LESSONS ON THE ROAD FROM PHILLY TO PA DUTCH COUNTRY
Interactive, Educational Experiences Keep Both Kids And Parents Happy

Philadelphia, May 17, 2004 — Travelers interested in entertaining the entire family this summer should tour the chock-full-of-history drive between Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Dutch Country. In both regions (and the territory in between), visitors will find amusement parks, hands-on museums, train and carriages rides, and costumed historical characters that make learning feel like playtime. Just imagine: In one weekend on the road, families can learn about the origins of chocolate at The Academy of Natural Sciences, hunt for animal artifacts at the Mercer Museum and experience life on the farm with a trip to a working farm bed and breakfast. (And that’s just the beginning!)

PHILADELPHIA AND ITS COUNTRYSIDE

Historical Sites:

• 2004 marks the first summer season for the Liberty Bell Center, the new light-filled home of an international icon of freedom. Inside the Center, larger-than-life historical documents and graphic images explore the facts and myths surrounding the Bell, its origins and its modern day role. X-rays give an insider’s view, literally, of the Bell’s crack and inner workings, while in quiet alcoves, a short film, available in English and eight other languages, traces how the Bell emerged as a symbol for both freedom attained and freedom not yet achieved. Market Street between 5th & 6th Streets, (215) 965-2305, www.nps.gov/inde
   

• Kicking off a whole year of voting-related exhibits dedicated to the right to vote, the National Constitution Center teaches kids and parents about the voting process with artifacts such as a copy of the 15th Amendment, granting all male citizens, regardless of race, the right to vote. From start to finish, the super-interactive Center is loaded with fun displays and high-tech gadgets for learning about the nation’s most important four-page document. Kids can preside over a Supreme Court hearing, take the Presidential Oath of Office and vote for their favorite president of all time. 525 Arch Street, (866) 917-1787, www.constitutioncenter.org

Museums and Attractions:

• A tasty experience for the whole family is Chocolate: The Exhibition, on display at The Academy of Natural Sciences from June 12, 2004 through September 6, 2004, and how sweet (and educational) it is! The exhibit explores the plant, products, history and culture of chocolate through the lenses of botany, ecology, anthropology, economics, conservation and popular culture. 19th Street & the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, (215) 299-1000, www.acnatsci.org
   

• The Academy Award-winning movie may have brought intense national attention to the story of the ill-fated Titanic, but it’s the traveling exhibit, on display at The Franklin Institute Science Museum from July 10, 2004 through January 23, 2005, that employs more than 300 original artifacts to recount the ship’s voyage. Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition is an experiential journey in which visitors meet the Titanic’s passengers and crew, touch the iceberg, feel how cold the ocean was and witness a recreation of the night sky. 222 N. 20th Street, (215) 448-1200, www.franklininstitute.org
   

• The Mercer Museum's not just for grown-ups anymore. Now, kids can have just as much fun as their parents exploring the museum’s vast collection of early American tools, folk art and furnishings. In the Animals on the Loose exhibit, on display through 2004, children ages three- to eight-years-old team up with Rollo, Henry Mercer’s favorite dog, on a hands-on adventure to track down animal artifacts from the museum. 84 S. Pine Street, Doylestown, (215) 345-0210, www.mercermuseum.org
   

• At Giggleberry Fair, found within Bucks County’s historic Peddler’s Village, families can experience the ultimate in “edu-tainment.” Giggleberry’s magnificent Grand Carousel is a throwback to simpler times, while Giggleberry Mountain is pure 21st-century fun. The indoor obstacle course is complete with thousands of foam berries, powerful berry blasters and side-by-side racing slides. In Discovery Land, where imagination and creativity rule, kids can pretend to be a farmer on a pick-up truck, go fishing in a multilevel waterway and shop for produce at the fruit stand. Routes 202 & 263, Lahaska, (215) 794-8960, www.peddlersvillage.com

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH COUNTRY

Historical Sites:

