Museums

The Academy of Natural Sciences
Address: 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway | Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215.299.1000
Web Site: www.acnatsci.org
Distance: approximately 45 miles. Driving Time approximately 1 hour 5 minutes.
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 10:00am-4:30pm; Saturday, Sunday & Holidays 10:00am-5:00pm; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year’s Day.
Admission Prices: $10.00 Adult, $8.00 Child ages 3 — 12, $8.25 Senior and military, Children under 3 are free, College students $1 off with valid ID. There is an opportunity for a family membership for $65.00. This includes admission for two adults and all the children in the same household. Please see website for more details. Please visit their website to learn more about the 8 suggested parking garages in the area. There is also metered parking.
Highlights: Between Dinosaur Hall, where kids can dig for buried fossils, and Outside-In where kids can touch live animals, this museum is bound to provide a fun, educational experience. There are over 10 permanent exhibits and a handful of traveling exhibits to entertain and excite any child.

American Museum of Natural History
Address: Central Park West at 79th Street | New York, NY 10024
Phone: 212.769.5000
Web Site: www.amnh.org
Distance: approximately 55 miles. Driving Time approximately 1 hour 17 minutes.
Hours of Operation: Daily 10:00am-5:45pm, The Rose Center opens until 8:45pm on the first Friday of every month, Space Show hours are every half-hour from 10:30am-4:30pm; first Friday of every month 10:30am-7:00pm. Museum is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Admission Prices: Suggested donation is as follows: Adults: $14.00, Children (2-12): $8.00, Senior/Student with ID: $10.50, Member Adult: Free, Member Child: Free. There is an opportunity for a family membership for $115.00 ($90 is tax deductible). This includes admission for two adults and up to four children as well as some other perks. Please see website for more details. There is parking at the Museum’s three story facility at 81st Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue. The hours of operation are 8am — 11pm. Please check their website for rates.
Highlights: There are few words to describe the awe-inspiring nature of this museum. From the famous dinosaur halls to the state-of-the-art Hayden Planetarium, the permanent and special temporary exhibits provided will surely amaze and excite any child. In fact, I am sure we can all remember our first visit to this great Museum.

Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Address: 145 Brooklyn Avenue | Brooklyn, NY, 11213
Phone: 718.735.4400
Web Site: www.brooklynkids.org
Distance: approximately 56 miles. Driving Time approximately 1 hour 22 minutes.
Hours of Operation: July-August: Monday Closed; Tuesday-Thursday 12:00pm-6pm; Friday 12:00pm-6:30pm; Saturday & Sunday: 11:00am-6:00pm. September-June: Monday & Tuesday Closed; Wednesday & Thursday 12:00pm-6pm; Friday 12:00pm-6:30pm, Saturday & Sunday 11:00am-6:00pm. There are special hours for the Totally Tots area (children under the age of 5): July-August: Monday Closed; Tuesday-Thursday 11:00am-6:00pm; Friday 11:00am-6:00pm; Saturday & Sunday 11:00am-6:00pm. September-June: Monday & Tuesday Closed; Wednesday & Thursday 11:00am-6:00pm; Friday 11:00am-6:00pm; Saturday & Sunday 11:00am-6:00pm. The museum is closed on Christmas, New Year’s, Independence, Labor and Thanksgiving Day.
Admission Prices: $5.00 per person, FREE for members and children under the age of one. There is an opportunity for a family membership for $50.00. Please see website for more details. There is on-street parking available.
Highlights: At the Museum you explore the world! Enjoy learning about music from all over the world at the Music Mix exhibit and urban cities in the Together in the City. Children under the age of 5 can play and learn in the Totally Tots exhibit. Here they will find fun and interesting spaces like the Play Pond, Kids’ Quarry and Baby Patch.

Bucks County Children’s Museum
Address: 500 Union Square | New Hope PA 18938
Phone: 215.693.1290
Web Site: www.buckskids.org
Distance: approximately 24 miles. Driving time approximately 37 minutes.
Hours of Operation: Tuesday – Friday, 10 AM – 4 PM, Saturday, 10 AM – 5 PM, Sunday, 12 PM – 5 PM, Closed Monday
Admission Prices: $7 (Ages 1 & Up). Metered parking is available throughout Union Square. Meters are CASH ONLY and cost 25 cents for every 20 minutes. Please pay for parking at one of the many kiosks labeled “P” and display the ticket on your dashboard.
Highlights: Bucks County Children’s Museum has exhibits that engage, teach and ignite imaginations, including a Town Square, Factory Works, Artifact Dig, Covered Bridges, Tree House and Hot Air Balloon Ride. The museum is designed for young children from 12 months (walking) up to 8 years of age who enjoy pretend play!

