Please Touch Museum (shiny! new! awesome!)

You might want to skip this post unless you live in, or plan to visit, Philadelphia. The post does, however, have pictures of Tori. Hopefully that will ease the pain of my skipping discussing the debate last night (THAT ONE).

One of the best things that came out of the BlogHer conference is the connections that I've made. I met this lovely lady who was kind enough to introduce me to this cool chick who has now been giving my name to a ton of folks, one of whom is involved with the local tourism group. They, in turn, forwarded my name to the media relations guy at our local children's museum, and after a few conversations I managed to wangle invites to the press preview of the museum's new space for all the local mommy bloggers I know. Heh.

The press preview was today. Short version? Three hours after I arrived, I had to carry an exhausted Tori kicking and screaming out of the place. She gives it a BIG THUMBS UP. You know, if she had the fine motor skills to put her thumbs up. 

The Please Touch Museum has been around as long as I've been in Philadelphia (longer, actually--since 1976), and was one of the first kid's museums dedicated to children under 7. It was located in a relatively small space not far from "museum row" at 21st & Race Streets. The space was small, kind of dark, and frankly a bit used up. It was filled with exhibits that kids could climb on and engage with, and kids LOVED it. We'd only taken Tori to it a few times before the old space closed; she wasn't really old enough to get into it until this summer, and they closed six weeks ago for the big move.

The new space is amazing. They moved into Memorial Hall (formerly known as Centennial Hall), a building originally built in Fairmount Park to celebrate America's 100th birthday. The building was never meant to last, but last it did. It's been wildly underused in recent years, and was in need of major repairs before it could be used by the museum, but the money managed to arrive and the now the museum is three times larger-- and in my not so humble opinion--about 60 times cooler.

There are two floors. The "ground" floor (what, is basement a bad word now?) contains a spectacular Alice in Wonderland exhibit, including a hedge maze and funky mirrors and shrinking hallways.

That would be Sarah, Tori, and the cutie Sarah babysits exploring said shrinking hallway.

The ground floor also houses the (very popular in the old site) grocery store, which Tori LOVED and I had to beg her to leave. It now also houses a kitchen where kids can put the groceries away and a McDonalds where they can "make" burgers nearby. There is also an exhibit that showcases the history of the building, but we didn't see that today because Charlie (the history buff of the family) wasn't with us. Heh.

There is also a huge faux tree that stretches between the two floors, a medical clinic (with a nursery), a construction zone, and probably four or five things I'm forgetting. No, really, the place is HUGE.

Upstairs on the 1st floor is the River--a large fake river that kids can do all kinds of things with (including making it rain with a soon-to-be-functional cloud) like make waves and race ducks and boats and stuff. What I liked about the River feature was that it varies in height, so little kids won't have to fight big kids for space. Nice. Again, Tori LOVED this and had to be dragged away.

There's also a big room where kids can make "planes" and fly them (they are foam, and they have a cool launchpad thingy that kids send planes up in), a room full of blocks, face paints, and that weird beaded foam stuff. Tori liked the blocks.

There's also a transportation area with cars and yes, the Septa Bus (a popular spot in the old space). Oh, and the creepy animatronic dolls that used to be housed in Litz Brothers (then Strawbridges) are here, preserved, and moving in that weird creepy way.

But the best thing? THE CAROUSEL. It's a beautiful 100-year-old carousel that has been completely restored. Tori, the kid that was scared of rides two weeks ago, rode the carousel three times.

By the way, that's Jo of The Modernity Ward (formerly The Leery Polyp) in the background. Hi Jo! I can't believe you already have a post up mentioning this jaunt. Heh.

Anyway, the new space is incredible, and the exhibits are fantastic. Other awesome new things: PARKING. Parking at the old site was a fucking nightmare. Now, it's the easiest thing in the world. Also? A CAFE. Yep, you can now feed your kid and keep on going without leaving the premises. Thank goodness.

So, if you are coming to Philadelphia, be sure to check this place out. It rocks. Besides, where else will you be greeted by a full scale model of the Statue of Liberty's torch made out of toys? NOWHERE, that's where.

Comments

[Kate]

Just think of all the amazing Philadelphia artists who made the new Please Touch exhibits possible!

[Kristin]

What an incredible museum. I thought our local museums were good but that one ROCKS.

[christina in mo]

I'm Jealous. I admit it. I am not ashamed.

very very jealous. Now I shall go and cry in my "ground floor" with the working washer and dryer full of real clothing.

sniff sniff..

