Dutch Country Roads
The Hershey Story, Hershey PA
The Hershey Story allows visitors to take a journey through the legacy of Milton S. Hershey, as well as the town, school, and history he created. Highlighting this American entrepreneur’s rags to riches story, the museum tells the tale of how he revolutionized the process of chocolate making and allows visitors to explore the unique qualities of chocolate through playful, hands-on experiences and interactive demonstrations. Guaranteed to bring out the kid in everyone, the museum’s Chocolate Lab offers participatory classes such as tempering, molding, dipping and even making chocolate from scratch. www.hersheystory.org
Philadelphia and the Countryside
Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia
The ideal children’s museum of Philadelphia, the Please Touch Museum is the perfect venue for families with young children. Exhibits are all interactive and encourage learning through play, so children can feel free to touch, explore, and lead their parents through the process. In addition to enjoying the nine exhibits offered, including The SuperMarket, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and Fairytale Garden (an exhibit for the youngest visitors), families can take pleasure in live theater performances daily. www.pleasetouchmuseum.org
Pittsburgh and its Countryside
Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh
Bringing the world of science alive, the Carnegie Science Center appeals to visitors of all ages. One of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, the Science Center features more than 400 hands-on exhibits, three live demonstration theaters, a four-story IMAX Dome theater, an interactive planetarium, a science-of sport exhibition, an authentic Cold War submarine moored on Pittsburgh’s Ohio River and a world-renowned model railroad display. www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/
Upstate PA
The Houdini Tour & Magic Show, Scranton
The Houdini Tour & Magic Show is a non-stop spectacle, held in the world’s only building devoted to one of the most famous magicians of all time: Harry Houdini. Before the construction of the museum, the magician himself performed many special challenges in this very spot; now visitors of all ages can be stunned by noted professional magicians and live animals, as well as a fun guided tour of the fabulous collection in the 100-year-old historic building and the rarest film footage of Houdini’s escapes. http://houdini.org/
Laurel Highlands
Penn Helicopter, Friedens PA
This stunning view of the beautiful Laurel Highlands is a must-see for adventurous families, and surely an experience not to be forgotten. Take a helicopter tour of the highlands in a four-place R44 Robinson helicopter. From hundreds of feet above, visitors have the option to capture their own unique photography or order professional photographs of the majestic scenery. http://www.laurelhighlands.org/members/penn-helicopter.asp