Philly Through the Ages
OK, we’ve been in the Philadelphia area for six months now and are just starting to feel our way around. We fell in love with Philly originally because of all the outdoorsy stuff there was to see and do, from riding the Duck bus into the river to wandering among civil war re-enactors pitching tents on Rittenhouse square. But the winter’s cold turns a busy mom’s mind to museum’s. Granted announcing you are taking the kids to a museum is more likely than not to guarantee groans, which is why it is so nice to gently, gradually introduce kids to such institutions of learning in an age appropriate way.
If you only take your kids to McDonald’s they will have no idea of how to behave at a formal restaurant. On the other hand, people at 5 star eating establishments may not appreciate your three year old throwing peas in their direction. A happy medium is to introduce them gradually. My kids’ first restaurant experience was dim sum in China town. The rambunctious atmosphere covered any noise they made and the constantly swirling carts kept them entertained. Later we would go to local eateries working our way up from diners to linens on the table type places. At this point my kids have such expensive tastes that I shy away from taking them anywhere with lobster or filet mignon, so I may have shot myself in the foot on this one.
However, the point is, you don’t just take a six year old to a fine arts museum for several hours and expect him or her to act appropriately. You need to build up to it. Fortunately, Philadelphia has a museum for every age. So, here is a guide to Philly through the ages.
If you only take your kids to McDonald’s they will have no idea of how to behave at a formal restaurant. On the other hand, people at 5 star eating establishments may not appreciate your three year old throwing peas in their direction. A happy medium is to introduce them gradually. My kids’ first restaurant experience was dim sum in China town. The rambunctious atmosphere covered any noise they made and the constantly swirling carts kept them entertained. Later we would go to local eateries working our way up from diners to linens on the table type places. At this point my kids have such expensive tastes that I shy away from taking them anywhere with lobster or filet mignon, so I may have shot myself in the foot on this one.
However, the point is, you don’t just take a six year old to a fine arts museum for several hours and expect him or her to act appropriately. You need to build up to it. Fortunately, Philadelphia has a museum for every age. So, here is a guide to Philly through the ages.
Elementary School
1 - Please Touch Museum
Start off with the appropriately named Please Touch museum. What kid wouldn't love a museum complete with a carousel? Instead of uniformed guards glowering at them for getting too close to pricey oil paintings, this museum positively begs them to get in close and personal. Any place where they can drive a bus, climb on motorcycles and elephants or splash around in water should teach them that “museums” are a fun way to spend the day. There is a complete village where they can shop for groceries or shoes, be a waitress or a pizza maker or a baker. Moving on, they can have tea with Alice in Wonderland or explore the interactive science center. And of course, een if they haven't seen the movie "Big", every kid loves to play Tom Hank's giant piano.
Start off with the appropriately named Please Touch museum. What kid wouldn't love a museum complete with a carousel? Instead of uniformed guards glowering at them for getting too close to pricey oil paintings, this museum positively begs them to get in close and personal. Any place where they can drive a bus, climb on motorcycles and elephants or splash around in water should teach them that “museums” are a fun way to spend the day. There is a complete village where they can shop for groceries or shoes, be a waitress or a pizza maker or a baker. Moving on, they can have tea with Alice in Wonderland or explore the interactive science center. And of course, een if they haven't seen the movie "Big", every kid loves to play Tom Hank's giant piano.
2 - The Franklin Museum
Once they are a bit older the next museum on the list is still interactive but this time a bit more obviously a “learning” institution. There are still things that are fun in and of themselves like walking through a giant sized heart. But now there are also various tables where experts dissect sheep’s eyes or make paper from wood pulp or show off any number of cool experiments. Its a nice step between “all play is learning” and “learning is what you read in books”.
Once they are a bit older the next museum on the list is still interactive but this time a bit more obviously a “learning” institution. There are still things that are fun in and of themselves like walking through a giant sized heart. But now there are also various tables where experts dissect sheep’s eyes or make paper from wood pulp or show off any number of cool experiments. Its a nice step between “all play is learning” and “learning is what you read in books”.
Middle School
1 - National Constitution Center
As they enter middle school they will be required to process more and more information - this museum offers an almost pain free introduction to research. Filled to the brim with interactive videos and displays they can click on a face in the “Tree” and instantly learn about the famous or not so famous person represented. Issues such as segregation or trial by jury are explained by short, easy to digest videos. Wandering around amidst the founding fathers is fun...