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Address: 212 W.83rd Street | New York, NY 10024
Phone: 212.721.1234
Web Site: www.cmom.org
Distance: approximately 56 miles. Driving Time approximately 1 hour 20 minutes.
Hours of Operation: Tuesday — Sunday 10am — 5pm. Closed Mondays for Camp Groups & Summer Programs. Closed the following holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Admission Prices: Children and Adults $8.00, Seniors $5.00, Children under one and CMOM Members FREE. There is an opportunity for a family membership for $145.00 ($115.00 is tax deductible). This includes admission for all the children in one household, two named cardholders, and the household’s caregiver(s). Please see website for more details. There is a Central Parking garage located on West 83rd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam. You can receive a 15% discount on your parking charge at this garage only by having your parking ticket validated at Admissions.
Highlights: Five floors of pure entertainment! There are permanent exhibits like the Little West Side where children can drive the mail truck and build the city skyline, and rotating exhibits such as Dora the Explorer, on display through December 2006, where children can climb through Boots playhouse and help Diego care for animals. Beside exhibits there are also daily drop-in programs like Story Time, Circle Time and Draw Me a Picture. Be sure to check-in and sign up at the Information Desk if you are interested in participating.

The Crayola Factory
Address: 30 Centre Square | Easton, PA 18042
Phone: 610.515.8000
Web Site: www.http://www.crayola.com/factory
Distance: approximately 54 miles. Driving Time approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.
Hours of Operation: Vary depending on the day and time of year. Please check site before planning a trip. Generally speaking, January — May: Monday Closed; Tuesday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm; Saturday 9:30am-5:00pm; Sunday 12:00pm-5:00pm. Memorial Day-Labor Day: Monday-Saturday 9:30am-5:00pm; Sunday special hours. Sept — Dec: Monday Closed; Tuesday-Friday 9:30am-3:00pm; Saturday 9:30am-5:00pm; Sunday 12:00pm-5:00pm.
Admission Prices: Adults & Children (ages 3-64) $9.50, Seniors (ages 65+) $9.00, Military Discount $8.50, Children 2 and younger FREE. Admission does not include the 5% City of Easton admissions tax. Paid parking is available at the City of Easton’s Municipal Parking Garage located on Pine Street and at other nearby lots. There is also metered parking. Important to note, Crayola Factory does not validate parking.
Highlights: For the budding artist in every child, the Crayola Facotry is a 20,000 square foot facility is an activity center for children of all ages. The Factory is not a real manufacturing plant, but there are live demonstrations on how crayons are made as well as over dozen other hands-on activities.

The Franklin Institute
Address: 222 North 20th Street | Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215.448.1200
Web Site: www.fi.edu
Distance: approximately 45 miles. Driving Time approximately 1 hour 10 minutes.
Hours of Operation: Daily 9:30am-5:00pm, The Tuttleman IMAX ® Theater stays open until 9:00pm on Friday and Saturday evenings. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Admission Prices: Sci-Pass (does not include IMAX ®) is $13.75 for Adults and $11.00 for Children (ages 4-11) and Senior Citizens (ages 62 and up). Sci-Pass with IMAX ® is $18.75 for Adults and $16.00 for Children and Senior Citizens. IMAX ® only is $9.00 for Adults and $9.00 for Children or Senior Citizens. There is an opportunity for a family membership for $75.00. This includes admission for two adults and any four children. Please see website for more details. Parking is available in the Franklin Institute Garage, entered from 21st Street. Rates vary depending on length of visit, please see website for specific details. Also, please remember to bring your parking ticket to the information desk for validation to receive reduced rates. There are additional parking locations, please website for more details. For shorter visits, there is metered parking located on Winter Street.
Highlights: With 9 permanent exhibits such as The Giant Heart, The Space Command, and The Sports Challenge, children can walk-through a heart, check out equipment used by real astronauts and feel what it would be like to be a star athlete. There are also several fascinating traveling exhibits to fill a child’s mind with excitement and wonder. There is also The Fels Planetarium and The Tuttleman IMAX ® Theater to provide an out-of-this world experience.

