meet up spot for parents.
The area is really overwhelming and pretty crowded. The staff seemed nonexistent which allowed for older children to manage their way into the toddler section and play survival of the fittest.
My niece became bored after 20 mins and we left. I took her to Fairmount park, had a picnic and she ran around for nearly two hours happily. Overall, not worth it.
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When I was a child, one of my favorite places in the world was the "Please touch museum" ... Yesterday I went back, and 15years later I still loved it.
I went with my best friend, and her son. He had a blast, as well as us. It was fun to just let loose and play with everything like we were 6 years old again.
We are already planning our next visit.
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We took our 2-year-old here on a Monday afternoon. What a truly impressive childrens' museum! Our little girl spent almost an hour at the canal system with the boats and rubber ducks alone - where else can you send a rubber duck through a canal lock?
There is an impressive 'flight' room that was lost a bit on our little one - but not on me :-) - where you construct a plane out of lightweight foam elements and hoist it up a tower and it launches downward, testing its airworthiness. Cool!
The setting in Memorial Hall is impressive, and there are whimsical pieces of sculpture throughout the museum. What else? A miniature city the kids can run through. A train station. And a beautifully restored indoor carousel, where my little girl took her first merry-go-round ride.
I will say that it is a bit on the expensive side for a family. As of 3/09, It's $15 a head for anyone over 2 and $5 for parking. If you're in the area and plan to visit more than 3 times a year, the membership is worth it.
The toughest part? Getting my daughter to leave. It wasn't pretty. :-)
My son always loves to go to the please touch museum. It's a great place for a kid to burn off excess energy on a rainy day.
I've been wanting to go since they moved over to their new digs in Fairmount Park. What I didn't realize is that this is actually opening weekend. For some reason, I thought it was a couple of weekends ago. That's what I get for not double checking. Especially with a toddler. Bad Mama, no vodka for you!
It was insanely packed (as to be expected) and because of the crowds, it was really overwhelming for my 20 month old. But there are lots of really great new exhibits for the kids to play in and on and you can easily spend a few hours wasting an afternoon away in here, it's that big.
One thing I will say is that while there's lot parking, there's not nearly enough of it, so I hope they'll accommodate for that at some point.
Also, getting a membership is definitely worth it. You get free parking, free carousel rides, and other membership benefits. It pays for itself in only a few visits.
Overall, I recommend it highly. There's TONS to do, but save it for a rainy weekday or hit it up when it first opens to avoid the crowds. Otherwise, you can't move in here.
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Other children's museums I have been to with my daughter have people monitoring the "toddler areas". People, the sign says for 3 and under, that means get your kids who are 6+ out of the area because they are out of control and knocking the toddlers down. It would get more stars if it weren't for that.
Some of the exhibits were really cool and my daughter seemed to have a good time.
My kids are STILL talking about this place, a year later. That's how much fun they had here. It's a great place to interact with your kids and have fun.
An inepensive way to watch your kids' faces light up for a few hours as they play in the very real store or take a ride in Max's boat! (Yes, THAT Max.... from "Where the Wild Things Are.") The whole family can join in a game of croquet with the Queen of Hearts or have a tea party with The Mad Hatter.
There's a special farm just for toddlers where they can pick veggies and explore without the older kids knocking them down, a place for building, a REAL BUS, oh.... just GO! You won't regret it!
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Our 4 year old (who has been coming since she was 2) loves it here. What chilkd wouldn't? There is so miuch for kids to do here. It's great! We are members.
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Great idea in concept and it made my kids happy (thus giving this place three rather than two stars), but I did not find anything particularly great about this place. Granted, it is not "overwhelming" which can be a good thing especially for small kids -- but I got the sense that this place felt dated as far as its exhibits were concerned -- that combined with the relatively expensive price of admission just did not make it a "WOW" place for me.
NOTE: I was recently given a hint that you can get free (or perhaps discounted) admission to this place if you FIRST visit the Ben Franklin Museum -- they apparently have free or discounted passes to the Please Touch Museum that can be obtained there.
It will be interesting to see / return to this place when the "new" and improved Please Touch Museum opens up (I think it is supposed to be right next door.) The mock-up that is on the first floor of the current location seems impressive and I think will continue to bring joy to kids of many ages.
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I am looking forward to visiting them in their new locale on first wednesday! For all of 2009, first wednesdays of the month are 2bucks a head for everyone over the age of 2!
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This place is outstanding. My four year old and 1.5 year old both absolutely loved it. We rode the carousel 8 times in a row. We made airplanes, ran on a human hamster wheel, shopped at a kid-sized, very realistic grocery store, played with floam, ran through the train station, read about the history of Philadelphia and saw it in their tiny models of the city. The exhibits are well thought out, utterly creative, hands on, and SO MUCH FUN! Be prepared to stay all day.
