Check out what's new for families in April!
Attractions and Tours
Can you find all the Phillie Phanatics? The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation & the Phillies have placed six-ft. statues of everyone’s favorite mascot throughout the city. The statues are painted by local artists & can be found at 20 popular sites, ranging from The Franklin Institute to the airport. For updates, visit www.uwishunu.com/tag/phanatic-around-town
April is Month of Pet Caring at The Crayola Factory in Easton. Bring a canned pet food item to benefit the Animal Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley & receive $1 off admission. Regular admission: $9.75.
Learn about the history of the National Guard in a new permanent exhibit opening April 1 at the National Liberty Museum in Phila. Free with admission, $5-$7 or $15 per family.
The exhibit Work or Play: Childhood in the Early 1900s at Pennypacker Mills in Schwenksville, through Aug. 30, offers a glimpse into the working lives of kids of the past. Kids can also explore domestic life in a hands-on history area of the barn. Suggested $2 admission donation.
Check out the perspective of a prison guard and see if you can spot Philadelphia landmarks through a new TowerCam! exhibit at Eastern State Penitentiary, opening April 10. Cameras are set up in the high guard towers on site & you can see the view on large TV screens. Free with admission, $8-$12. Ages 6 & younger are not permitted to visit the site.
Beautiful aromatic plants are on display at Longwood Gardens starting April 10 during Making Scents: The Art & Passion of Fragrance. Learn about perfume & the science of smell. See if you can identify the types of perfume scents & mix your own fragrance on a scented card. Kids can also become “Scent Seekers” & follow a guide to learn more about the perfume industry. Through Nov. 21. Free with admission, $6-$16, ages 4 & younger free.
Life-size LEGO brick animals inhabit the Philadelphia Zoo during Creatures of Habitat, April 10-Oct. 31. Families can also learn about endangered wildlife through the new exhibit. Free with admission, $15-$18.
The Michener Art Museum in Doylestown premieres Icons of Costume: Hollywood’s Golden Era & Beyond on April 17. Movie & TV fashions on display through Sept. 5 include Dorothy’s gingham dress from The Wizard of Oz & the heart-shaped necklace from Titanic. On weekends, families can dress up & act out roles from The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind & Terminator 2 in a “Screen Test” portion of the exhibit. The short scenes will be uploaded to the Museum’s YouTube channel. Free with admission, $5-$10, ages 5 & younger free.
Performances
Plays & Players in Phila. presents Step On A Crack, a modern twist on the Cinderella story, as part of its Family Series of shows, April 2-18. $10-$15 or $30 family 4-pack.
The Delaware Children’s Theatre in Wilmington presents Jack & the Beanstalk, April 11-May 1. $10.
What happens If You Give a Mouse a Cookie? Arden Theatre Company’s children’s production, based on the book by Laura Joffe Numeroff, explores the chaos that ensues. April 14-May 30 in Phila. Ages 5 & up. $16-$32.
Meet “dream-givers,” mystical creatures who gather memories & turn them into dreams during Gossamer, April 29-May 23 at People’s Light & Theatre Company in Malvern. Ages 9 & up. $20-$29.
Expect colorful costumes and rockin’ tunes during The Players Club of Swarthmore Theater’s Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, April 29-May 15 (pictured right). $10-$22.
Stephanie Halinski is calendar editor of MetroKids.
