Philadelphia

I have lived two hours from Philly my whole life and had never been to the City of Brotherly Love…it was everything I hoped it would be.

I’d like to see Paris before I die… Philadelphia will do.
W. C. Fields

Known for cheesesteaks and the Liberty Bell, the vibrant city of Philadelphia is an awesome day trip from the mid-Atlantic with kids. The numerous historical stops available within walking distance were a plus for my daughters’ ages 7 and 14. I wasn’t sure how the tour of Eastern State Penitentiary would go over for my youngest but she seemed to be having fun learning about the jail’s pretty fascinating history of rapscallions.

The impromptu trip to Candytopia was not planned and I wouldn’t go there again, but my girls would disagree. The “marshmallow” pit was a great way to end our day in Philadelphia!

1-Day Philadelphia Itinerary with Kids

To	From	Mode	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Trip Notes
The Liberty Bell, Philadelphia, PA	Fred Co, MD	Car	7:00AM	10:00AM	A long line to get in but when there’s beautiful weather on the lawn, it seemed to go by fast
Independence Hall	Liberty Bell	Walk	11:00AM	11:15AM	Didn’t book a tour ahead of time and it was sold out.
Betsy Ross House	Independence Hall	Walk	11:45AM	12:00PM	The girls loved the self-guided tour
Benjamin Franklin’s Grave	Betsy Ross House	Walk	1:00PM	1:15PM	Short peek through the fence
Lunch at Reading Terminal Market	Parking Lot by Liberty Bell	Car	1:30PM	1:45PM	A cheesesteak was a must!
Eastern Penitentiary State Day Tour	Reading Terminal Market	Car	2:45PM	3:00PM	Both of the girls liked the self-guided tour from a historical perspective. There’s a ghost tour in the evenings that Tim and I would like to come back for!
Rocky steps and statue at the Philly Museum of Art	Eastern State Penitentiary	Car	4:30PM	4:45PM	Running up the steps like Rocky is a Philadelphia must – even if you’ve never seen the movie!
Candytopia	Museum of Art	Car	5:00PM	6:00PM	This was overpriced but the girls loved all of the activities and art made of candy.
Dinner at Silk City, Philadelphia	Candytopia	Car	6:15PM	6:45PM	Unique menu items in a diner setting but not a wide variety of choices. Food was okay but wouldn’t eat here again.
Home	Candytopia	Car	8:00PM	11:00PM