Pennsylvania

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Updates to Kids Love Pennsylvania

Changes:

C – STATE MUSEUM OF PENNSYLVANIA (pg. 102). The phone number is incorrect. It should be: (717) 787-4980. The best info is still on their website: www.statemuseumpa.org.

Additions:

CE – CHILDREN’S MUSEUM, 2 West Seventh Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815; 570-389-9206 www.the-childrens-museum.org Hours: June 12-December 15, 2007 Tues. to Sat. 10am-4pm. December 20-29 call for limited hours. Closed Sunday, Monday and major holidays. General admission: $5.00 (children and adults). No admission fee for children two years old and younger. Groups by appointment-special hours arranged, discounted admission for groups of 10 or more. Explore, discover and have fun while learning with over 50 different interactive exhibits. Special programs offered each month. 2007 Theme: People.

SE – Penns Creek. T&D's Cats of the World - Wild Animal Refuge, P.O. Box 186, Mountain Road, Penns Creek, PA 17862. www.tdscats.com or 570.837.3377. One family owns and operates an exotic wildlife refuge for unwanted, abused and confiscated animals. T & D's is a not for profit refuge and is opened May to Sept for visitors. Admission - Ages 3-12 $5.00 per person, Ages 13 and over $10.00 per person. Special Admission during June, July, and August (in addition to Saturdays and Sundays). Hour tours offered Mondays through Fridays at 10:00am and 2:00pm. Arrive early. Tours start on time. Admission - $10.00 per person. October through April-Groups by appointment. The tour through the woods takes approximately an hour and half to complete. Students will learn about the native habitat, diet, distribution, and adaptations of each species; as well as conservation activities, how the animals came to T&D’s, and why these animals should not be kept as pets. Students will be able to get within four feet of the animals--close enough to count the whiskers on the lions and tigers! They will also have the opportunity to feed deer, goats, and ducks.

SE - Lancaster Science Factory, 454 New Holland Avenue, Lancaster, PA 17602. Phone: 717-509-6363. Website: www.lancastersciencefactory.com. Experience the interactive, hands-on learning environment of the Lancaster Science Factory. Through exhibits, work stations and mini-labs, children can experiment and create as they learn the principles of science and the application of science in engineering and technology. In this exciting learning environment, children of all ages will develop curiosity about how things work, will be challenged to think creatively and will build self-confidence as they discover that Science is Fun! Hours: (Sept - June) Tues.-Sat, 10 to 5; Sun. Noon to 5:00(July - Aug) Mon-Sat, 10 to 5; Sun., Noon to 5:00.

SE – WORLD CAFÉ LIVE, 3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. 215-222-1400 or www.worldcafelive.com. Peanut Butter & Jams at World Cafe Live is about creating fun and interactive live music experience for kids and parents. Perfect for a family outing, children's birthday parties, or just for a fun afternoon, the Dodge Caravan Peanut Butter & Jams series is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Join them each Saturday morning for the show and follow it up with a family friendly lunch buffet (not included in ticket price). Doors generally open at 11:00 am with the show starting at 11:30am, but you should always check each performance listing for times or any changes. Show admission: $7.00-$15.00 per person. Lunch buffet:$7.00-$10.00.

More Fun Information About:

CE – KNOEBEL’S (pg. 31). Additional features: Knoebels Coal Mining Museum. Free admission to Knoebels’ tribute to the anthracite coal mining industry. Knoebels History Museum - View a time line and photo exhibit detailing the history of Knoebels. Located in the rear of the Mining Museum. Knoebels Carousel Museum - Learn about the history of the carousel in America and see examples of the work of all of the major carousel carvers.

CE - The Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania is celebrating the arrival of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, its new AAA Minor League baseball team, in 2008. Affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies, the team will play ball in their new home, Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, on April 11. Lehigh Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, 610-973-3819, www.LehighValleyPA.org

SC - In Gettysburg, the $103-million Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center, featuring 12 galleries, will open in April. In September, the famous Cyclorama painting will open to the public for the Visitor Center’s grand opening, and in November, the David Wills House – where President Abraham Lincoln finished the Gettysburg Address – will open. Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau, 717- 338-1055, www.gettysburg.travel

SE - Longwood Gardens opened a dynamic new Indoor Children’s Garden that is a horticultural wonderland for children. Visitors now can encounter an imaginative group of one-of-a-kind, handcrafted garden elements such as a Drooling Dragon, Spitting Fish, and a Pelican to name a few. Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau, 610-719-1730, www.brandywinevalley.com

SW - In honor of Pittsburgh’s 250th anniversary, the region has a year-long celebration in store. From the completion of the Great Allegheny Passage, a trail that connects Pittsburgh to Washington, DC, to a fabulous festival of lights where buildings in and around Downtown are illuminated, Pittsburgh celebrates in a big way. VisitPittsburgh 1-877-LOVE PGH (1-877-568-3744), www.visitpittsburgh.com.

