Help with Philadelphia/Lancaster visit
 

We are planning a 4 night trip for our family to Pennsylvania. We have 2 kids ages 8 and 5. Please help me with my concerns:

1. For 4 days, will we have time to see the following sights: Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Franklin Institute, Please Touch museum and Reading Terminal in Philadelhpia and still have time to go visit Amish country?

2. If yes, should it be a day trip from Philadelphia or should we consider staying ovenight in Lancaster. How many days to enjoy a Lacnaster visit? We don't mind adding another night if we have to.

3. I was thinking of getting a room at the Hyatt at Penn's Landing. Is this a good location for the sights we want to see?

4. Please critique the sights I planned for Philadelphia. Are they good choices for my kids age group? Can you recommend other places that we should see that would be enjoyable for our family.

Many thanks!

I think so.

The Hyatt is on Penn's landing in the historic section. The Liberty Bell and Independece Hall are next to each other, and about 7 blocks east of your hotel. They can be seen in one day. The Reading Terminal is on 12th (I think!) and is a lovely place for lunch. At least, that's what I always did there.

From what I remember, the two museums can be seen in one day, as long as you make it a long one. Although, you know your 5 year old better than we do!

There is a purple tourist bus that, for a few dollars a day, takes you to all these locations (you pay once and keep your ticket).

If you like art (and have patience kids) try the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Barnes Museum. The latter is outside of town but is fantastic.

If you are a foodie, check out the Italian section south of South Street.

But for kids...the Franklin Institute is the best!

Thanks E_M.! The purple bus is that the Philadelphia Trolley? I read about it. Sound like a good one to take.

When you say 7 blocks, are these big blocks? How would they compare to NYC - would they be Avenue blocks or street blocks? Or approximately how many minutes walk would it be from the hotel? Thanks!!!

Little blocks....street blocks. I don't remember where the hotel is exactly. But, there are 30 blocks between the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers. Broad Street is 14th Street and divides the city. I believe that the total width is 2 miles. (Center City is the part of Philadelphia between the two rivers, in a 2 square mile area.)

Martinan, I think the location of the hotel is OK, but being in Penns Landing, it is separated from the rest of the city by I-95. You can walk to the sights but it is a little far with a 5-year old. I don't know much about these hotels but the Best Western at 2nd & Chestnut and the Omni at 4th & Chestnut would put you much closer to the historical center.

You can spend one day on the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Betsy Ross House and B Franklin's house & museum. The National Consitution Center is right there as well and while your kids might not love that, there is a short movie that is entertaining and the hall of founders is pretty cool. Take the family to Franklin Fountain on the first block of Market Street. It's an old-fasioned ice cream parlor.

Please Touch and Franklin Institute are close together but that is a lot of interactive activity in one day. We've done Please Touch with the Natural History Museum (dinosaurs!) and my kids liked that.

I'd add a day, and drive out to Lancaster and stay overnight. If your kids like trains, there is a train museum in Strasburg and there is an old-fashioned steam train ride too. We've stayed twice at places we found through www.pafarmstay.com My girls loved that, especially in the early summer when there are kittens and other young animals around.

When is your trip?

The Hyatt is at Walnut and South Columbus (on the river). About 0.6 miles from Independence Hall.

A Philly block is about 150 yards.

A Manhattan street block is about 85 yards.

A Manhattan avenue block is about 300 yards.

Yes, I just went measuring them. [On Google Earth, that is. :) ]

I'm afraid that I can't be of much help regarding the amount of time needed to visit your list of tourist sites as I haven't been to Philly recently. However, with children that age, I'm sure that your focus will be level appropriate and that you will limit the length of your stays according to the attention span of your youngest.

