Please Touch Museum
*EXTRA: PTM on NYE: headache or a must do?
Memorial Hall, Fairmount Park 4231 Ave. of the Republic Drive Philadelphia, Pa 19131 (215)581-3181 visit website> NEW SEASONAL HOURS (2012):|
New Hours Of Operation
April to September: Monday – Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve: 9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. New Year’s Day: 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The Museum will be closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Enjoy an Extra Hour of Play!
Please Touch Museum will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. onTuesday November 6, 2012 for Election Day and Monday, November 12, 2012 for Veterans Day.
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I am lucky enough to be apart of the generation that gets to take advantage of the Please Touch Museum’s 2.0 upgrade. They moved out of the city and into Fairmount Park (down the street from the Philadelphia Zoo). New location and a ton more to do make this the a prime time Hipster Henry hangout.
My mom said Memorial Hall, the new home of the Please Touch Museum, is the last remaining building from 1876 World’s Fair. History lesson over and lets move on to the good stuff. Sure this building is what the grown ups call spectacular but I am all about the action. Are you a “water baby?” Hit the River Adventures off to the right. Float some boats and rubber duckies and learn about weather. Be sure to toss on the aprons they have their because you are sure to get a little wet.
There is a ton to do here but lets focus on the four busiest sections:
Roadside Attractions: Build a car, give a tune up and jump on a SEPTA bus.
Alice in Wonderland: Take a trip down the rabbit hole, hit up a tea party and conqure the Queen of Hearts garden maze.
Construction Zone: Channel your inner tough guy and move those cement bricks (I am surprisingly strong in this section) from the dump truck to the build the building. Don’t worry there will be plenty of help!
Supermarket: Just like the one your parents go to but our size. This is a go to for all the kids so be sure to check this one out early while the shelves are still stocked with all the good stuff. The pictures are blurry because the kids never stop moving.
The Please Touch Museum is apart of the “West Philadelphia Kid’s Trifecta” (Philadelphia Zoo, Please Touch Museum, Smith House). This place is great and for the locals one of the best family memberships they will invest in all year. The descriptions of each section are filled with fluff and a little deceiving but each section is packed with stuff to do and is great. A few years ago the Please Touch Museum moved out of the city and into Fairmount Park. You will need a car to get there. The Please Touch Museum Grounds are beautiful and safe. The surrounding neighborhood however is not and it is not a place to venture into.
NEGATIVES
This place is very, very popular and gets busy. The check in process is really slow so unless you go first thing be prepared to wait in line. Unfortunetly a lot of parents do not keep a close eye on their older children and they are often in areas they don’t belong and kinda bulldoze the little kids.
HOURS
Monday – Saturday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
CLOSED: Thanksgiving and Christmas Days
Open New Year’s Day 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
DIRECTIONS
From Center City
- 76 West to Montgomery Drive Exit (#341)
- Turn left at the light onto Montgomery Drive
- Continue on Montgomery to Belmont Avenue
- Make a left onto Belmont Avenue
- Follow Belmont Avenue to Avenue of the Republic
- Make a left onto Avenue of the Republic
- Follow for a short distance – Memorial Hall is on the left
LUNCH
The food at Please Touch Museum is the same as most places: pizza, burgers and a large amount of junk food. If you have the time and the weather is great. Pack a blanket and eat outside. You will be glad you skipped the overcrowded lunch room which gets busy around 12:00 pm.
PARKING
Let’s start saving money before we even get in the door. There is a lot which cost about $8.00 for non-members. The deal is there is tons of free parking right in front of the museum. Try there before pulling into the lot.
COST
Admission: Buy Tickets
- under age of one: Free
- Children & Adults $15 / each
- Group Discounts for 15 or more people
- Do you have a reciprocal ACM Membership?
If you have an 
on your membership card from another children’s museum you will receive 4 free admissions to Please Touch Museum. For more information on the ACM reciprocal program visit.http://www.childrensmuseums.org/visit/reciprocal.htm#acmreciprocalprogramparticipants
* Free parking is not included as part of this program.
Extra Cost:
The carousel will cost you extra but you only have to pay for children over one years old. They often forget to tell you that you don’t have to buy one for adults. So don’t get fooled by that. 
As a local I am so thrilled to come across your site! I’ve been wanting to check out Please Touch but wasn’t sure if my 16 month old would get enough out of it yet. What age range do you recommend?
Hi Sarah.
I think as soon as kids can walk they are ready for the PTM. Since even I can get a little overwhelmed there at times it is good to know there are areas for kids under five in almost every section. Right off the water station there is a pond themed one, down stairs there is a storybook section and when you really need a break from it all go to the craft room which is on the main floor. There you will find a daily craft with tables of play-doh, and two separate rug section for playing with toys. This room is usually never crowded because most parents walk in and when they don’t see anything with flashing lights or that makes noise they walk out. I call it the mommy break room.
Thank you for the nice comments about the site. We have a lot of adventures to go on and write about but we are getting there.
xo
H.H.
Hi, I thought I’d mention that for the ACM, if you have a Garden State Discovery membership, you are only allowed two entrances to the Please Touch Museum, not four. They changed it recently. Oh, how I wish I had 4 free admissions! At least, two is better than nothing.
Hi Annie. I am really glad you brought that up b/c I actually thought that the reciprocity program between Garden State Discovery Museum and PTM no longer existed. I am going to ping their Facebook and find out. It is worth mentioning that on the first Wednesday of every month the PTM runs a deal where from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. the admission is about $2.00. I go into more detail on the blog. here is the link: http://www.hipsterhenry.com/2012/02/please-touch-museum-1st-wednesday-of-the-month/
Thanks for the tip about the PTM $2.00 deal, but I live in southern NJ and feel nervous driving into Philadelphia alone with my kids in the evening.
I do have a Garden State Discovery membership wherein the staff advised me about the reciprocal membership to PTM being reduced to 2 istead of 4. The change was made last November.
I can confirm that the PTM Association of Children’s Museum includes 2 free admission to Garden State Discovery Museum again, I was at PTM last week and they provided me with an updated brochure. Delaware Children’s Museum is till not included though. I think the complete list is at http://www.childrensmuseums.org
Thank you!!!
If you have a phila free library card, certain locations like the main one give out passes for four for free in the children’s dept.
Great Tip Fran…on The Please Touch Museum. Thank you!
any idea if ptm is stroller friendy?? hoping to go tomorrow with my 3 and 1/2 year old and my 8 month old.
PTM is 100% Stroller friendly!