Family-Friendly Things to Do in Center City Philadelphia

September 8, 2026

Children and parents playing in pond and playground.

Center City is a destination for families as much as it is for award-winning restaurants and nightlife. From interactive museum exhibits to free outdoor programming, there is something here for every age. Here are some of the best family-friendly things to do in Center City Philadelphia, whether you have a full day downtown or an hour between errands.

Spend the day outside at Sister Cities Park
📍Sister Cities Park, 210 S. 18th St.

Sister Cities Park is a family-friendly green space along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Kids can burn energy in the Children’s Discovery Garden, inspired by the Wissahickon Valley Park, and cool off in the seasonal fountain and pond, while grown-ups grab coffee and bites at Sister Cities Café. It’s an easy, low-cost outing for the whole family.

Mini golf at Puttshack in the Shops at Liberty Place

📍The Shops at Liberty Place, 1625 Chestnut St.

Looking for some healthy competition? Puttshack’s four courses use automatic scoring technology, so the game stays fair for players of every skill level. Kids watch their ball light up and score itself while parents order from the full food and drink menu. The venue is family-friendly during the day and shifts to 21-and-up in the evening, so plan an earlier visit for the full family experience.

Catch a show at a Center City theater

Some of Philadelphia’s most celebrated stages call Center City home, and a season subscription turns one trip downtown into a year of outings.

Walnut Street Theatre, America’s oldest continuously operating theater, opens its 218th season at 825 Walnut Street with The Addams Family and Disney’s Frozen. A few blocks away on the Avenue of the Arts, the Tony Award-winning Wilma Theater brings The Little Prince to Broad Street in November.

People gathered in front of the Walnut Street Theatre

Stop for ice cream in Center City

Beat the heat without leaving Center City. Bassetts Ice Cream, the country’s oldest ice cream company, has been scooping inside Reading Terminal Market since the market opened in 1892. Over in Rittenhouse Square, Vita and Moment serve delicious gelato, while Scoop DeVille and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams keep rotating flavor lists that give families a reason to come back.

Family programming at the Kimmel Center
📍300 S. Broad St.

Ensemble Arts Philly’s Family Discovery Series brings shows to the Kimmel Center all year long, with a 2026–2027 lineup that spans high-energy percussion and dance to full concert experiences. Highlights include the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Children’s Halloween Spectacular, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Concert, a Children’s Holiday Spectacular, and family favorites like Peter and the Wolf.