by | July 4th, 2008
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Today, the 4th of July, seems an appropriate time to post some highlights from my article on Education.com about taking the kids to Pennsylvania.
You can’t lose with the home of the Liberty Bell, Ben Franklin and the Philadelphia Art Museum (remember Rocky running up those steps in the movie?)
The article is titled “Plan on Pennsylvania for Family Fun and Learning,” and here are four of the eighteen places and events I featured:
- Little League Museum – Batter up! Organized baseball for young boys started in 1939 in Williamsport, PA and the Little League World Series is still played here at the hallowed ball field behind the Museum, which also includes softball exhibits. There are displays about the history of the game, including uniforms, equipment and famous players who started in Little League. Batting and pitching areas with instant replay allow swing analysis and the ever-satisfying crack of a ball against a bat.
- Laurel Highlands – Southeast of Pittsburgh, this pretty part of PA has attractions that run the gamut from the three miles of natural passages in the state’s largest cave, Laurel Caverns, to Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic home built over a creek, Fallingwater (plus two other Wright homes in the region.) There are numerous covered bridges using a variety of construction techniques, several historic roads including part of the first transcontinental highway, the Fort Necessity National Battlefield from the French and Indian Wars, the Johnstown Flood (1889) Museum and the Mountain Playhouse, which is the state’s oldest professional resident summer theater and performs in a 200 year-old grist mill.
- Washington Crosses the Delaware – Every year on Christmas Day (and also for a dress rehearsal on the second Sunday in December) Revolutionary War uniformed reenactors cross the Delaware River in wooden boats to boldly attack Hessian troops. Washington Crossing Historic Park also has numerous Family Programs year-round, cooking programs, farm demonstrations and a summer history camp.
- Mütter Museum – Housed in the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, this highly unusual collection of medical artifacts is not for the particularly squeamish (its tagline is “Disturbingly Informative”) but it will be a huge hit for any future doctors or biologists in your house. Over 20,000 anatomic and pathological objects have been collected here since 1858, to educate future physicians about all manner of human body phenomena. Plaster casts of the original Siamese twins, Chang and Eng (and their conjoined livers) and a tumor that was secretly removed from President Grover Cleveland are just a few of the highlights.
Did I miss any good ones?
I know I have at least one reader who lived in PA with three kids for many years….and yeah, I should have called her for input. 
Check out the article on Education.com and leave a comment, either on their site or this one, or both – thanks!
{ 9 comments }
Pennsbury Manor (http://www.pennsburymanor.org) looks interesting. A 17th-century interpreted manor house. My wife and I intend to swing by soon. It’s near that bend in the Delaware River south of Trenton. Near Langhorne, I guess.
Hi Rick,
Thanks for stopping by, and for the tip!
Hi Sheila,
I read your bio and your related articles and my dad was in the Navy when I was young so I relate in many ways. I am so glad to have found your blog, it is so important for our children to learn through travelling. I truly appreciated your article in relation to juggling all of the things it takes to be a mom and have a career, and in your case serve our country. Thank you for your service and I look forward to reading more of your writing.
What an awesome and informative article on taking your children to Pennsylvania! I still remember when I was in middle school and the only teacher who gave me a hard time about my “vacation to Washington DC” (where I was going to tour and learn all kinds of wonderful things) was my history teacher…go figure
Mimi
My kids’ favorite destination in PA is the arts and crafts mecca known as The Crayola Factory, in the charming old-fashioned town of Easton. The National Canal Museum shares the same building. They’re both particularly good for preschoolers.
@Mimi Thanks so much for your kind words, and I hope the blog continues to be useful for you.
@Wendy I knew about the Crayola Factory, but couldn’t figure out how to make it “educational.” I should have thought about tying it into the Canal Museum somehow!
I live in Baltimore and we head to PA frequently with the kids. There is some great stuff about Pennsylvania on WeJustGotBack.com (http://www.wejustgotback.com). Right now on the home page, there are some stories about Hershey (one planning article, one review of Hershey Lodge). Last month they had a nice article about Pennsylvania farmstays (now in the archives but you can get there through the search box). My kids love all kinds of animals and we think farmstays are a fantastic (and cheap) getaway. Plus they are VERY educational!
And let’s not forget the Poconos! There are some great family-friendly resorts (Skytop, Woodloch) there.
Hi Kate,
Thanks very much for your insights – I looked through a few things at the Poconos but not too many things grabbed me as “educational” – the honeymoon theme is pretty dominant there.
I haven’t looked through WeJustGotBack lately – appreciate the reminder.
Sheila- I told you (via Twitter!) that we certainly do try to leave comments when we can!
Great roundup on July 4 in PA. I know we have a lot going on in Philadelphia for Halloween too… Elvira and more.
See you on Twitter.
Hi Caroline,
Thanks so much for visiting; my past visits to Philly have been way too brief, and I should remedy that someday!
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