By Sara Sentor
Pennsylvania has some great
family vacation spots that will fulfill every type of family vacation plan. You can
plan a trip to the zoo or a trip to an art museum, whether its mind blowing rides you are looking for or a place to laze around, Pennsylvania has it all.
Zoo and Aquarium
No trip is complete without a trip to the zoo or aquarium. Open from fall to spring, Pennsylvania boasts some of the best zoological gardens and aquariums in the country. There is the Philadelphia Zoological Garden, which has almost 1,800 different types of animals. There is the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown, Pennsylvania featuring more than 150 animals, including jaguars, cougars, alligators, owls and more. There is a spot where families can picnic and barnyard animals for the smaller children where they can pet the domesticated breeds to their content.
The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium has 77 acres of family fun. With hundreds of species, the zoo and aquarium has an educational and preservation policy that teaches while entertaining the visitors. The Adventure Aquarium, down in Camden, also has a great aquatic exhibition and a family can spend the whole day enjoying the fish and the displays. There is always some sort of entertainment going on at the aquarium, from scuba divers to penguin feedings.
Museums
There are many museums, not only for the adults but for children to enjoy as well, regardless of the weather outside. The Academy of Natural Science Museum and The Franklin Museum are two of the popular ones in Philadelphia and for children, a visit to the Please Touch Museum will be both entertaining and educational.
Other museums through the state include the National Toy Train Museum in Strasburg that has train models and accessories, taking the visitors through the mid-1800s to the present. The Childventure Museum in Fort Washington is geared for kids from 3 to 8 years old. With hands-on exhibits children are allowed to learn about a variety of cultures from their own point of view. Explore & More in Gettysburg, is an 1800 vintage house and again targets kids up to 10 years old and the whole family can come here to enjoy some history. The Crystal Cave Park in Kutztown, takes you on a guided tour of crystal caves that have fascinating formations of stalactite and stalagmites that will make for a great visit for people of all ages.
Amusement Parks
No family visit to Pennsylvania is complete without a visit to some of the state's biggest and best amusement parks. Depending on the season you are visiting these water and amusement parks will thrill children of every age. Usually open in spring through fall these parks are a great place to spend your vacation. The Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown has rides for everyone. From a sedate ride on a steam engine for the young ones to the blast off in the Dominator for the teenagers splash into the water kingdom for some classic fun. The Hershey Park in Hershey, is a must visit for all chocolate lovers. It has fun for people of every age with 110 acres of rides and entertainment from eight roller coasters to six water rides and 20 kiddies' rides. Food stands, eating joints and video arcades are a great place to relax.
The Dutch Wonderland Family Amusement Park close to the Hershey Park is located in Lancaster. A family fun park it is divided into categories for every age, slow, medium and fast. Tens of other parks can be visited depending on the time of the visit to Pennsylvania and the area where you aim to visit.
Seasonal Entertainment
In winter, a visit to the Alpine Mountain, Analomink, will offer the family lots of opportunity for skiing, tubing, taking some lessons in ski schools and a great terrain for exploration. The Woodloch Pines resort in Hawley, is a four-season vacation spot located right in the Northern Pocono Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania. With a great lake on spot, this 250-acre resort has bumper boat rides, canoeing, golf, ice skating and much more to offer.
In summer, camping trips to the various lakes and National parks will prove to be fun. The Kettle Creek State Park in the Susquehannock State Forest in central Pennsylvania has camping facilities and the Crooked Creek Lake south of Kittanning offers boating, fishing and camping opportunities. The Youghiogheny River Lake and others like it have more of the same sort of activities.
About the Author:
Sara Sentor has been an SEO web content developer since 1999. She has a degree in mass communications and has written content for sites ranging in content from finance to e-commerce and health to education.
