Great kid-friendly things to do to stay warm in Philadelphia.
By WhereTraveler
After a race around the ice-skating rink, cozy up to a fire pit at the Waterfront Winterfest in Philly. (© Matt Stanley)
WhereTraveler takes us to historic Philadelphia for some warm and toasty winter activities the whole family will love.
Philadelphia winters can be harsh, with bone-chilling winds and slippery slushy sidewalks, which makes us the experts on getting warm and staying cozy. Don’t let the cold deter you and your family from exploring this historic city. The City of Brotherly Love will keep you warm.
Ice-Skating
Get your heart rate pumping by a race around the rink. The latest addition to City Hall’s Dilworth Park is the Rothman Institute Ice Rink opening Nov. 14 through Feb. 21. Stay toasty in the rink’s warming tent and enjoy a light meal at Jose Garces’ onsite restaurant Rosa Blanca Café. With views of City Hall and a full bill of seasonal programming, Rothman Rink will be the destination for frosty fun this fall and winter.
For prime views of the waterfront and winter fun head to the Blue Cross RiverRink at Penn’s Landing, open Nov. 28 to March 1, an Olympic-sized public ice rink overlooking the Delaware River.
Head to the Delaware River Waterfront to join the festive fun at Waterfront Winterfest. (© Matt Stanley)
After a cheery and chilly night of ice-skating at the RiverRink, gather around a fire pit with friends and family during the Waterfront Winterfest. With a breathtaking view of the Philadelphia skyline and cheerful Christmas music playing overhead, the RiverRink is best enjoyed at night when the whole rink is basked in colorful lights hanging from the tall evergreens surrounding the grounds.
Hot Chocolate
Want to skip the hot chocolate scrub and get straight to the edible kind? Hit up Rim Café in South Philadelphia’s famous Italian Market for a one-of-a-kind hot chocolate tasting experience. Go for the “Volcano,” a hot chocolate drink that you need to see to believe, and listen to owner Rene play his bongo drums or catch him make his chocolate masterpieces. Enjoy creations by chocolate alchemist Robert F. Campbell, Jr. at Sazon. This Venezuelan cuisine restaurant has an extensive menu of hot chocolate drinks with a twist. Stick with the classic, laden with five different cacao beans, or get experimental with the “Smurf,” made with dark chocolate and blueberry port wine, topped with fresh blueberry cream.
Nature
A curious eye catches another in the Butterflies! exhibit of the Academy of Natural Sciences. (© Conrad Erb)
Find solace on a draining windy day at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University in the Butterflies! Exhibit, an enclosed tropical garden, kept at a balmy 85 degrees, filled with plants and butterflies from all over the world. Up to 150 butterflies inhibit the space and can be found flittering around the room, resting on plants and at eating stations, or even museum guests that stand very still.
A Longwood Christmas at Longwood Gardens provides a spectacular break from city life with their whimsical bird-inspired holiday festivities. Observe the topiary swans of the Exhibition Hall or the trees depicting tales such as “The Ugly Duckling.” Colorful fountains set to holiday music will be on display below a half-million lights, illuminating the grounds on chilly winter nights.
(MORE: Find more kid-friendly hotels to stay in Philadelphia during your trip.)
Bookstores
Get lost in the shelves teeming with titles at Joseph Fox Books. (© Erin Pugh )
What better way to beat the cold than lost in the crowded bookshelf aisles of a local bookstore? Don’t be fooled by the size of Joseph Fox Books, a shoebox-shaped store with a carefully curated book selection. Their well-stocked children’s section overflowing with classics is the perfect place to bring wily kids. Hidden away in a brownstone in University City is House of Our Own, with books tucked into every nook and cranny of the charming home, even the closets. Old City-bound bibliophiles flock to The Book Trader, a used bookstore that is quite literally floor-to-ceiling covered in novels, DVDs, VHS tapes and any other book related paraphernalia you could think of.
Author Amy Gordon is a contributor to WhereTraveler. WhereTraveler contributed this to MiniTime.
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