We are planning a very short trip to Philadelphia. Wanted to see if anyone has suggestions of "must-see" places in the area... Our children are 7.5 & 4.5... So far, we are thinking The Franklin Institute, Constitution Hall, The Terminal Market and Pat's. Thank you so much!

Those sound good. If the weather is nice, you could take a horse and carriage and have it drive you around to the historic sites. My husband works on Walnut St. and there is good shopping there.

Thanks Michelle! My daughter will be in heaven...

DH and I were in Philly last year. The liberty bell is a must see. I was a bit disappointed with Constitutional Hall. There just wasn't much to it. Loved Reading Terminal market. We didn't get a chance to go to the Franklin Institute, but it is on my list for my next visit. Betsy Ross's house and Ben Franklin's grave are there also and may be interesting for the kids
There was also a really cool old prison, though it may not be appropriate for children. So, you might want to look that up before going there.

We enjoyed Betsy Ross's house, also a favorite for us is Christ Church very historic. Founded in 1695.

Thank you all so much for the wonderful ideas! Just returned from our short visit. Certainly not enough time for us to do everything. We managed to see the Liberty Bell, took the carriage ride, took a Duck tour - which I've never done, and was a hit with the little ones - visited Ben Franklin's grave and hit the market. I really appreciated your advice and hope to hit the rest on our next trip!

Glad you had a good time.

If you have time I would recommend Valley Forge. They have a beautiful chapel there with stained glass windows depicting revolutionary war scenes...stunning...also the chapel has an extensive carrillon..with a bell for each state...we rang the heck out of our state!!!

Glad you guys had a great time. I totally forgot about the duck tours!