I need help trying to find something to do in Philly. My family, (43 year old parents, 18 year old sister, myself at 16, and my brother at 14), are going on vacation in June and are visiting NYC then Philly. We already plan to visit the "Italian" section of Philly and Independence Hall, but we are completely clueless as to what to do the rest of the the stay. We plan to be there a total of 2-3 days. I would appreciate any help.

im sure in new york you will be running about catching all the sights...so may i suggest in philly..you take a different approach?
slowly take in the historical sights...learning what you can of the birth of our nation..of our roots....and then sit around eating cheesesteaks and hoagies and water ices and all the other great philly food wonders and enjoy your family From your ages..it doesnt sound like you will all be together that much longer.
- a philadelphian

You may want to go out to the Uninversity of Pennsylvania just West of downtown and wander around the campus. Its a fun neighborhood with some neat restaurants. You would all enjoy the zoo in Fairmount Park. Go to South Street for some funky (in my 40 yo language) shops and cheese steaks at Jims. There is a great mall in King of Prussia 1/2 hour from Phillie. Check to see if the Phillies are playing while you are in town. Go to the art museum, one of the best in the country.

There is so much to do in Philadelphia. In addition to the historic sites don't miss the unique neighborhoods (Rittenhouise Sqaure, Society Hill, Old City, etc.) I would suggest taking the trolley tour to get a good overview. The tours start at Independence Park at 5th and Market.

http://www.phillytour.com/

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is excellent. It ranks closely with the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. If you are into seeing pathology specimens and other medical and dental instruments, the Mutter Museum is great.
Science museums that I would recommend are the Franklin Institute and the Academy of Natural Sciences.

There are many good restaurants in Rittenhouse Sqaure, Avenue of the Arts, and Old City. If you provide an idea of the types of food that you like, I coiuld offer some suggestions.

While you are in the Italian section of town, don't miss the Italian Market.

http://www.phillyitalianmarket.com/

Also check out www.gophila.com for more information.

There was just an article yesterday on Phila. sandwich eating in the NY Times. You have to register, but it's free and permanent. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/28/dining/28PHIL.html .

Wander around Riitenhouse Square section of city. Walk around Old City- have a great meal! Go outside of city to Manayunk (10 minute drive)- and walk around Main Street, have brunch at Le Bus, check out funky shops. Go out to King of Prussia Mall for an incredible shopping trip. Take off for Longwood Gardens- very neat place to go. Take hour drive to Atlantic City, spend some time on beach, walk around boardwalk.

Check out the NY Times Wednesday 5/28 for the article on Hoagies etc in Philly.

If you get in touch with your congressman, they will set up a tour of the US Mint for your family. They have just recently re-opened the Mint for tours, but the catch is you have to have a background check before they will let you in. You have to give your congressman your social security numbers and your date of births. It's a great tour though. Not to be missed.

Also, the Science Museum (Franklin Institute) is interesting. They have some interactive exhibits with virtual reality sports that are really fun. The IMAX Theater in the museum is also really nice.

Philadelphia is definitely a restaurant city! What kind of food does your family enjoy? Many people on this board will give suggestions.

Another option is heading to Dorney Park or further out to Hershey Park to experience a theme park. Both parks are a lot of fun.