That having been said, there are a wealth of activities available in the Lancaster area that would also interest your children. I would suggest scheduling an overnight farm visit where your kids will be able to go out and help with chores..... milk a cow or gather eggs, etc. If you have a railroad buff, the town of Strasburg is located just a few miles southeast of Lancaster and would certainly be worth a visit. The National Toy Train Museum is located there as well as The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and Strasburg Rail Road. Your children might enjoy paying a visit to Thomas the train and they could sleep overnight in a RR car and dine in a caboose. Here's a link to get you started.... http://www.strasburgpa.com/

1. Yes, you'll have time for Amish country
2. Daytrip is enough
3. I personally don't like the Hyatt. It's kind of isolated from the rest of the city by the Interstate. I'd suggest hotels in Rittenhouse Sq.
4. You can consider going to the Philly zoo or the NJ Aquarium in addition to your list.

I would pick a different hotel. As the others say, you end up being somewhat isolated being on Penn's Landing. I would pick something between Independence Hall (6th St) and the Franklin Institute (20th st). Also, given the ages of you kids, consider adding the Academy of Natural Sciences and the Camden Aquarium.

Round trip from Philly to Lancaster is probably 4 hours so you may want to consider staying overnight rather than spend that much time with the kids in the car asking "are we there yet". As an alternative depending on when you're going (ie; if the parks are open) consider going to Hershey Park in Hershey or Dorney Park in Allentown. My sense is that a 5 and an 8 year old would have a blast at either and aren't going to care much about Lancaster at their age.

We live just outside Lancaster, and think the suggestions already made are right on target. It depends a bit on time of year. Stay on a farm in the spring/summer. Arrange a dinner with an Amish family (they do this year round; great way to learn about the Amish, even if the food is nothing to write home about). Visit the trains. When it's not winter, driving 897 and seeing the Amish actually working the fields with the mules is still a delight to me. Try and come so you can visit downtown on a Wed or Sat morning, and see our farmer's market and the rest of the city. There is a nice quilt museum right on the square.Try a visit to Kaufman's store in New Holland. It is run by and caters to Old Order folk. The lights and register are run on gas, not electricity. There is a fascinating variety of goods for sale -- things the "English" world stopped needing decades ago, still available. If you drive aimlessly around east of the city, you'll see fields, roadside stands, animals. Try and avoid staying on Sunday: the roadside stands will be closed, as will all the Amish businesses out of their homes selling quilts, jams, pies and so on.

If you decide to spend the night, try the Fulton Steamboat Inn. Admittedly, it's in the middle of "outlet hell" but it's very cute. Shaped like a steamboat (in honour of Robert Fulton) it has an indoor pool and hot tub, and the food is actually very good. The rooms are quite nice, and it's a convenient location.

Really, try and come for a Saturday!

If you need help finding any of these attractions, I'll try and find the sites for you. I know there is a PA state site that lists farm stays.

Good luck!

Thank you all for your replies. I guess I will try to find a different hotel. I found a good rate with AAA for $195 at the Hyatt. Looked at the Rittenhouse but price was a bit steep at $300+.

We are often in NYC and my 5 year old survives a 20 street block walk so I hope he holds up on this trip as well.:>

We are planning on going in April for Spring break. I will do more research and get back here to seek more help. Thanks everyone!

There is a Holiday Inn (Express?) at 13th and Walnut that is between Rittenhouse Sq and Independence Mall. It is a very gay-friendly neighborhood that houses the famous Woody's Bar and the 247 Club. You're a walk or short cab ride away from everything.

Did you check www.gophila.com for hotel deals?

I would recommend spending a night in Lancaster. See and experience the Amish culture one day, do Hershey Park the other day. The kids will love both.

