The Best Things to Do in Philadelphia with Kids & Teens, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Like most families we have certain places we visit over and over again. One of our favorites is nearby Philadelphia. It’s an easy drive (if we time it right) and a big enough city that there is always something new to see. And of course, our favorite activities have changed as our young Traveler has grown.

We first visited when she was 4YO, again at 7YO and most recently at 14YO. Rich and I also managed a one-night grown-ups’ visit in between.

1. If you’ll be exploring different parts of the city, the Doubletree Philadelphia City Center is a good bet. It has an indoor pool, is next to a public garage with in-and-out privileges and the front desk is generous with Doubletree’s signature cookies. We had nice city views from our upper-floor room.

It’s as centrally located as you can get: Right in the middle of the arts district, a few blocks from both Rittenhouse Square and Reading Terminal market and midway between the Logan Square and the Historic District.

2. If you want want stay closer to the museums then the historic center, we liked Hilton’s Curio Collection hotel on Logan Square. It had a nice pool, a locavore restaurant with a popular brunch and an outdoor terrace facing a garden. Our room was a decent size with a nice view of enormous Logan Square (top photo). ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).