Garden State Discovery Museum
Address: 2040 Springdale Road | Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
Phone: 856.424.1233
Web Site: www.discoverymuseum.com
Distance: approximately 40 miles. Driving Time approximately 50 minutes.
Hours of Operation: Open year-round 9:30 am to 5:30 pm Tuesday through Sunday. Open all Monday holidays and Mondays in July and August. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Admission Prices: $8.95 for adults and children 12 months and over; $7.95 for seniors. All programs are free with admission unless otherwise noted. There is an opportunity for a family membership for $99.00. This includes admission for two adults and their children. Please see website for more details. FREE parking is available outside the museum.
Highlights: This hands-on museum offers fifteen interactive exhibits where children can either build a house at Under Construction, fish at Down the Shore, or help a wounded animal at the Vet and Pet. There are also age appropriate classes such as Early Explorers and Mini Masters. Be sure to check their calendar for fun events and activities.

Grounds For Sculpture
Address: 18 Fairgrounds Rd | Trenton, NJ 08619
Phone: 609.586.0616
Web Site: www.groundsforsculpture.org
Distance: approximately 12 miles. Driving Time approximately 17 minutes.
Hours of Operation: Tuesday-Sunday 10am-6pm. Open year-round.
Admission Prices: Adults $10, Students and Seniors $8, Children $6, Children under 5 Free, Members Free. On-site parking is available and FREE.
Highlights: Grounds For Sculpture is a 35-acre public sculpture park dedicated to promoting an understanding of and appreciation for contemporary sculpture for all people. Children’s programs are held throughout the year.

The Historical Society of Princeton
Address: Bainbridge House | 158 Nassau Street | Princeton, NJ 08542
Phone: 609.921-6748
Web Site: www.princetonhistory.org
Distance: approximately.1 miles. Driving Time approximately 1 minute.
Hours of Operation: Tuesday — Sunday from 12:00 to 4:00pm. Winter hours may vary. For further information, please call 609.921-6748.
Admission Prices: Free. Parking Metered street parking available and near by parking garages.
Highlights: The Historical Society of Princeton has amassed, recorded, and exhibited a collection of over 40,000 artifacts, manuscripts, photographs, decorative arts objects, artworks, and articles of clothing dating from the 17th century to the present. It showcases these articles through exhibitions, walking tours, lectures, out-of-town trips and education programs for schools. The Historical Society offers several child friendly programs including Stroller Strides and kid-friendly exhibits throughout the year.

The Historic Village at Allaire
Address: 524 Allaire Rd | Farmingdale, NJ 07727
Phone: 732.919.3500
Web Site: www.allairevillage.org
Distance: approximately 49 miles. Driving Time approximately 55 minutes.
Hours of Operation: Historic Building Hours: Memorial Day — Labor Day, Wednesday — Sunday from 12 noon to 4 pm; Labor Day — Nov. & May Weekends Only from 12 noon to 4 pm; Closed Major Holidays and Closed December through April except for Special Events and Student Tours.
Admission Prices: $3.00 for Adults, $2.00 for Children 6 — 12, Members Admitted Free.
Highlights: Visitors to this living history museum will step back in time and experience life in a 19th Century bog iron producing community. Craftsmen in period garb; such as blacksmiths, carpenters, leatherworkers, molders and tinsmiths; demonstrate their skills for visitors while explaining how their roles affected life at The Howell Works Company and the surrounding communities. Younger visitors to the Historic Village are even afforded the opportunity to learn what life was like for the children of The Howell Works Company by becoming apprentices to the master craftsmen. Costumed interpreters throughout the Historic Village’s homes offer visitors demonstrations in various aspects of 19th Century domestic life, such as hearth cooking, spinning, quilting and sewing, laundry, gardening and even proper etiquette.

New Jersey State Museum
Address: 205 West State Street | Trenton, New Jersey
Phone: 609.292.6464
Web Site: nj.gov/state/museum
Distance: approximately 11 miles. Driving Time approximately 20 minutes.
Hours of Operation: Tuesday — Saturday, 9:00am to 5:00pm Sunday, noon to 5:00pm. Closed Mondays & State Holidays.
Admission Prices: Free. Park in the lot behind the State House or use metered parking on West State Street in front of the Museum. Free parking on Weekends is available in employee parking lots adjacent to and behind the Museum.
Highlights: In 1895, the New Jersey State Legislature formally established the New Jersey State Museum in the capital city of Trenton with a mission to collect and exhibit specimens in natural history, archaeology, and industrial history. The Museum today houses 4 museums in 1: Archaeology & Ethology, Cultural History, Fine Art and Natural History, along with a Planetarium. The Museum provides a plethera of children’s programming, including the popular Second Saturday performances which are free of charge on the second Saturday of each month.