SW – Pittsburgh. Heinz History Center (pg. 183).Westinghouse Museum Merges With History Center. Effective Nov. 8, 2007, the George Westinghouse Museum officially merged with the Senator John Heinz History Center. As a Smithsonian affiliate museum and Pennsylvania's largest history museum, the History Center is proud to welcome the Westinghouse Museum's collections in an effort to best preserve the Westinghouse legacy for future generations. From the invention of the airbrake and automobile shock absorbers to the development of railroad signaling and the modern day weekend, the Westinghouse story is an integral part of Western Pennsylvania's 250 year history of innovation. As part of the merger with the History Center, all of the Westinghouse Museum's archival materials and museum artifacts will be added to the History Center's collections.

SW – Pittsburgh area. A Weekend in Pittsburgh and Its Countryside - Pittsburgh is so exciting! Pittsburgh is also so interactive! Who Knew? On a recent trip to the city by the Three Rivers, we found an overflowing handful of surprises. Here’s our report:

Countryside:

NEMACOLIN (pg. 168) Located in the scenic Laurel Highlands on 2800 acres, the 335 room resort features a spa; golf course; the shooting academy; the off-road driving academy, a 3-stage instructional experience featuring hummer h1s and h2s; mystic mountain ski area; adventure course (ropes, Zipline, paintball, rock climbing wall, mountain bike rentals); miniature golf; every sport court imaginable; equestrian - trail rides, surrey rides, and sleigh rides; 6 swimming pools (2 indoor, one of which is just for children/families); The Marina at Paige's Beach - canoes, kayaks, pedal boats and small sailboat rentals. Once you’re settled in, your hardest decision is what to do first? · Lodging - as you step inside the Chateau foyer, modeled after the famed Ritz Paris, you may wonder if the place is a bit pretentious. that feeling leaves almost immediately as you quickly find families in every corner. the site of beach towels around their necks and the pit-pat of flip-flops makes you want to start exploring. but first, we checked into our Lodge room - original to the resort, the lodge is an English Tudor style hotel with room decor reminiscent of a comfortable English country inn. very comfortable and kid-friendly. · The Tavern - world's largest free-standing cylindrical salt water aquarium with a wrap-around breakfast bar for dining. Look for the gold bar from the sunken Spanish galleon Santa margarita. Try to see if you see the "Steelers" fish (black and gold). The menu is casual, American fare with offerings like homemade potato chips and root beer floats and pizza. Retail stores - little 'streetside' shops and whimsical sculptures fill many corridors but the kids esp. like the 50s soda shop, the arcade and the candy and toy shop (all conveniently located together in one large space). the kids activities and pool area is based from this same space so the kids can just settle into one area and feel comfortable. Wildlife academy (nursery tours for a fee or safari tours or just a pop in visit wolves in the wild, dozens of horses or maybe a panther) and special wildlife habitats (black bears, zebras, elk, bison, and moose have habitats scattered around the golf course). you can take the shuttle around, walk the property (maybe walk off that huge banana split) or drive and park near the featured stops in the woodlands or around the links.
FORT NECESSITY (pg 167) - Sight and sound experience as you enter spaces - ex. crossfire, characters talk at the roadside rest while you pull up a seat and listen in. Whose story of how the war started do you believe? Outside - soft play fort and conestoga wagon with mini slides; pop in heads picture photo ops; short 1/5th to 1/2 mile trail walks to fort and other museum sites along the National Road
FALLINGWATER (pg 173) - Note: no child care center anymore. Instead, try the Family Tour - a tour through the major rooms of the house, plus activities that explain how Fallingwater stands up. Appropriate for families with children ages 5-11. How many leaks in the stone? How many cantilevers in the building? New website: www.fallingwater.org
BIG MAC MUSEUM RESTAURANT (NEW) - North Huntingdon Township (Rte. 30 just off the PA turnpike at Exit 67). Say Cheese in front of the world's largest Big Mac replica and have a big bite of fun in the state-of-the-art jungle PlayPlace. While you're there, pull up a seat and enjoy a Big Mac with the inventor; race to sing the world famous tongue twisting recipe "jingle"; or just look at all the classic memorabilia on display.

