Where to take your family in West Philly

Please Touch Museum

Expensive for a one time visit, but they sell a family pass for $150 a year. Great museum for toddlers and kids - tons of things for them to interact with and play with. Free carousel tickets for members. Great photo ops for parents.

Fairmont Park Horticultural Center

Beautiful plants and gardens in this area of Fairmount Park. No admission to walk the grounds, but the Japanese House does charge admission. Great scenery and a great place for a family walk on a nice day.

Clark Park

Clark Park looks small on a map, but it's a thriving center of activity in West Philly / University City. Something's always going on, and in the event that there's not, there's still a ton of people hanging out. Highlights for me include the Farmer's Market and the statue of Charles Dickens, which always seemed a little random to me.

Fu-Wah Mini Market

No trip to Clark Park is complete for me without a dash down the street to Fu-Wah. It's a convenience store with lots of items you normally see in a health food store. But the reason why Fu-Wah is locally famous is the tofu hoagies you can get for take out. Our kids love them!

Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant

West Philly has some great Ethiopian restaurants, and this is one of them. Abyssinia has a solid vegetarian menu with reasonable prices. They do have a bar and a night scene, but the dining room is very family-friendly. Kids that are too young to sit still should find some room to roam without bothering other patrons.