Please Touch Museum / Amtrak

[Anonymous]

If we were to take Amtrak to Philly, how easy is it to get from the Amtrak station to the Please Touch Museum via public transit? Kids would be in a stroller and would need a car seat for an Uber so not an option.

[Anonymous]

Not easy, and Philly public transit is not gonna be fun with kids

[Anonymous]

An annoying schlep since they moved to their new location. It used to be right by the Franklin Institute.

Also, do you know how to use Google Maps?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:An annoying schlep since they moved to their new location. It used to be right by the Franklin Institute.

Also, do you know how to use Google Maps?

No, never heard of it.

[Anonymous]

It's not anywhere near downtown or the Amtrak station.

I am not sure how safe Septa is post Covid (I say this as someone who takes the metro here so I'm not anti public transport).

It's easy to drive and park in Philly, we've been there a bunch of times with kids. It's not like going to NYC and I find it even more manageable than DC (for example Pls Touch has a huge parking lot).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not anywhere near downtown or the Amtrak station.

I am not sure how safe Septa is post Covid (I say this as someone who takes the metro here so I'm not anti public transport).

It's easy to drive and park in Philly, we've been there a bunch of times with kids. It's not like going to NYC and I find it even more manageable than DC (for example Pls Touch has a huge parking lot).

Yeah, we don’t have a problem driving but the toddler wanted to take a train that wasn’t a subway so we figured Philly was a good day trip option. But sounds like this museum isn’t the right activity.

[Anonymous]

Drexel Academy of Natural Sciences is a short walk from Amtrak across the bridge. My toddler loved it and we went back many times during dino mad years before aging up into the frqnklin insititute (very hands on but best for independent walkers.) It basically dinos and dioramas with a small nature center on the top floor and a small dig area open weekends. Maybe not impressive for a kid raised on smithsonian but it was very calm and chill fkr the 2-4 age range.

Please touch is a 5 min cab ride from amtrak (often referred to as 30th st station) and there are always cabs outside the atation. Don’t think philly requires car seats in official cabs. You can take city busses to PT but it would add like 45 min each way. And the museum is located inaide this woodsy park so once you get there it feels quite isolated.

Another option is to take regional rail (more trains! Free with ur amtrak tix, just show them to septa employees at turnstiles) five min down the track from 30th st to jefferson station and go run around independence mall, see liberty bell, independence visitor center has a few hands on activities, go to franklin square with the carousel, washington sq has a nice fountain, eat at reading market, etc, all easy walk from jefferson regional rail station. If the point is to take a day trip to philly on train. There is some construction going on in independence mall though in the coming days so check the schedule for that in case they rope it off, maybe it is just roads that are affected

Philly is quite gritty but it is also very walkable (except PT!!) with lovely squares so that alone is nice, feels a little european city in that regard/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Drexel Academy of Natural Sciences is a short walk from Amtrak across the bridge. My toddler loved it and we went back many times during dino mad years before aging up into the frqnklin insititute (very hands on but best for independent walkers.) It basically dinos and dioramas with a small nature center on the top floor and a small dig area open weekends. Maybe not impressive for a kid raised on smithsonian but it was very calm and chill fkr the 2-4 age range.

Please touch is a 5 min cab ride from amtrak (often referred to as 30th st station) and there are always cabs outside the atation. Don’t think philly requires car seats in official cabs. You can take city busses to PT but it would add like 45 min each way. And the museum is located inaide this woodsy park so once you get there it feels quite isolated.

Another option is to take regional rail (more trains! Free with ur amtrak tix, just show them to septa employees at turnstiles) five min down the track from 30th st to jefferson station and go run around independence mall, see liberty bell, independence visitor center has a few hands on activities, go to franklin square with the carousel, washington sq has a nice fountain, eat at reading market, etc, all easy walk from jefferson regional rail station. If the point is to take a day trip to philly on train. There is some construction going on in independence mall though in the coming days so check the schedule for that in case they rope it off, maybe it is just roads that are affected

Philly is quite gritty but it is also very walkable (except PT!!) with lovely squares so that alone is nice, feels a little european city in that regard/

Construction site alone could be worth the train fare to Philly. 😂 But yes, plenty of things to do there and I appreciate the list!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If we were to take Amtrak to Philly, how easy is it to get from the Amtrak station to the Please Touch Museum via public transit? Kids would be in a stroller and would need a car seat for an Uber so not an option.

When my kid was in a car seat we used the request through Uber or Lyft for a car with car seat. Is that no longer an option? When they were getting closer to booster age we also had a bubble bum for when we had to fly and just needed a very short cab to lodging.

[Anonymous]

It’s not a long uber ride from 30th street station, so if you are willing to do that, that would be easiest. You can also do it by bus. I live in Philly and the buses are fine/safe, it’s just going to be a PITA with tired little kids.

Please Touch is amazing though! Really excellent for young kids and worth it.

[Anonymous]

Though FWIW I live in Philly and that is a long day trip with young kids. There’s plenty to do if you stay over.

[Anonymous]

You need to drive.

[Anonymous]

Baltimore for aquarium would be better if your goal is train. And there is a train museum - B&O Railroad museum - that would require a car but really nice if your kid is into trains.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Baltimore for aquarium would be better if your goal is train. And there is a train museum - B&O Railroad museum - that would require a car but really nice if your kid is into trains.

Agree, even as an adult, the train museum there is fabulous.

[Anonymous]

Another option for a day trip via train is to go to Wilmington and it’s less than a mile walk along the riverfront (so a nice walk) to the Delaware Children’s Museum. It’s not as big as PT but for a day trip with a young child, it would be an easy trip. And there’s a bunch of restaurants near there to grab lunch.