Unique Things to Do in Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia, PA's most unique experiences include Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Bartram's Garden, Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, and Fu-Wah Mini Market.
Touch everything. That's the rule.
4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, PA 19131 · Wed-Sat 9am-4:30pm, Sun varies by week · Ages 0–7
Animals walk overhead in mesh tunnels
3400 W Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104 · Daily 9:30am-5pm, last entry 4pm
Giant walk-through heart since 1954
222 N 20th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103 · Daily 9:30am-5pm
Giant wooden slide since 1899 — always free
3500 Reservoir Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19121 · Apr-Sep: Tue-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat-Sun 10am-7pm; Oct-Mar: Tue-Sun 10am-5pm; closed Mon · Ages 0–10
Only East Coast Sesame Street park
100 Sesame Rd, Langhorne, PA 19047 · Check website for seasonal schedule · Ages 2–8
Free 50-acre garden — locals know, tourists don't
5400 Lindbergh Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19143 · Daily dawn to dusk; house tours by appointment
Kids dig for real fossils — closing Sep 2026
1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19103 · Mon-Fri 10am-4:30pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm · Ages 0+
Free Junior Ranger booklets + Liberty Bell
143 S 3rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106 · Visitor Center: daily 8:30am-5pm; sites vary · Ages 0+
DiNic's roast pork + Bassetts ice cream since 1893
51 N 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107 · Daily 8am-6pm
Al Capone's cell + Steve Buscemi audio tour
2027 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19130 · Daily 10am-5pm (last entry 4pm), Mar-Nov
Giant walk-through heart since 1954
222 N 20th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103 · Daily 9:30am-5pm
Oldest natural science museum in the Americas
1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19103 · Mon-Fri 10am-4:30pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm
Board a real cruiser and submarine
211 S Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106 · Daily 10am-5pm
Free — 100,000+ specimens in a Victorian museum that hasn't changed since the 1890s.
1700 W Montgomery Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19121 · Tue-Fri 9am-4pm, closed Sat-Mon
A 17th-century-style Japanese house in Fairmount Park — koi pond, tea garden, and sliding screens.
114 Horticultural Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19131 · Wed-Fri 11am-4pm, Sat-Sun 11am-5pm (Apr-Oct); limited winter hours
Same family lived here from the 1690s to the 1970s — oldest rose garden in North America.
6026 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19144 · Thu-Sat 12-4pm (Apr-Dec)
Best banh mi in Philadelphia for $4 — from a corner store in West Philly.
810 S 47th St, Philadelphia, PA 19143 · Daily 6:30am-8pm