This place is five stars of fun if you've got a kid. I don't but my sister's toddler worked just fine. You'll just watch them explore the whole time anyway. Her picks: The Alice in Wonderland exhibit, playing nurse in the hospital and pretending to drive a SEPTA bus. My picks: Checking out all the vintage toys lining the walls in the Space exhibit and riding the refurbished carousel. The drive to Fairmount Park is definitely less convenient than hopping a cab to the old location in Center City but the museum, which now calls Memorial Hall home, is an amazing architectural work.
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Awesome place. As a kid i remember they had a huge bus...and you could drive it! Well not really but you could watch a screen and drive the bus there! It was awesome!
Taking my niece and nephew here is always a good time. Though I will admit...I play with things and get strange looks. But hey...it isn't called the PLEASE TOUCH museum for nothing! SO NO MATTER HOW YOUNG/OLD YOU ARE PLEASE TOUCH!
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Anyone who hasn't visited this place as a young child has been sorely cheated. It's one of the most fun experiences that I think I can recall from not-so-distant childhood. How do I love thee, Please Touch? Let me count the ways. First is the kid-sized grocery store complete with stocked shelves, carts, and check out registers. Then there's the wall of pegs; you stick foam cut-outs up on the pegs. That sounds totally lame, but trust me, it's way fun when you're little. Colors, shapes, you know. There's some kind of donated Septa bus thing where you can get inside & pretend to drive. There's an area with boats & water--it just goes on and on and on. Nothing beats this place for a fun kids outing that entertains the grown ups as well. I'd definitely come here with a cute kid on a weekday to create some memories. Watch out for crowding on the weekends.
*Cutest event ever: Please Touch had a New Year's celebration with a balldrop at 12 noon on NYE.
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Good for the young and only for about 2 hours.
Their namesake is only partially correct. The "touch me" part is definitely true. Think of it as a big romper room for the kids. They run amok and try out everything. It's as if you gave your kids a can of red bull. They run from area to area and play their hearts out. Its also the reason the second half of the name is bogus. There is nothing "museum" about this place. It is not educational or instructional. There are some references to classic children's stories such as Alice in Wonderland and others but that's it. But in all honesty, I don't think the kids care.
The problem I had with the place is what others have already mentioned. They have not renovated, expanded or changed the place for over 5 years. Because of that, the playthings are somewhat worn and the carpeting/toys are not the cleanest. The size also limits how long your kids will be interested. Two hours max. After that, you start to hear the "what can I do now" mantra. Also, if you go when it's busy, be prepared for kids chaos. It's like Lord of the Flies competitive. The last is the price. $11 for kids and adults alike is hefty, especially if you're there for about 2 hours. But then again, it is the price of a movie. Probably won't be back for another 5 years but I'm not worried, it'll still be the same.
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The Please Touch Museum has moved out to the remodeled and gorgeous Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park. It is now a destination spot with activities for all ages up to about 12 years old. It is truly amazing. It has a cafeteria, a carousel, huge party rooms and a small store, as well as plenty of parking (park outside the gate on the street for free parking.) There are multiple floors and very cool physical activities like boat rowing and a kid-size hamster wheel, as well as numerous other nooks and crannies to explore. You MUST go and see the new space, and take your out-of-town guests. People will come to Philly just to visit the new Please Touch Museum, like the Aquarium in Baltimore. It really is that amazing.
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FIVE STARS? Have you people never been to a children's museum outside of Philly? This has to be the worst children's museum ever! It's dirty, dark, and grimey inside. When was the last time they brought in something new? I know they are moving, so hopefully that will bring in some new exhibits. But come on....$11 to play with some boxes of cereal?
The only thing that is good here is the dodo bird in the "Alice in Wonderland" area that looks like a giant penis.
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Spectacular in its new home in Fairmount Park. Great for young children. Interactive play and even some learning concepts. Staff is extremely friendly.
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so much fun! even for adults. i want to go back without my neice and nephew, honestly. i stayed in the Alice in Wonderland section mostly, but there's about 10000 other things for kids to get into. my family stayed for about 5 hours and still didn't get to play on everything. the mini construction site was their favorite. seriously, such a great place to take your kids or kids you're babysitting, etc. all the kids there seemed so happy and entertained. i didn't notice one brat crying other than my nephew haha
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I miss this place greatly. I'm not sure if they still do it but due to the demand of little brats, they started a ticket system which meant the snobs that live over there (ahem) used it as a daycare.
Other than the annoying parents I remember, that place is heaven for little imaginations.
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Ah, I remember the Please Touch from my kiddie days. In particular, I remember the kid-sized grocery store. Do they still have that? It's great for kids to get to go to a museum at which they are encouraged to touch, to interact and to play. Where else are you going to get that? I was sorely disappointed when I went to the Rodin and wasn't allowed to cop a feel on the sculptures.
If I had kids, I'd definitely take them here.
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Many many fond childhood memories at the museum. Definitely kid-friendly don't miss it if you're in town!
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