Things to do / Travel Guide
Eastern Pennsylvania is a popular region for family vacation activities, such as sports or camping, and for family road trips and sightseeing. Many of the historical sites in this region will likely be familiar to kids from their history studies. Many attractions and sites are especially geared for kids, and are both educational and fun. And for just plain fun, there are several theme parks and factory tours with familiar names like Hershey Chocolate, Crayola, and Daniel Boone.
Philadelphia Family Vacation Spots
Philadelphia offers museums and hands-on displays especially designed for young visitors, and most historical sites offer special narrative audio guides for students. Education and fun go hand-in-hand at the Fels Planetarium where the kids can enjoy great a space show, and where the whole family can relax for a while.
If you and your children are into creepy, scary attractions, take the tour of the Eastern Pennsylvania Penitentiary (on the corner of 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue), a now-unused prison, which is turned into a haunted house on Halloween, but is plenty scary at any time of the year. Al Capone and bank robber Willie Sutton both spent hard time at this penitentiary.
Pennsylvania Family Vacation Ideas
Kennett Square - If you will be visiting one of the many botanical gardens, and are traveling with children, choose Longwood Gardens. It has a maze and special children's garden and amazing fountains.
Other great ideas for places in the eastern Pennsylvania region to take your children are the Crayola Factory, in Easton, and Sesame Place, just 30 minutes north of Philadelphia, in Langhorne.
Hershey Family Vacation Ideas
Hershey - Hershey's Great American Chocolate Tour of the Hershey Chocolate Factory is an interactive experience children of all ages will enjoy. Hershey is located outside of Harrisburg, a two-hour drive from Philadelphia. Without food or shopping, visiting the various attractions can run about $25-$50 per person per day, with parking tacking another $15 on to the bill.
If you're already heading out to Hershey, you can add in a “bonus” to your journey by driving there via Pennsylvania Dutch Country if you take Route 30 West to Lancaster and then Route 283 West to Route 743; then North to Hershey. This “scenic route” will likely ensure a more interesting drive for your kids, who are sure to be delighted at the unusual sights of Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
Family Vacation Ideas in Philadelphia, Lancaster, the Poconos, Eastern Pennsylvania
Family-Vacation-Ideas
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