Philadelphia is a big, buzzy city with plenty of cultural offerings and fantastic food (and wine for parents!). It’s also a perfect weekend getaway for festive winter holiday fun.
Philly’s fantastic museums wow even the most museum wary kids without the crowds. Kids can check out everything from art, to science and walking in Benjamin Franklin’s footsteps. Plus, holiday shows and festivals abound and even spill over into parks and shops.
Ice skating rinks, carousels, The Nutcracker and Christmas light shows make Philly a family-friendly stay full of the magic of the season. Here’s what you can’t miss this season.
LOVE Park
No visit to Philadelphia is over until you’ve visited LOVE Park, and winter is no exception. A German-style Christmas village at JFK Plaza keeps things festive. Kids will love wandering through more than 80 wooden booths and browing the handmade toys, drinks and snacks (November 22 – December 23).
Museums
A visit to Philly isn’t complete without checking out the Barnes Foundation. This was the first time ever, we had to drag my son, Jack, away from a museum, instead of him begging us to leave. Jack fell in love with the Barnes’ stunning collection worth an eye boggling $25 billion – 181 Renoirs, 69 Cezannes, 59 Matisses, 46 Picassos, 16 Modiglianis, 7 Van Goghs and more. Plus they offer great kids’ programs to learn about and identify the art.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art, nearby, has the added kid bonus of the “Rocky Steps” where they can run up the steps and let off some steam. Visiting the statue, originally created for a scene in Rocky 111, running up the steps and taking a picture at the top, arms raised in victory is a must for families.
One block from the Liberty Bell, the National Museum of American Jewish History tells the 360-year history of Jews in America with engaging exhibitions and artifacts. Head there soon to see the exhibit on cartoonist Rube Goldberg (through January 13).
Of course, no trip to Philadelphia is complete without a stop at Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was adopted and the US Constitution was debated, drafted and signed. The iconic landmark will wow kids and offers and opportunity to show give them a history lesson in a hands-on way.
Reading Terminal Market
Eat your way through the Reading Terminal Market, loved by foodies, for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s a spectacular mix of fresh produce, cheeses, meats, fresh juices, chocolates, ice cream and spices. It’s also home to several restaurants, as well as beautiful stores perfect for finding holiday gifts for everyone on your list. For little ones, the holiday train show is a must.
Macy’s
Go to Macy’s early to avoid the crowds and head to the third floor for a show that celebrates a 60-year tradition of sugarplum fairies, dancing snowmen and a 100,000 light show narrated by Julie Andrews. Or stay street level for the spectacular holiday windows with dancing squirrels and winter scenes.
For a bird’s-eye view of City Hall, the Ben Franklin Bridge and the rest of Philadelphia, One Liberty Observation Deck is great for taking in the city’s stunning skyline. Located 57 floors up, it stays open even in the snow. For the holidays, the platform has special visits from the sugar plum fairy and The Grinch (November 20 – January 1).
The Franklin Institute
For science lovers of all ages, The Franklin Institute (named after the great inventor) lets families dive into immersive experiences you won’t find anywhere else including live dissections of a cow’s eye, a brain freeze cart with learning opportunities on the science of optical illusions and a Life in Space Show to discover what life is like for an astronaut working and living in Earth’s orbit.
The Ritz Carlton
Splurge and stay at The Ritz Carlton, Philadelphia, that is just a hop and a skip and a candy cane crunching walk to the most spectacular winter markets. Even if you don’t stay here, it’s worth a visit. Kids will love the taking in the soaring ceilings of this former bank turned hotel, and the daily complimentary treats (pretzels and apple cider, or yummy muffins and hot chocolate) are great for snacks after touring. Its restaurant Aqimero, serving Latin-inspired meals is stunning. The Ritz is also dog-friendly and pampers the pets with a special bed and toys.
City Hall
City Hall, in the heart of the city center, gets decked out with decorations and lights and is spectacular for holiday fun. Its nightly Deck the Hall Light Show at Dilworth Park (November 19 – January 1), has an ice skating rink and cabin with skate rentals and a café to grab hot cocoas. The city’s Made In Philadelphia Holiday market (November 17 – January 1) at 15th and Market Streets has great holiday gifts, unique to Philly. We even found special homemade Christmas ornament shaped biscuit treats for our dog, Ruby.
Big Bus Double Decker Tours
These are a no brainer. Big Bus offers hop on, hop off tours with expert local guides that give kids a layout of the city to more than 100 sites and with 27 stops, near all the museums and hotels. Cruising around Philly in a London-style double decker bus is much more fun than jumping in and out of Uber, and kids can sit on their own, up top on the open-air (but covered) deck to take it all in. We did a 2 day pass and used it to the fullest. Kids get their own map and can mark off destinations they visit. It’s also a great way to let kids get in on the vacation planning by having them weigh in on where to get on and off if they see something they like (like one of the many winter festivals all through Philadelphia).
Sushi
While world-famous for their cheesesteaks, if you’re looking for something more upscale where you can savor incredibly fresh and delicious sushi (and where mom and dad can sip a martini) head to Ocean Prime. In spite of being dimly lit, it has a very relaxed and family-friendly vibe. Go for an early dinner and be sure to order the shrimp cocktail that comes “smoking” surrounded by dry ice so it looks like a bubbling mini cauldron. Jack also loved the dynamite rolls with tempura shrimp, spicy mayo and sesame seeds and declared it the coolest restaurant he has ever been to. Parenting win!
Donuts
Nothing tastes on a cold day than a warm donut. The hardest choice is which variety to eat first. Federal Donuts were our favorite and they have a few locations where they dish up fresh donuts in fun flavors like cookies and cream and strawberry lavender. At theReading Terminal Market, jump in line for Beilers Donuts, where kids can choose from more than 50 different flavors at $10 a dozen, including banana crème, apple friters, maple bacon and peanut butter jelly.
Fireman’s Hall Museum
Want-to-be future emergency responders will love the Fireman’s Hall Museum, a restored 1902 firehouse, where they can see some of the nation’s earliest firefighting equipment including hand, steam and motor fire engines. And, they can try on fire coats and boots, and man a bucket brigade to get the full fireman experience.
By Julie Earle-Levine