As they enter middle school they will be required to process more and more information - this museum offers an almost pain free introduction to research. Filled to the brim with interactive videos and displays they can click on a face in the “Tree” and instantly learn about the famous or not so famous person represented. Issues such as segregation or trial by jury are explained by short, easy to digest videos. Wandering around amidst the founding fathers is fun...
2 - The Chemistry Museum
This is a little known museum that we stumbled across by accident while walking to a restaurant on the same street. Devoted entirey to chemistry it has two pillars in the center displaying elements of the periodic table. Visitors can explore the properties of each unique element as its qualities unfold in a constant steam of videos. These are surrounded by more conventional exhibits on chemical properties, one of which centered on children's "toy" chemistry kits through the ages, several of which contained truly dangerous material! For kids with a scientific bent this would be a fascinating museum. For those less interested, it is a fun and almost painless introduction to some of chemistry's quirkier qualities.
This is a little known museum that we stumbled across by accident while walking to a restaurant on the same street. Devoted entirey to chemistry it has two pillars in the center displaying elements of the periodic table. Visitors can explore the properties of each unique element as its qualities unfold in a constant steam of videos. These are surrounded by more conventional exhibits on chemical properties, one of which centered on children's "toy" chemistry kits through the ages, several of which contained truly dangerous material! For kids with a scientific bent this would be a fascinating museum. For those less interested, it is a fun and almost painless introduction to some of chemistry's quirkier qualities.
High School
1 - the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Even toddlers can get enjoyment from fine art museums but it has to be in short bursts. By the time they are in high school however, they have the stamina to make it through a serious museum like this one which does not depend on whiz bang technology to make its point. This is a world class museum with over 227,000 objects including some of the best American and European paintings to be found anywhere. If you want a change form painting and sculpture, there is no end of decorative arts including a Chinese palace hall, a Japanese teahouse, and a sixteenth-century Indian temple hall. Hopefully every high school student will have cause to come here to do research on some topic by looking at the original work they are studying be it painting, drawing, ceramic, tapestry or architectural detail.
Even toddlers can get enjoyment from fine art museums but it has to be in short bursts. By the time they are in high school however, they have the stamina to make it through a serious museum like this one which does not depend on whiz bang technology to make its point. This is a world class museum with over 227,000 objects including some of the best American and European paintings to be found anywhere. If you want a change form painting and sculpture, there is no end of decorative arts including a Chinese palace hall, a Japanese teahouse, and a sixteenth-century Indian temple hall. Hopefully every high school student will have cause to come here to do research on some topic by looking at the original work they are studying be it painting, drawing, ceramic, tapestry or architectural detail.
2 - The Mutter Museum
Now for something a little bit different. If you’ve got a particularly curious child they may like this before the teen years but you might want to hold off since this museum, primarily for medical students, is part of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. It is a place to study the anomalies of the human condition, i.e. filled to the brim with containers of disease ridden or defective bits and pieces otherwise known as “anatomical and pathological specimens.” Fortunately quite a lot, like the tumors of the heads, are wax models rather than real skulls but some specimens are still quite grisly.
Now for something a little bit different. If you’ve got a particularly curious child they may like this before the teen years but you might want to hold off since this museum, primarily for medical students, is part of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. It is a place to study the anomalies of the human condition, i.e. filled to the brim with containers of disease ridden or defective bits and pieces otherwise known as “anatomical and pathological specimens.” Fortunately quite a lot, like the tumors of the heads, are wax models rather than real skulls but some specimens are still quite grisly.
College and beyond - Barnes Museum
This is the creme de la creme of art museums. A drop your jaw, stunning collection of amazing pieces. All the more interesting for having been amassed by one quirky collector and displayed according to his unique vision. It is a wonderful set up, just as he left them on the walls - you pass the random Picasso, Cezanne, or Van Gogh with no more pride of place than those by his friend William Glackens. There are more Renoirs than you can shake a stick at and an astonishing number of impressionists like Degas, Monet or Matisse with the occasional Italian Renaissance painter like Rubens or Titian thrown in for good measure. Even though the museum is relatively small, each room is so packed with masterpieces that, like the Louvre or the Met, it is a museum that you need to keep coming back to rather than trying to see everything in one fell swoop.
