BAT's Passport
 | Been to 213 Attractions |
 | 193 Reviews |
 | 93 First to Review |
 | 563 Photos |
 | 70 Helpful Votes |
Compliments
(7)
(3)
(2)
(2)
(6)
(19)
Send a Message 
Send a ComplimentAbout Me & My Family
We are a busy family with 3 kids and we don't sit still. When we aren't running off to scouts, dance, sports, etc., we really enjoy spending time as a family. If we have a day we will try to find someplace local to explore. If we have a weekend we go a little further. Give us a week and we can really pack it in. We are always on the lookout for family friendly destinations (especially hotels which seem so hard to find!). Our vacations are not spent floating in the pool...they are spent exploring the area to its fullest!
Our Family's Travel Personality
adventurous, curious, energetic, easy_going
We Just Got Back From
Washington DC
Our Favorite Vacation Spot
Washington DC
A Place We'd Love To Visit
Yellowstone
Favorite Vacation Memory
My daughter is such a pip and thinks the hotel is the destination. If we do sightseeing along the way she just keeps asking "when are we going to get to the hotel?" She loves checking out our new "home away from home" and she LOVES the fact that she gets to share a room with someone!!
Worst Travel Moment With My Kids:
the car sick kid
Websites I Like:
Fun Overnight Experiences for families around Philadelphia
Have you always wondered what happened at the zoo or a museum after the lights go out at night? This may be your chance to find out! The following is a list of some fun places you can book an over night experience.
3400 West Girard Avenue
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Comment:
The Roars and Snores Overnight Program offers several opportunities to choose from for both families and groups. Come experience the zoo after hours!
3260 South Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Comment:
40 Winks with Sphinx program is offered to kids ages 6-12 on select Friday's throughout the year. Hands on activities, including a scavenger hunt throughout the museum by flashlight, provide a fun way to discover ancient cultures.
100 Clinton Stree
Camden, New Jersey
Comment:
Live like a sailor! The overnight experience accommodates both families and groups.
222 North 20th Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Comment:
Offers Camp-In programs for ages 6-13, scout overnight programs
reviewed on: June 19 2012
"Hands-On Fun!"
My kids were captured as soon as they walked into their first exhibit and realized they could "play" with it! The exhibits are truely hands-on and the kids get to learn while they are interacting.My 3 enjoyed their journey through the famous giant heart, learning about electricity (they didn't even mind being shocked by Ben Franklin's Key), and they really loved the sports room where they got to surf, throw balls, kick a soccer ball and more.
Throughout the day there are additinonal programs and shows, many of which are included with your admission. There are "traveling" carts, where the kids can make paper, learn about the tesla coil, and more. My kids loved the CBS Weather Show where 2 of them were called up on stage to help with the demonstrations. Another fun spot was the observatory on the top floor. Even though the roof was closed due to predictions of storms, they had telescopes set up that we were able to use and the staff memeber was very knowlegeable and friendly. The planetarium is also included with admission and offers several shows throughout the day.
The IMAX Films and Franklin Theater, as well as special exhibitions, are all available at an additional fee.
The downsides of our visit were that many exhibits weren't working (although there was still plenty to do and this didn't slow our visit down in the least) and the cafeteria food was extremely expensive. If you can avoid eating in, avoid it.
My advice is to get there early. We arrived just after they opened and there was hardly anyone there. When we stopped for a lunch break the line was enormously long and took a long time just to get to the front of the line and purchase tickets.
Overall? We give it a 2 thumbs up. We spent a full day there and enjoyed every moment of it.
Disclosure: We were provided complimentary tickets for our visit. We were not asked to express a particular point of view and all opinions are my own.
Nineteenth Street and Ben Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Comment:
Safari Overnights offer you interactive activities and fun exploration of the museum.
1 Riverside Drive
Camden, New Jersey
Comment:
Sleep over at the aquarium available for ages 6-12. Includes behind the scenes tour, free time to explore and more.
reviewed on: July 26 2012
"Lots of fun"
The aquarium is broken up into "zones". Each one has something great to enjoy. Be sure to check out the times for shows, feedings, and other experiences and try to work them into your visit if you can. We took the time to enjoy Professor Reef's Ocean Realm Showdown and we found him very entertaining, as in funny. He was not your typical, boring "let me tell you about marine life" lecture at all but quite a humorous character. The best highlights of the aquarium are the hippos, the shark tube (sharks are swimming all around you! Very cool.), the touch tanks and the KidZone. We also enjoyed watching the penguins play in their outdoor Penguin Island.
There are multiple touch tank experiences including sharks, stingray (which for a small fee you can feed them, a definite neat experience. I feel it is a must do), and multiple touch tanks in the KidZone. What I liked about the main touch tank in the KidZone is it contained animals that you don't normally see in your typical touch tank such as swimming fish and red shrimp. The kids really enjoyed the touch tank experiences a lot.
My first impression of the Kidz Zone is that it is loud. However, the kids love it. There are multiple touch tanks to explore, fun photo ops, a mini maze to crawl through and some other fun things to play with. They even have a lab where they grow their own food.
This summer, until September 3, you can enjoy a special exhibit called Megalodon - The Largest Shark that Ever Lived. Learn lots about the ancient Megalodon, touch some of its real life teeth, and see 4 different sized jaws, a progression of how it grows as it ages. There is also a large life size scultpure hanging that you can walk through and learn more.
The cafe, gets crowded and isn't cheap, but that is to be expected at these tourist places. They did try to offer some affordable options such as the family 4 pack of hotdogs, fries & drinks for $27.99. That sounds like a lot for hotdogs and fries but for what it normally costs to feed 4 people in these cafe's I didn't think it was bad. I also felt the kids meal was a pretty good value. Your choice of hot dog or popcorn chicken with fries, bag of goldfish, oreos and juice box served in a plastic pail for less than $8. There is a food cart in the outside exhibit area of Zone B where the penguin and seal exhibits are. You can find a food cart in the corridor leading to Zones A/B where there is also access to outdoor seating.
It is definitely worth a visit. We had a great day and would definitely return again in the future.
Disclosure: This review is based on a complimentary visit. I was not compensated in any way and was not asked to express a particular point of view. All opinions are mine based on my experience.
