Please Touch Museum
Let children shop, build, steer, and invent across two playful floors, then ride a restored 1908 carousel.
Artwork inspired by Jessie Willcox Smith
Please Touch Museum treats play as learning rather than a reward after looking at exhibits. Children can test ideas in pretend shops, kitchens, studios, and a rocket room, while caregivers watch what choices they make. Its home is Memorial Hall, a grand survivor of Philadelphia's 1876 Centennial Exhibition, and the 1908 Woodside Park Dentzel carousel brings another piece of local history into the day.
Follow the child's interest instead of trying to complete the whole map. Two floors offer enough activity for several hours, so choose one or two zones first and leave room to revisit favorites. The carousel has an accessible chariot; confirm ride availability and any separate ticket before promising it. Reserve museum admission in advance when a weekend or school break matters.
- Historic home
- Memorial Hall, 1876
- Signature ride
- 1908 Dentzel carousel
- Best for
- Hands-on family play
Quick guide
- Let them lead
- Pick a play zone together and follow the child's questions instead of racing every exhibit.
- Save the carousel
- Check ride times and ticket terms before promising the historic animals or accessible chariot.
Know before you go
- Start with a choice
- Offer two possible play zones and let the children decide where to begin.
- Watch the experiment
- Ask what they are testing in the market, kitchen, or rocket room.
- Pause for lunch
- Use the café and garden to reset before a second round of play.
- Ride history
- Look at the carved carousel animals as objects with their own story.
Good to know
The museum's Sunday opening time changes by week of month. Admission is encouraged by reservation; the gated lot and carousel may add costs beyond the museum ticket.
Notice these
- Hands-on play galleries
- Woodside Park Dentzel carousel
- Memorial Hall