We live on the edge of Pennsylvania and have been exploring with our kids for over a decade. These are our favorite family attractions in Southeast PA by region.
Philadelphia and Surrounding Areas
The Franklin Museum is our favorite attraction in Philly – it is an awesome (and also quite large) museum with rotating special exhibits, an actual train to climb and run around in, a giant model heart/play area, a huge climbable spider web, and even an area where you can get a nice little electric shock – a huge hit with my children. Kids are weird. You can easily spend a whole day there, going from exhibit to exhibit. You can also stop at the fountains in Logan Square outside the museum for a photo op.
About 30 minutes from Philadelphia is Linvilla Orchard, in Media, PA. We visit in the fall to get our pumpkins, but it has something going on in every season, including barnyard animals to pet (they even have some tame deer you can visit – not pet), playgrounds, pick-your-own fruits and veggies, a beer garden, and more. It’s fun and yummy no matter what’s in season.
Not far from there is Ridley Creek State Park, which 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.
Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA is one of the top botanical gardens in the country and is absolutely impressive any time of year. It is family friendly (but not dog friendly). The grounds are beautiful and the indoor conservatory is incredible. The holiday lights are magical, but it does get crowded, so look on the website regarding reservations. In addition to a huge variety of gorgeous flowers, there are tree houses, a tower, Italian water gardens, an indoor grotto, a children’s garden in the conservatory, and two sets of fountains where you can hear music and watch the water dance along.
Finally, Valley Forge National Historic Park is absolutely worth visiting. Set among small rolling hills, meadows and woods, it 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. The park is entirely free.
Dutch Country
One of the main attractions in this region is the city of Lancaster – if you drive through the surrounding countryside, you’re sure to see Amish buggies making their way along the shoulders of the road, and likely you’ll see some Amish folks out and about on their farms. You’ll find them selling quality, handmade furniture and other goods, as well as delicious, Pennsylvania-Dutch style food (think German-inspired, homemade, farm-fresh dishes).
If you’re interested in learning more about their lifestyle, you can visit the Amish House and Farm and take a tour, as well as visit the animals on your own. Your children may be fascinated by this community living (by choice!) free of electricity for the most part (yes, that includes YouTube and gaming).
Another classic Lancaster attraction for families is Dutch Wonderland, where you’ll find tons of rides geared toward the younger set, along with shows and a water park. It’s a blast!
There are some very lovely nature preserves and overlooks in Lancaster county, along the Susquehanna River. Here you can find Susquehannock State Park and Pinnacle Overlook. The view at Pinnacle is right at the edge of the parking lot, and it’s beautiful. There are trails at either end you can take, as well as a few picnic tables and a clean portable restroom. You can also hike to Mill Creek Falls near Holtwood Dam on the other side of the river.
The PA capitol building, not far away in Harrisburg, is one of the most impressive capital buildings in the country, both on the inside and outside. The architecture is stunning and even young children will enjoy it. You can walk around on your own, but if you join a tour it’s only about 30 minutes, so not too long for little ones.
Finally, the Turkey Hill Experience is great for all ages. There are three different ticket types to choose from – the museum alone, the museum plus the ice cream taste lab and the museum plus the taste lab and the ice tea experience. The ice cream lab takes about 45 minutes – they guide you through the process of flavoring and adding in toppings and syrups. Of course, you can taste test spoonfuls of your ice cream with the different flavors, which was my personal favorite part. You can spend at least an hour or so in the museum. There are lots of interactive things to do, including slides, touchscreen activities, short videos, mechanical cow milking and you can even record your own turkey hill commercial for your own invented flavor. Plus, free samples galore!
The Lehigh Valley
Going a bit further north, you will come to Allentown, and the surrounding area, which is mountainous and lovely. We enjoyed the resort at Bear Creek Mountain, where there is skiing of course, and also snowtubing.
In the summer time, the Allentown Rose Garden is a really pretty little park (very photo-friendly), and about 40 minutes east of Allentown you can visit a lesser known, but really cool attraction called Ringing Rocks Park. Bring a hammer (no, it’s not for anything nefarious), and try hitting the various boulders in the park with it. You will find they produce various musical tones that your kids and you will enjoy hearing.
The town of Bethlehem, PA is known as “The Christmas City,” and it does attract a great deal of tourism around the holidays. On the North side of the Lehigh River, the Moravian Historic District comes to life with twinkling white lights, candles and stars, horse and carriage tours, and stalls where local crafts and treats of all kinds are sold during the Christmas season. This Christmas market is free to enter and sprawls along Main Street and out from the Historic Hotel, Moravian Museum, and Visitor’s Center. On the South side of the river, you’ll find the steel stacks where there is an indoor ice rink and another Christmas market inside – the entrance fee is around $15 per person. There’s another factory repurposed into an art studio nearby – the Banana Factory (free to enter and with ample parking). Our kids enjoyed the sensory room there.
Finally, Hershey Park is a highlight of this area, and for good reason. Only one of our four kids like roller coasters, but we still found more than enough to do. Beyond all the many rides and characters, there is a zoo included with your ticket featuring American animals; a water park that includes a wave pool, lazy river and much more; and a free tour of the chocolate factory that you can visit without a ticket.
