Kidsylvania: Philadelphia

In a city known for impressive museums for grown-ups, Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia offers something a little different - a kid-friendly environment. Around here, it's not only okay if kids touch and interact with the exhibits, it's encouraged. Everything is designed with kids under seven in mind. Kids can make their way down the rabbit hole in the Wonderland exhibit, solving riddles and experimenting with optical illusions along the way. After they've finished their rounds at the Children's Hospital medical center, swing by the City Capers grocery store to pick up a few things before heading off to the Rainforest. Yes, you read that right.

The Rainforest Rhythm exhibit gives kids the chance to become tropical musicians with conga drums and jungle animals all around. But the only passport they'll need for this trip is their imagination. Looking for something a bit more out of this world? The Flight Fantasy exhibit lets kids act as mission control and even create their own rockets and explore distant planets as an astronaut in the Space Station exhibit.

And no trip to Please Touch Museum is complete without a ride (or several) on the Dentzel Carousel. The historic carousel was created in 1908 and now resides in its own 9,000 square-foot pavilion on the east side of Memorial Hall.

Philly is a town of firsts, and the Philadelphia Zoo is no exception. Just minutes from the Please Touch Museum, it's the first zoo in America, and has grown to the point of welcoming 1.1 million visitors a year. Get up close and personal with lions, tigers, jaguars, pumas and leopards at it's newest exhibit, Bank of America Big Cat Falls. Or soar 400 feet above the city on the Channel 6 Zoo Balloon. There's even a petting zoo for the kids as well as pony rides. Around here, there's a full day's worth of wildlife to enjoy, and your kids will get a kick out of every second. Gorillas, polar bears and giant river otters - oh my!

You can spend years reading about the birth of our country, or you can spend a day reliving it. Step foot inside the Assembly Room in Independence Hall where the likes of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin once met, and where the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. Tour the Liberty Bell Center and Museum, where you can read all about its history and importance to our nation, and take advantage of a great photo opportunity. Just a block away, see where the Stars and Stripes first came to be at the Betsy Ross House. Be sure to say hello to Betsy while you're there as she shares a story or two about what it was like to live in Colonial times.

The next step on your tour through early America should be the National Constitution Center. Learn all about our great nation as part of the Center's core exhibit, The Story of We the People. Telling the story of the Constitution, its history and its relevance today through more than 100 multimedia exhibits, it helps everyone remember exactly how this nation came to be. With interactive exhibits aplenty to entertain and educate, kids will be having so much fun that they won't even realize how much they're learning. Hey, we won't tell if you won't. 

After packing more than 230 years of America into a single day, treat yourself to an afternoon in Franklin Square. Put your skills to the test in the Philadelphia-themed, 18-hole mini golf course - complete with icons like Independence Hall (hey, that looks familiar) and the Ben Franklin Bridge. After you take a spin on the Liberty Carousel, order up at the world famous Square Burger. Mini golf, carousels, tasty burgers, playgrounds - Franklin Square is a family pleaser of the highest order.

Explore nature in the Children's Discovery Garden, where your kids can hike the garden's winding pathways, scale the "mountain" and enjoy the view atop this new park designed to provide a getaway to Center City. Or discover the joys of sailing in the boat pond where kids can rent a model boat or bring their own to navigate the high seas. After the hiking and nautical adventure, grab a quick lunch at the Milk & Honey Cafe, which features signature Philadelphia brands including Bassets ice cream and BT brownies.

Featuring thousands of rare and lovely plants, some of Philadelphia's oldest, rarest and largest trees live in Morris Arboretum. Just outside the city, this 92-acre Victorian garden of winding paths, streams, flowers and garden areas is the perfect retreat from the hustle and bustle of downtown Philly. So on your way out of the City of Brotherly Love, swing by and go Out on a Limb with the Morris Arboretum Tree Adventure. This new 450-foot walkway is 50 feet above ground, and gives your kids a look into a giant bird's nest and a chance to crawl across the Squirrel Scramble's rope netting connecting two towering trees. Meanwhile, you'll have a chance to take in a view of nature from a truly unique perspective.