I'm taking my son & his 4 cousins (all teenagers) to Phily for a week in mid July. What sites do you recommend I be sure not to miss? Also planning to do a day trip to NYC or DC, which is easier to do from Phily - (remember I have 4 teen to keep track of) thanks

NYC is probably closer for you - just hop the amtrak. DC is farther south (I live in that area), and is not a location you can do in just one day. Just curious as to why Phillie? NYC, Baltimore and DC have much more to offer, especially Washington, DC.

I grew up in Baltimore - it is about 1 1/2 hours from Phillie down I-95, and DC is another 45 minutes south of Baltimore.

You could go to Harborplace in Baltimore, then get tickets to the Orioles baseball games at Camden Yards; make sure you go to Little Italy for lunch or dinner.

In Phillie, Independence Hall, Liberty Bell are about the only places I can recommend.

NYC - can't be done in one day.

Joye,

Depends whether you want to take a train or drive. Don't take Amtrak to NYC - it is way too expensive. Take SEPTA (PA Public Transportation) from 30th STreet Station (center city) to Trenton, NJ. Then get NJ Transit train right to NYC. This is significantsly cheaper and just as easy as Amtrak (and almost as quick). Don't let the changing trains part scare you - most people are doing the same thing and the people at the station can answer your questions. It is a small station, so you will not get lost. I think Amtrak is about $80/ticket vs around $25/ticket via public transit. It is safe and easy and most people here do it this way.

DC is easy to get too as well, but you must take Amtrak or rent a car and drive. Traffic in DC is bad. I live in Phila so email me with other questions.

I agree with Ellie, why Phily? There's Freedom Park, Independence Hall, etc. We knock it off in half a day.
The problem with a week in NYC is that you'll spend a great deal of money whatever you do.
The only thing I can imagine doing in Baltimore is going to the National Aquarium.
Unless you've been to DC, that's your best choice. All the attractions belong to you, there is no admission fee for anything. The can spend a couple of days just in the Smithsonian.
You can also go out to the Civil War battlefields, and maybe go to Williamsburg. There is a spare no expense reconstruction of Colonial Williamsburg and a collection of amusement parks.

They have a Liberty Walk in Philly
(they start near 6th + Chestnut st.)
and they go to Independence Hall, visit
Liberty Bell, etc. After dusk, there is
a light show at the same location. It
is fairly impressive.

I live in the DC area, also, and I don't consider Baltimore as having much to do. To me, the Inner Harbor is just a modern mall place with things like souvenir shops and budget restaurants by the same guys who did the South Harbor or whatever in NYC (all these new places look alike), and Camden Yards is just a baseball stadium. The aquarium is good, of course. Baltimore's okay to go out for dining or nightlife if you live in this area, but I'd never tell anyone to plan a vacation there. I wouldn't stay in Philadelphia for a week, though, either (although you may have relatives or some reason for that) although it is a central location for both NYC and DC; if I were you, I'd do both trips. It's not that far at all to DC from there, only about 2 hrs as I recall, and visiting DC is very easy and convenient from Union Station without a car. True, there's lots more to see in DC than one day, but you can still do a couple good things in a day, it's better than another day in Philadelphia, that's for sure (ha, ha). I'm surprised no one mentioned the fine arts, that's really one of the most outstanding qualities about Philadelphia, they have superb art museums. Their Rodin Museum (I think the only one outside Paris, it's definitely the largest collection outside Paris) should definitely be seen if those kids have any interest in art at all, the Barnes Foundation has an outstanding collection of impressionist art, and the Phil. Museum of Arts is one of the largest and best museums in the US. They have an excellent classical music scene, and a seaport/maritime museum that might be interesting for your kids. If you don't like art, it might not be so exciting, or architecture, it's interesting for that reason with a lot of good examples of Federal and older style buildings. They have some very good restaurants downtown, also, but a lot of it is pretty seedy and unremarkable. I think both NY and DC are equally easy, both are short straight train trips from Philly and you can tour both cities easily from the train station. I think some things to do and see are probably closer and more accessible from the station in DC than in NY.

Also to see in Philly is the Art Museum, the Franklin Institute, several beautiful houses of worship, and the Italian Market. Be ABSOLUTELY certain to have a REAL Philly cheese steak as well as a grinder. If you're daring, eat scrapple for breakfast.

I live in Philadelphia and I have to agree with the other posters - why Philadelphia? If you have family here or have to come here for some other reason, then by all means there are fine restaurants and attractions to see. However if you are just planning a summer vacation, definitely go to DC or NYC instead. It will much easier to entertain the kids.

I agree that Phily has great culture, but if your teens are anything like mine, a little culture goes a long way.

If insist on going to Phily try Bookbinders. It's an institution in Phily, nothing high class, but good fresh seafood. I went to the one in downtown. I'm sure there are locals who can tell you which is better -- the one I went to our the original one near the water.

Do not go to Bookbinders, it is the number one tourist trap in Philly! Take your 4 teenagers to Reading Terminal at 12th & Arch Streets, near the convention center. I've never taken a visitor there who didn't love it. It's a huge farmer's market with every type of food stand imaginable. If you go on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, you will have all the Amish merchants and farmers there with their full array of fresh produce, home-made pastries, jellies & jams, barbecued chickens, and much more. There are health-food stands, deli stands, sandwiches, dessert places, cafes, pizza, Asian, Middle Eastern, soul food, used magazines & books, gift shops, kitchen ware, a Mexican cantina, a spice shop you won't believe, and it just goes on and on. You can eat on informal tables right in the middle of the place. If you avoid the hours of 12 noon to 2 pm, you'll avoid the biggest crowds (except Saturdays, when it's always crowded).

Also your teenagers will probably enjoy the Mutter Museum of the College of Physicians around 21st and Chestnut Streets. It is like a medical Ripley's Believe It Or Not, full of oddities and curiosities.

The Franklin Institute is a wonderful museum for all ages. I had my nieces, nephews, and parents there, ages 3 through 73, and all were fascinated. They also have an IMAX theater.

Hope you have a great trip. Feel free to e-mail me privately for more suggestions.

For teenagers, Dave and Busters is good. Lots of virtual reality and arcarde type games. Although they're arcarde type games the neat thing is that many of the games are linked together so that you can race each other eventhough you're on separate games (e.g. motorcycles). The only problem is it can run into big bucks. The shore is a great day trip too. You can be in Ocean City in an hour and a half. Another vote for the Reading Terminal too. Also the Franklin Institute, I enjoy it even as an adult.
Would also agree that a trip to NY is fairly painless via train and changing in Trenton. If you wanted an amusement park you could go to Allentown- Dorney Park/Wildwater Kingdom is probably an hour or less away.