City:

CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF PITTSBURGH (pg. 179) - So, have all the dramatic changes to the museum worked? Yes, it's a success and this is what they found: Children Learned more when their parents were interacting with them as opposed to standing back and watching. So, moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, be prepared for not kid-centered exhibits, but family centered spaces. Check out Mister Roger's Neighborhood exhibit, a hometown favorite. Music, folks playing with puppets in the castle; videos of shows; Mr. Roger's Sweater and Sneakers and "excerpts" from the set add to this open space. The River is so unique as its the only one we've seen with walk in water play spaces. Coats and Shoes are required because you might build a water fountain to the sky and then want to jump around in it;-) The Backyard has clever interactive sculpture where you become part of the sculpture's movement and maybe even make music by your actions. Bubbling Mud has clay you "boil" to fit your mood - a babbling brook or an explosion. As of July 1, New pricing of $10.00 for adults and $9.00 for children 2-18.
GRAND CONCOURSE RESTAURANT (New Listing) - Station Square. Kids Menu in the magnificent 1901 Victorian Train Station (kids like trying to find the most unique stained glass window themes) consists of items like pasta, chicken, fish, shrimp, burgers and grilled cheese ($6.99-$8.50). A great way to take in the "flavor" of old Pittsburgh at a real train station.
STRIP DISTRICT (New Listing) - Start your half-day trip with breakfast at Pamela's (60 21st Street, 412-281-6366) in the Strip District, which is several city blocks at the edge of downtown offering enticing food markets, coffee shops, restaurants and quirky shops (ex. a store that makes and sells handmade giant crayons that actually work). Serving Breakfast and Lunch everyday, most meals are around $5.00. Try the crepe hotcakes or french toast with chocolate and bananas. After shopping and lunch, bring your crew into Klavon's Original Art Deco Soda Fountain (Penn Avenue & 28th Street, www.klavonsicecream.com). They serve old-fashioned ice cream treats and "penny" candy.
CARNEGIE MUSEUMS OF ART & NATURAL HISTORY (pg 187) - Check out whatever new exhibit is on display at the art museum - we saw packing tape philosophical art. Very funky and fun. With every kid visit, be sure to pick up a gallery search scavenger hunt card. Complete them and stop back for a prize at the end of your visit. You won't want to miss the Natural History's "revamp" of their dinosaur collection - "Dinosaurs in their Time". Take a few moments observing the Paleo Lab where actual dino doctors work on real pieces. The new exhibits showcase cast bones in natural settings with bright, contemporary lighting (not old dark hallways). Parts of the path allow guests to walk under the huge tails of several dinos.
PITTSBURGH ZOO & PPG AQUARIUM(pg 175) - You won't want to miss their newest exhibit of polar bears and sea otters. What a treat to see these playful, curious water creatures from all angles. The setup actually allows you to look above, beside and below the water in a cute seaside town motif.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES (pg 175) - Watch the Pirates take on other League teams at PNC park. On game nights, the city closes the Roberto Clemente Bridge to vehicles and street performers, vendors and pedestrians swarm the area - every other group walking towards the stadium might very well be a family - even babies dressed in their black and gold fan apparel. What a feeling to be part of on a nice summer's eve. The concessions at the park are upscale fair food and many are grilled upon ordering, not prepared ahead, so every sandwich is fresh.

And, if you get lost meandering Pittsburgh streets around construction zones, just stop any native and they’ll be glad to help you find your way. Some even wrote a map on napkins, others volunteered to drive ahead with us following. Pittsburgh IS so exciting! Pittsburgh IS so interactive (even getting directions)! Who Knew?

Seasonal & Special Events:

CE – Danville. IRON HERITAGE FESTIVAL. www.ironheritagefestival.net. The Iron Age, 1829 thru 1950 and Danville, PA are truly synonymous. In 1829, the first Iron foundry was established in Danville to manufacture wagon boxes, plowshares, andirons sadiron and griddles. In 1839-1840 Iron Ore started to be mined locally and in 1840 the first Anthracite furnace to efficiently produce iron was opened in Danville. On Oct 8, 1845, the first T-rail in America was rolled out at the Montour Iron Works, the largest iron manufacturing plant in the United States. The T-rail made it possible for Pennsylvania and America to become the leader in the industrial revolution. This festival is a celebration of America's ingenuity and foresight and is of interest for all of our Nation's citizens. Charcoal pit and iron ore tours and demonstrations, parade, costumed crafters and demos. Admission. (mid-July weekend)

General:

The folks at the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and their website: www.phmc.state.pa.us deserve credit for several photos within the pages of our book. Here is a listing of site pictures that receive credit now: Eckley’s Miners Village; PA Lumber Museum; Erie Maritime Museum; State Museum of PA; Daniel Boone Homestead; Landis Valley Museum; Railroad Museum of PA; and Washington Crossing.