I am original from Philly and think your selection of visiting the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Franklin Institute(can spend a day here and they have King Tut's exhibit in town a must). The Reading Terminal is more food and shopping - kids might be board.
If history is of interest on your way out of Philly to Lnacaster you could stop at Valley Forge. Not sure if 5 and 8 year old would appreciate.
I have been in living in Lancaster for 29 years and love it . Our son always enjoyed The Strasburg Railroad. Sometimes Thomas the Tank Engine visits there and you can take a ride on it. The railroad train ride is something your children would like. They run trains every day. If you want to avoid the crowds we get on the weekend ,come during the week.Across the street is a train museum with many old engines.
Your 5 year old would love Hands on House. It is a museum for pre-school children with "hands on activities."
Right next door to this museum is the Landis Valley Museum. It has demonstrations and exhibits of farming equipment. They also have special event going on like candle making, at harvest time hay rides etc. These museums and the Strasburg Railroad are located outside the city of Lancaster.
Our East side is where all the tourist are on the weekend. You also would find a visit to the "Amist Farm" on route 30 something your family would enjoy. You tour a home that once was owned by an Amish family.
If you have more time the town of Lititz has the Wilbur Chocolate Factory and Sturgis Pretzels(you actually can make your own pretzel).
We have many lodging facilites. Hotels and bed and breakfast places. The Eden Resort has just undergone renovations and is located between the Strasburg Railroad and the Hands on House Museum.Hope this is helpful in planning your trip.

Martinan,

We live 45 minutes from Lancaster and visit often. I agree about staying overnight at a local farm, unless you come from a rural area already. The other suggestion about staying at the "train hotel" is great for kids. It is called the Red Caboose Motel. Too many people come to Lancaster and never leave busy Rt 30 to see farm country. Interesting shows are held at Sight and Sound. They are Christian themed and the newest show is "In the Beginning". The kids like the shows.

On the Hersheypark idea...it is actually further than Lancaster and is only open 4/6-8 for "Springtime in the Park". ChocolateWorld is open all year but IMO not worth driving about 2 hrs. Sesame Place is much much closer to Philly, but is also a summertime park.

Right now the Franklin Institute has the King Tut exhibit. It would be over the head of the 5y.o. but the 8y.o. might like and one of you could take the 5 year old to the kids section. You need advance resv. for this exhibit. The other ideas were on target although no one mentioned the Philadelphia Mint, to see where coins are made. Have a great time...

I vote for staying the night in Lancaster. It's a lot of driving for one day, though doable. Also, for kids that age, consider Dutch Wonderland instead of Hershey Park.

For the Phila activities, your list under #1 sounds like a great itinerary for the kids.

You can't possibly compare Hershey Park to the very crappy--sorry if I offend, but I call it like I see it--Dutch Wonderland.

Hi, I live in Hershey and go to Lancaster often. My favorite hotel is stay is Willow Valley when I lived in NJ and came to visit It is pretty inside (ask for the Atrium section) and has a nice pool area and scenery outside. Also I found the Red Caboose very cramped and didn't enjoy staying in such small quarters. The Steamboat is nice also. If you stay in Hershey, the Hershey Lodge is the best!! Tour Chocolate World and enjoy their hot fudge sundaes when you finish the ride! It will be a nice relaxing time after visiting Philadelphia!

The Purple bus in Phila. is the Philly Phlash. When are you going. Check out to see if the Once Upon a Nation will be running when you are there. Here's the site:
http://www.onceuponanation.org/html/...use_flash=true

HI, I am following up on my prior post to you. Here are some websites for Lancaster :
tourist info
www.PADUTCHCOUNTRY.com

there phone --1-800-723-8824

Amish farm and House
www.amishfarmandhouse.com

Landis Valley Museum
www.landisvalleymuseum.org

Hands-on house
www.handsonhouse.org

Strasburg Railroad
www.strasburgrailroad.com

Railroad museum
www.rrmuseumpa.org

The RED Caboose motel is not very nice. Last year they had a problem with there water being unsanitary. There was an article in our newspaper about the motel being closed for awhile.
We have many more family sights and activities here in Lancaster. It depends what time of year you visit.
Good luck.

You can get the Latham - a few blocks from Rittenhouse Square for $149/night.

It's very nice.

http://www.lathamhotel.com/

Wow! Thanks for all the information!

Marginal, have you stayed at the Holiday Inn Express? The location and price can't be beat but I'm reading mixed reviews about the hotel. Pls. let me know.

We've been to Hershey Park and stayed at the Lodge. The kids enjoyed that trip. So we thought Philadelphia and Lancaster might be fun for them.

My parents have stayed at the HI Express on Walnut (at 13th) years ago. It's a bit sad-looking.

