Delco Offers Family Fun for Everyone!

Kids can be hard to please, but they’ll be all smiles when they’re in Delco thanks to the wide variety of kid and family-friendly attractions and activities.  Museums, theaters, arboretums, nature preserves – and more! They’re all perfect for keeping the kiddos engaged and entertained.  

We’ll admit the idea of catching a large-mouth bass within in the shadow of the Philadelphia International Airport sounds, well, a little fishy. But at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum it happens all the time!  So does spotting a Bald Eagle. Or seeing a kayak slide into the creek. Or runners lacing up to hit one of the ten miles of trails. They’re all common activities within the refuge – making it an urban oasis for both wildlife and your family.

 

Philly is an undisputed sports paradise, and Subaru Park – right here in Delco! – is home to Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union.  With fast-paced action, a gorgeous stadium designed for soccer, amazing views of the Delaware River, and lots of crowd participation, it’s quite possible you might forget about football (just momentarily, Eagles fans) and fall in love with fútbol—just as the rest of the world has.

 

A popular spot for Delco locals to enjoy the outdoors, Ridley Creek State Park has more than 2,600 acres of woodlands and meadows with the creek meandering right through the middle. There are both paved and unpaved trails suitable for walking, running, dog-walking, rollerblading, or biking. The creek is stocked with trout for fishing and has designated fly-fishing areas as well as a handicapped accessible fishing platform. There are 14 picnic areas equipped with restrooms and grills and some have pavilions and playground equipment as well.

 

Brandywine Museum of Art is a great place to introduce kids to the wonderful world of art. Three floors of galleries feature rotating special exhibitions and galleries dedicated to the Wyeth Family. Throughout the Museum families will find many works appealing to children including paintings and sculptures of animals, illustrations of pirates and characters from classic adventure stories, and colorful landscape and still life paintings.

 

Whether you are looking for an entertaining outdoor play space for kids, a chance to get out and experience nature, or even pick some fresh fruits and vegetables, there’s no better spot in the Greater Philadelphia region than Linvilla Orchards.  For more than 100 years, the Linvill family has owned and operated this 300-acre farm, but Linvilla Orchards is more than just a farm.  It is part education, part entertainment and part enormous amounts of edible goodies!

 

Golf is a great activity for the whole family.  Enjoy a game at a local mini-golf course like Putt-Putt Fun Center in Clifton Heights, or Folsom’s DelcoLand.  Younger more experienced duffers can hit the links at one of Delco’s five public courses:  Clayton Park Golf Course, The Golf Course at Glen Mills, McCall Golf Club, Paxon Hollow Golf Club, and Springfield Country Club.

 

Tyler Arboretum’s 650 acres of renowned plant collections, heritage and champion trees, historic buildings and 17 miles of hiking trails are continually explored by gardeners, hikers, botanists, birders, and families alike. The arboretum’s tree houses, Meadow Maze, and Pollinator Preserve (all open seasonally) are popular attractions in the warmer months for young children to discover the joys of the great outdoors.

 

Are you ready to reach for the stars? Budding astronomers can get an up-close look at the night sky at several local university observatories and planetariums including Eastern University, Swarthmore College, Villanova University, and Widener University. Widener, for example, opens their 16-inch computerized Meade Cassegrain reflecting telescope to the public on Monday and Friday nights and hosts star-gazing sessions monthly throughout the fall and spring semesters. Because space is limited, guests are encouraged to register in advance online – a small price to pay for a night that will unleash the imagination.

 

There are few things in life with the energy of a live show. From musicals to literary adaptations to intimate performances, Delco’s theaters offer selections the entire family can enjoy. In addition to main stage productions, Media Theatre, Hedgerow Theatre, Players Club of Swarthmore, Colonial Playhouse, and Upper Darby Summer Stage, all offer a selection of high-quality, well-conceived children’s theater, which are sure to delight audiences young and old.

 

It’s been a long time since Delco  has been considered “farm country”, but there is still one place to see how things were done in the old days: the Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation. Tucked away on 112 acres within Ridley Creek State Park, this working 18th-century farm invites visitors to leave 21st century conveniences behind and experience life in Delaware County as it was more than 200 years ago.  Programming for families and children often includes songs, story-telling, and hands on projects such as butter making, playing with colonial toys and games, and spinning and carding of wool.

 

Want to know more about everything Delco? We’re more than just your source for good eats — we’re your source for where to stay, what to do and more in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. We’re Visit Delco, PA, and we’ve got you covered from Philly to the Brandywine. Contact us at (610) 565-3679, by email, or online.