Things to
Do.

Philadelphia with kids

Our full family playbook, Things to Do in Philadelphia with Kids, ranks the attractions actually worth the money. The top three are the Franklin Institute, Smith Memorial Playground (free, and it beats half the paid ones), and the Please Touch Museum. It breaks everything down by age, then handles the free and nearly-free options and the unavoidable parking reality. The short version: the Franklin Institute earns the ticket, Smith Playground punches far above its price, and Please Touch is worth it for the right age — but the real skill is matching the outing to how old your kids actually are, which is exactly what the guide helps you do.

Parks & the outdoors

Philadelphia is greener than its reputation. Beyond the two or three parks every guide names, the city and its edges are threaded with creek trails, riverfront paths, and neighborhood greens that carry daily life more than any single street does. These are the ones locals actually spend time in — from the car-free trails of the Wissahickon to a West Philly park that sets the rhythm of its whole neighborhood — each pulled from the guide of the neighborhood that knows it best:

• Wissahickon Valley Park — miles of car-free trails in Northwest Philly. Our local’s map covers how residents divide the Wiss, when to go, and Devil’s Pool.
• Pennypack Park — not one park but many, threaded by a creek. The guide maps the entrances locals actually use and the quiet corners most visitors miss.
• Clark Park — the green that runs West Philly life more than any street does, from the farmers market to the everyday crowd.
• Fairmount Park — the postcard park, with an honest local read on when and where it’s at its best.
• Bartram’s Garden & John Heinz Refuge — the hidden green spaces in Southwest Philly that most Philadelphians overlook.
• FDR Park — South Philly’s big green space by the stadiums, and one of the everyday landmarks that shape the neighborhood.

Events worth planning around

The best of Philadelphia is often on a date, not a map. Street festivals, neighborhood traditions, game days, and cultural celebrations can turn an ordinary block into the most alive place in the city — or into a place you’d rather avoid if you didn’t know it was coming. Our neighborhood guides track the events locals actually plan around, so here’s where to look before you pick a weekend:

• Germantown — the neighborhood calendar worth planning a visit around.
• Chinatown — cultural festivals and street events across the year.
• Italian Market — the festivals that take over 9th Street, and how to time or escape the crowds.
• Mount Airy — when the neighborhood turns into a festival, plus the rituals locals plan around.
• Elfreth’s Alley — the events that open up Philadelphia’s oldest residential street.
• Manayunk — Main Street’s events and long-running traditions.

History & iconic streets

Philadelphia’s history isn’t only the Liberty Bell and the Independence Hall queue. Some of the best of it is a single street you can walk in an afternoon — a cobblestone alley, a block of antique shops, a row of jewelers, a theater strip — each with its own etiquette and its own best time to go. Our guides tell you how to actually experience them instead of just photographing them:

• Elfreth’s Alley — Philadelphia’s oldest residential street, cobblestones and all, and how to visit without missing the details.
• Antique Row — Pine Street’s antique shops in Wash West, and why weekends beat random weekdays.
• Jewelers Row — the Row, and how to shop it like a local instead of an easy mark.
• Fabric Row — South 4th Street’s historic fabric district, smaller than its reputation but still with a pulse.
• Avenue of the Arts — the South Broad theater circuit that still delivers, if you time it right.

Beyond the city

Part of living well in Philadelphia is knowing when to leave it for a day. The region delivers — the Jersey Shore, the Poconos, the Brandywine Valley, and small cities all within a short drive or train ride. Whether you have a weekend or just an afternoon, these guides map where to go and how to make the most of it:

• Weekend getaways from Philadelphia — top destinations for every kind of traveler.
• A complete guide to day trips from Philadelphia — where to go when you only have a day.
• Day trips with kids — the car-required options from our family guide.

Planning a day in Philadelphia

Two things quietly make or break a Philadelphia outing: timing and parking. Check the calendar first — near the Stadium District an Eagles Sunday or a concert night turns a 15-minute errand into an hour, and the same is true when a neighborhood turns into a festival. Then have a parking plan: garages at the big museums fill fast, so many locals park a little farther out and walk, or skip driving entirely and take SEPTA — the G trolley to the Zoo is the classic example. Build the day around one anchor — a park, a museum, or a historic street — and let the neighborhood around it fill in the rest. That’s how the city actually rewards you. And don’t over-schedule: Philadelphia is compact enough that two well-chosen stops and a good meal in between usually beat a rushed checklist of ten.

Frequently asked questions

When’s the best time to visit the Wissahickon?

Our Wissahickon guide lays out when to go if you want the real thing rather than the crowded version, plus how locals mentally divide the park and Devil’s Pool.

What’s the parking reality for Philly attractions?

Plan for it. Our family guide walks through the options — the Franklin Institute garage fills fast, the Zoo is reachable on the G trolley if you would rather not drive, and Please Touch has a dedicated lot. Check each venue’s current posted rate before you go.

What can you do with kids for free?

More than you’d think. Smith Memorial Playground is free and beats half the paid attractions, and our guide rounds up the other free and nearly-free options that are actually good.

Which iconic street is actually worth it?

Elfreth’s Alley — Philadelphia’s oldest residential street — is the rare landmark that rewards a slow walk, especially if you know what details to look for.

Keep exploring Philadelphia

• Food & dining in Philadelphia — where Philly actually eats, neighborhood by neighborhood.
• Philadelphia neighborhoods — our full set of honest neighborhood guides.
• The Philadelphia local guide — eat, do, and live, in one place.