Philadelphia is a fun city with a lot to do, but sometimes it’s nice to escape the hustle and bustle and spend some time outdoors. Here are four fabulous places to explore, each within a 30 minute drive of Philadelphia.
Morris Arboretum and Gardens
This is a beautiful arboretum with exhibits that the whole family will love. You can currently find dinosaurs everywhere (big and small), an awesome tree canopy boardwalk with netting for the kids to jump in, a giant nest, and interesting forest views. There is also a really large outdoor model railroad with tons of fun details to discover – visit before it’s gone! This is only here through the end of September. There are interesting pieces of sculpture art throughout the gardens, a lake with swans, a little plant-covered house with sandboxes for excavating artifacts, an indoor “fernery,” a fairy forest, a beautiful rose garden, and more. Admission is about $20/adult and $10/child.
Ridley Creek State Park
Ridley Creek State Park boasts a stone mansion that is a great place for a photo shoot, or just a cool place to explore with climbing kiddos. It’s also surrounded by many trails and several small playgrounds. The park is home to a colonial plantation that’s open spring, summer and fall. The park is free to enter, but the plantation has an admission fee of about $10/grownup and $6/child. The park is open during daylight hours, but the plantation has limited weekend hours, so check the website before you visit if you want to see the living history.
Valley Forge National Historic Park
Set among small rolling hills, meadows and woods, Valley Forge includes preserved and restored buildings, cannons, redoubts, an excellent museum and beautiful statues and monuments, including the impressive National Arch, commemorating soldiers lost at Valley Forge. You can learn a lot about the revolutionary war here, including the challenges faced by soldiers preparing for war at Valley Forge. The park is entirely free.
Red Bank Battlefield Park
Red Bank Battlefield Park is in Gloucester County, NJ, and only about a 20 minute drive from Philadelphia. Several monuments and signs describe the fort that protected this strategic spot during the Revolutionary War. There are playgrounds, tables, pavilions, grills, and historic gardens and also those cool butterfly steps. There is one historic home, the Whithall House, built in 1748, but it is only open limited hours for tours about once a month. There is plenty of space to play in the grass or on the sandy riverbank, and a platform for viewing birds, ships, planes, and the Philadelphia skyline and shipyard.