What's your budget? Have you looked at Residence Inn and Marriott Courtyard?

Martinan,

I live in the neighborhood where Independence Hall and Liberty Bell are located. I'd def. look for a hotel in the Old City neighborhood. Check out the Omni @ 4th & Chestnut, the Best WEstern at 2nd & Chestnut or the Holiday Inn at 4th & ARch. They are all in the Old City neighborhood and it's a great area (may be pricey though). But, speaking of pricey, all of the hotels on Rittenhouse Square will be high and maybe not the best location for you. Staying at the Hyatt would require you and the kids to cross a major/busy highway that I dont think will give you the full experience that you'd get in the Old City neighborhood. Good luck and let me know if you have any more specific questions!

I have a friend from Manhattan who comes to visit me and stays at the Holiday Inn on 13th/Walnut. I have been inside her room and it looked fine to me, just like any other Holiday Inn. The neighborhood is perfectly safe and you are so close to Rittenhouse Sq. and Old City/Society Hill/Italian Section.

If you're going to Lancaster, might as well brush up on the regional lingo:

http://www.blogthings.com/lancaster.html

*I am from Lebanon County, SO much more authentic than Lancaster, with all its kitsch and "nouveau" Dutchies ;-)

I too will be going to Philadelphia in April with two boys 10 and 13. I wanted to book mark this.

Martinan, I will be curious where you end up staying.

Has anyone heard of this hotel:
Club Quarters in Philadelphia
Tech-friendly downtown hotel in historic building
Hotel class

(Rates from $137.33)




In the central business district, this hotel facing Liberty Place and its 70 shops is located 2 blocks from Rittenhouse Square and a half-mile from the convention center.

I would add a day and stay in Lancaster if possible. There is a lot for kids to do. I echo the Hershey park idea. If you are going during warm weather you can also go to Dutch Wonderland. This is a great park for younger children. We stay at the Eden Resort. They recently added some very nice suites. They also have an indoor pool. My son loves to go to the Strasburg railroad which won't take a lot of your time. You can have lunch or dinner on the train to Paradise. (Round trip I believe is about 45 minutes and the farmland is beautiful.)

Martinan,

FYI, I just booked a room at the holiday inn for april 5th - 8th (just so I have something booked while I am looking).

The price was normal $179.00 but with AAA I got it for $115. ( I was surprised).

Hi bgsmnky! That's a really good rate for the Holiday Inn.

Our plans are on hold for now. My DH just told me that he might not be able to take off that week in April as the project their working on has a delayed launching date and it will be that week! Very upset is an understatement of how I feel!! I was so looking forward to seeing Philly.

Please do a trip report when you get back. This trip is definitely happening for our family, the question is the date. Enjoy your vacation!

Martinan,

What did you think of the Hotel Latham - price, location, quality?

When you do go, allow time for the kids to splash around in the big fountain in front of the Franklin Institute (Logan's Square?). They'll love it (and will get wet so plan accordingly) and there are plenty of places for you to sit and rest your weary bones!

Here is a neat thing to do in Lancaster--the National Christmas Center. I believe that it is on Route 30. I saw it on a travel channel, and it seems like a lot of fun. I always see tour buses there when I drive by.

I second the HersheyPark idea with Chocolate World, but there are limited hours in April.

We did this 2 years ago with our four children, 12 - 3. We stayed at the Sheraton Society Hill & it was a great place to stay. Easily able to walk to sites, safe, great location. Also, we felt like we did Philadelphia in 2 days, then we went to Valley Forge, Lancaster County, and up to Gettysburg. My kids would absolutely tell you that Gettysburg was one of their favorite places. We stayed at the Holiday Inn. It was a little above average and inexpensive. Lancaster we saw in an afternoon. Not much for our kids. Gettysburg we saw in half a day; we would have and should have spent the entire day there. In Philly, try the Duck Boats. Our kids loved them! You tour the city and then they go into the river. It was a fun novelty and a different way to tour the city. Good luck! It was one of our favorite trips.