PLEASE TOUCH MUSEUM

Please Touch Museum
210 North 21^st Street
(215)963-0667
Tickets: $8.95; children under one year admitted free
Hours:
 July 1^st through Labor Day:  daily, 9:00am-6:00pm
Otherwise: daily, 9:00am-4:30pm
Closed: Thanksgiving, Christmas &
 New Year’s Day

The Please Touch Museum is one of those places that speaks for itself.  It’s kid-oriented, fun-filled, and one hundred percent interactive.  The Please Touch Museum is a terrific place to bring the young ones while visiting the Philadelphia area, mainly due to how skillfully education and entertainment has been blended into an experience that can be appreciated by everyone, regardless of age.

Interactivity is the name of the game at Please Touch, with a number of wonderful, themed exhibits to explore.  Start with “Move It!”, which teaches kids about transportation and giving them the opportunity to drive, fly, and navigate.  This is brilliant, because what child doesn’t fantasize about being given the keys to your car?  Next up is “Studio PTM,” a virtual television studio from which your little Dan Rather or Barbara Walters can put together sound effects and step in front of the camera for their fifteen minutes of fame.  “Supermarket Science” gives visitors a chance to shop in a store and then prepare their purchases for your consumption.  The early cultivation of food skills will be very exciting for both parents and their children, and will come in handy once they go off to college.  “Barnyard Babies” is a farm-themed exhibit which introduces the principles of resource management and things of that nature, while “Kid’s Creations” is a gallery displaying works of art from other children which are surprisingly very impressive.  As you can see, there is a wealth of learning and enjoyment to be had at the Please Touch Museum.

One of the more engaging exhibits at the Please Touch Museum is  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.   This landmark display, which brings Lewis Carroll’s masterpiece to life, sets up a series of puzzles and riddles for your child to piece together as he or she assumes the role of an alienated child in a magical world.

Located in the museum district, a visit to the Please Touch Museum can easily be combined with a day at the nearby Franklin Institute or Academy of Natural Sciences.  Fun for kids and adults alike, don’t miss out.