Please Touch Museum

This weekend we took the girls to the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. I had heard wonderful things about it and had one free admission. It is a really neat place in more ways than one. Not only was it neat in the sense that it has everything you could imagine for a child to explore, it was also very neat and clean which makes me very happy! Especially headed into Swine Flu season!

It is a beautiful structure as well. Andy should really be writing this blog entry because I'm sure he knows the history of the building and some information about the museum itself that I don't know but I'll do the best I can!

Isn't it gorgeous? Here is a bit of history...

"Memorial Hall, constructed to be the Art Gallery of the 1876 Centennial Exhibition and first home to the renowned Philadelphia Museum of Art, is the new home of Please Touch Museum, the nation’s first museum for children ages seven and under. Please Touch is a hands-on "first museum experience" for kids, with child-friendly exhibits that are both educational and fun. The museum has embraced the challenge of creating a contemporary children’s museum in a building that embodies the spirit of the Victorian age. The new museum offers 38,000 square feet of brand-new exhibits, the restored century-old Woodside Park Dentzel Carousel, on-site parking and a family-friendly restaurant."

There was so much to see and do. When you first enter it's overwhelming with sights and sounds. Lilly was running erratically from one thing to the next but eventually she settled into the museum and all it had to offer. I felt the same way as the first thing we saw and heard when we walked in was a fabulous Spanish dance going on in the center of the building.

I loved the huge FAO Shwartz piano. I'm pretty sure I loved it more than Lilly did.

The carousel is beautiful. There is an amazing history to the carousel. It once belonged to the Smithsonian and dates back to 1909. If you have a few minutes to spare I encourage you to read the brief story of the Dentzel Carousel. It will really warm your heart. Lilly loved it. We bought a ticket for Lilly and Ella but ended up letting Lilly ride twice. Ella was thrilled with her cheerios and yogurt in her stroller.

There is so much for the children to do at the museum. It's huge. We didn't even cover it all and will surely return another time. A portion of the downstairs took us into Alice and Wonderland...

"Leave the real world behind and explore the wonder of your imagination! Descend down the Rabbit Hole to enter the topsy-turvy world of Wonderland"

Wonderland features:

• Hall of Doors & Mirrors
• Maze
• Dutchess’ Kitchen
• Pool of Tears
• Mad Hatters Tea Party
• Fairy Tale Garden (toddler area)
  Lilly played some unique instruments.
  

Downstairs there is an area that mimics the city. It is called City Capers. Here is the description:

"Calling all little architects, city planners, shopkeepers, and medical professionals! In City Capers kids get a realistic peek onto an urban streetscape and discover the people, businesses and neighborhoods that make city life so dynamic!

City Capers features:

• Supermarket/Kitchen
• Medical Center
• Busy Build Construction
• Pats Shoe Store
• Captain Noah
• Front Step (toddler area)
  
  How often can you be a cashier at McDonald's and a doctor at CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) all at the same time?
  

Ella enjoyed the toddler area where she could crawl, walk, and play with toys.

Sitting on a subway bench waiting for our train.

Lilly made an "L" with blocks in the Centennial Exploration room.

We had a wonderful time (with the exception of leaving the diapers in the pool bag with Ella promptly pooping when we arrived and needing to "borrow" a diaper from a stranger) and I look forward to returning.

I feel blessed that we live so close to a city rich in history. It is my goal to continue to expose the girls (and myself) to all Philadelphia has to offer. It really is an amazing city.