Old Museum Barracks
Address: Barrack Street | Trenton, NJ 08608
Phone: 609.396.1776
Web Site: www.barracks.org
Distance: approximately 11.6 miles. Driving Time approximately 20 minutes.
Hours of Operation: Open daily from 10:00am-5:00pm. Closed Thanksgiving, December 24 & 25, January 1 and Easter.
Admission Prices: $8 per adult, $6 children, free for children 5 and under. Parking is available in near by parking garages and in the Capitol Complex Parking Area.
Highlights: The Old Barracks is a State and National Landmark located in Trenton, New Jersey. Built in 1758 by the Colony of New Jersey during the French and Indian War, the Old Barracks was a witness in 1776 to the Battle of Trenton, the turning point of the American Revolution. Today, the Old Barracks serves as an educational center for Colonial and American history, and stands as the last remaining structure of its kind. The Old Barracks staff provides daily tours and interpretations of American colonial life. The building offers a museum of artifacts and weapons, as well as a gift shop.

Please Touch Museum
Address: Memorial Hall, Fairmount Park | 4231 Avenue of the Republic | Philadelphia, PA 19131
Phone: 215.581.3181
Web Site: www.pleasetouchmuseum.org
Distance: approximately 45 miles. Driving Time approximately 1 hour and 5 minutes.
Hours of Operation: General hours: Monday through Saturday 9 am-5pm, Sunday 11 am — 5pm, Closed New Year’s, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Admission Prices: Children under the age of one: FREE, Children & Adults: $15 per person. Members are Free. Please call 215.581-3168 or 215.581-3170 for reservations and discount group rates. On-site parking is available in Please Touch Museum’s parking lot directly next to the Museum. Parking is $5.00 per car and free for museum members.
Highlights: The name says it all! A place where children are encouraged to touch, learn and play — what a great place! There are nine exhibits ranging from City Capers, where kids get a realistic peek onto an urban streetscape and discover the people, businesses and neighborhoods that make city life so dynamic, to interactive water play in the River Adventures exhibit. There are also theater performances and programs as well as a kid’s store. Please check their calendar of events to see what activity is scheduled the day you plan to visit.

Princeton Doll & Toy Museum
Address: 8 Somerset Street | Hopewell, NJ 08525
Phone: 609.333.8600
Web Site: www.princetondollandtoy.org
Distance: approximately 8.4 miles. Driving Time approximately 18 minutes.
Hours of Operation: Open Monday, Friday & Saturday from 10:00am-5:00pm.
Admission Prices: $5 per adult, $3 per child. Street parking is available.
Highlights: The Princeton Doll and Toy Museum displays the evolution of dolls and toys from the 1600′s to present. The permanent collection and quarterly special exhibits offer many fine examples of dolls and toys of all types in addition there are show award-winning miniature rooms, Bliss doll houses, and doll accessories. Visitors of all ages delight in joining Alice and the White Rabbit for tea in Alice in Wonderland House, while Storybook House presents a wide array of dolls and toys associated with children’s stories and don’t miss out on the museum’s special “please touch” section just for kids.

Princeton University Art Museum
Address: McCormick Hall | Princeton University | Princeton, NJ 08544
Phone: 609.258.3788
Web Site: www.princetonartmuseum.org
Distance: approximately 1.2 miles. Driving Time approximately 2 minutes.
Hours of Operation: Tuesday-Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm; Sunday 1:00pm-5:00pm. The museum is closed on New Year’s Day, Fourth of July and Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Admission Prices: FREE. There is on-street metered parking available as well as commercial parking lots located on Chambers and Hulfish streets.
Highlights: What a privilege to have a museum right in our own backyard! And not just any museum, but one of the leading university art museums in the country! The Princeton University Art Museum offers a wide range of age appropriate, organized tours or you can take your child on an exciting journey and admire fascinating sculptures, paintings and other interesting artifacts. Please check their website for a list of their current exhibitions.

Rockingham State Historic Site
Address: 84 Laurel Avenue | Kingston, NJ 08528
Phone: 609.683.7132
Web Site: www.rockingham.net
Distance: approximately 3.7 miles. Driving Time approximately 8 minutes.
Hours of Operation: Guided Tours ONLY Wednesday through Saturday at 10:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 2:00pm and 3:00pm. Sundays at 1:00pm, 2:00pm and 3:00pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday and certain holidays.
Admission Prices: Free. Parking is Free.
Highlights: Once the home of George Washington, Rockingham Historic Site maintains a fine collection of 18th century furnishings, Children’s Museum and Colonial kitchen garden.