• Step back in time and experience a turning point in the Civil War at the Gettysburg National Military Park. Tour the battlefields by bus, car, bike, on foot or horseback and learn about the hardships endured during the three-day battle in 1863. Civil War living history demonstrations take place throughout the year. Visitor Center between Taneytown Road & Steinwehr Avenue, Gettysburg, (717) 334-1124, www.nps.gov/gett
   

• See how Pennsylvania’s only U.S. president lived with a tour of James Buchanan’s Wheatland, the residence of the nation’s 15th president. Explore the lush grounds or learn about the president’s life in Lancaster with a grand tour led by costumed guides. Open through November. 1120 Marietta Avenue, Lancaster, (717) 392-8721, www.wheatland.org

Museums and Attractions:

• Visit Boyds Bear Country for a look at the world’s most humongous teddy bear display and factory. Here, visitors can explore the history of the bears and even create one of their own. 75 Cunningham Road, Gettysburg, (866) 367-8338, www.boydsbearcountry.com
   

• Visitors can view a completely preserved 18th- and 19th-century iron-making complex at the Cornwall Iron Furnace, a landmark of Pennsylvania’s iron and steel industry. Boyd & Rexmont Streets, Cornwall, (717) 272-9711, http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bhsm/toh/cornwall/cornwalliron.asp
   

• German settlers seeking spiritual fulfillment rather than earthly rewards founded the Ephrata Cloister in 1732. One of America’s earliest religious communities, the Cloister is known for its fraktur, an ornate form of medieval German lettering, as well as for the community’s original art and music. Route 322, Ephrata, (717) 733-6600, www.ephratacloister.org
   

• Who can resist the “sweetest place on Earth,” and the chance to design their own chocolate treats? Hershey’s Chocolate World gives an insider’s look at how the famous Hershey chocolate creations are made, while the brand-new Hershey Factory Works lets visitors become part of an interactive chocolate factory. 800 Park Boulevard, Hershey, (800) HERSHEY, www.hersheypa.com
   

• Once an actual crossroads village, the Landis Valley Museum is now a tribute to Pennsylvania German living history with an amazing collection of rural artifacts. Experience the traditions of the Pennsylvania Germans who settled in Lancaster County, and get a first-hand look at how those settlers lived on the 100-acre site through demonstrations and interpretations. 2451 Kissel Hill Road, Lancaster, (717) 569-0401, www.landisvalleymuseum.org
   

• Experience life in merrie olde England as the Mount Hope Estate & Winery in Manheim is transformed into a 16th-century Elizabethan village for the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. This year, visitors can become part of the action as Queen Elizabeth I and cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, confront each other to determine the rightful heir to the English Throne. Weekends August 14 through October 24. Route 72 & PA Turnpike, Manheim, (717) 665-7021, www.parenfaire.com
   

• Sit in an engineer’s seat and explore an old caboose at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, a haven for train enthusiasts of all ages. Pennsylvania’s premier museum of railroading houses more than 100 historically significant locomotives and railcars and offers special demonstrations and displays throughout the year. Route 741, Strasburg, (717) 687-8628, www.rrmuseumpa.org

"Agri-tourism":

• Get lost in the corn at the Amazing Maize Maze at Cherry-Crest Farm and see what “agri-tainment” is all about. Former Disney Broadway producer Don Frantz has created an interactive maze in a five-acre cornfield with the 2004 theme “Heading West.” The maze offers fun for the entire family and is open July 3 through October 30, 2004. 150 Cherry Hill Road, Ronks, (717) 687-6843, www.cherrycrestfarm.com
   

• Go “back to basics” and experience life on a working farm with a stay at a working farm bed and breakfast in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Guests begin their days with a hearty farm breakfast, and then head off to the farm to gather eggs, milk cows and play with kittens. More than 30 farm stay B&Bs exist throughout the region. www.afarmstay.com

For travel package information, visitors should consult their AAA travel counselor or visit www.gophila.com/AAA or www.padutchcountry.com/AAA. 

The AAA state cooperative campaign is a multi-year program designed to encourage automobile travel in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Collaborating with the Pennsylvania Tourism Office are the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCVB) and the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau.

# # #

2004

Back to News Release List