I never get to do anything fun.
(slams door and stomps away)

[Kerrie]

Oh Wow...how cool is that..??

I just love to see forward thinking in the Museum arena...that it is recognised that children learn using hands on and that history is happening right now.

I love that this is so parent and child friendly, that you can spend the best part of a day there without worrying about the little things that can completely stuff up an outing, you know, (where to park, where to get lunch, can parents get coffee, are there parent friendly baby change facilities).

I can see you all spending many, many happy hours there.

[watercolor]

So cool!!!! I am the project architect for the Mississippi Children's Museum. Just the building though. The exhibits are by another firm. The building will be cool. I hope the exhibits are..... You and Tori will have to come visit when it opens in 2010!! :)

[wwbd]

Wow! That looks fantastic, I am so jealous!

[kris]

That place looks way cool... but I'm dying to hear your opinion on last nights debate!

I wanna shake McCain loose cause he looks so stiff... and I wanted to take his pen away. Just 2 observations :)

I thought Obama did an good job. He speaks with such ease. He makes me hopeful for our future!

[carosgram]

I remember taking my children in 78 or 79 to the museum in Philly. I remember the tarantula that one of the aides put on my arm. It was a great experience then and sounds even better now.

[RainbowW]

my all-time fav place like this was a place called the Science Place, in st louis. went there on a family weekend trip once upon a time, i was maybe 9 or 10. it was geared toward kids a little older than this place seems, and had a definite science bent to it, but it was a screech.

[Ann]

I was hoping for your opinion on the debate last night!

The museum looks amazing, glad you all enjoyed it!

[courtney]

i LOVED this museum as a small kid (the grocery store was incredible)... and i was a little unnerved that there was no mention of the "where the wild things are" room. it transformed from a bedroom into the wild jungle with a push of a button!

i went with a friend and her kids not that long ago (a year or two) and had a blast. philly also has/had? a toy and doll museum, the very kid friendly franklin institute, and a lot of stuff for kids as they grow. philly is a great town to grow up in, speaking only for my own experience.

[Meegan]

That. Is. AWESOME!!!!

I wanna go and play there too. Oh, and I'm sure the Child would love it too :)

[Melissa]

If you ever make it up to Boston (my old hometown), take Tori to the Science Museum, the Aquarium, and the Children's Museum.

The Science Museum has a TON of "please touch" signs. They have an awesome lightening show, a big glass bubble that houses eggs and chicks (every great once in a while, you'll see one hatch).

Aquarium has penguins, several "please touch" pools with horseshoe crabs, starfish, mussels, etc. A seal outside that swims up to the glass. A big wave pool.

The Children's Museum sounds quite a bit like the Please Touch Museum. It also has a Japanese merchants house, a 2 or 3 storey climbing enclosure, a workshop etc.

[Jo-Ann]

DUDE so jealous! still

Sigh.

[kj @ Where my boys at?]

Gosh, I'd LOVE to have a place like that nearby to take my kiddies to. You're one lucky duck.

[Annie]

Yay! I'm so glad that worked out. The new museum looks awesome!

[Caroline - Philadelphia]

I am psyched that all those connections (IRL and on the web) led you and your tot to such a fine location!

The Please Touch Museum is a superstar in Philadelphia and in the children's museum circuit at large.

I can't WAIT to bring my nephews.

WOW! That museum is the BOMB! We don't have any museums like that around here. The closest is in Boston, and that's a bit of a hike for us. The Please Touch Museum looks worthy of a trip to Philadelphia all by itself! Let alone all that other great historical stuff.

[jenn]

That looks awesome! We've been to a very similar Children's Museum up in Bangor, Maine. My kids loved it when they were younger! The most popular exhibit there is the "Good Night, Moon" room, which is an exact replica of the room in the book. My youngest thought she was in heaven.

[Kathleen]

I am so excited to learn about this museum! I live in Baltimore so I feel a day trip coming up sometime this winter. Thanks!

[Jenn]

I am now officially insanely jealous. The Children's Museum here in Dallas is way old and really kind of pathetic -- it's just a big space in a mall divided up into different areas. All the toys are broken, parts are missing, things don't work, etc

*sigh* Wish Philly was closer to Texas, LOL

[Margie]

Now I'm excited. We may take a jaunt over sometime this fall. It looks amazing!