Constructed as the art gallery of the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, Memorial Hall is a premier example of Beaux-Arts architecture, a temple of granite, glass, and cast iron topped by a dramatic dome. More than $88 million was spent on renovating, moving, and designing exhibits to fill the tripled space.
“It just feels like a special place to be,’’ said Franky Carrozza, a local resident who bought a family membership when Please Touch reopened. “I didn’t go to the old location - parking always seemed like a hassle. Here, there’s plenty of parking, and even when it’s a weekend or holiday, there is still lots of room to play.’’ Her children, Everette Greenberg, 5, and little brother Peter, 2, are big fans of the hands-on play exhibits. “We come for hours and every time we come, we find something new to do,’’ Carrozza said.
To get a sense of the building’s history, visit the ground-floor Centennial exhibit, a repository for a few of the items that drew more than 10 million people to Philadelphia in 1876, including a newfangled invention called the typewriter, a blueprint for the nation’s first kindergarten class, and an upstart beverage called root beer. An 1889 20-by-30-foot model of the Centennial Fairgrounds re-creates the fair’s massive footprint, with 200 buildings captured in miniature.
Parents will think all this is pretty cool, but the kids will be more impressed with the rest of the museum and its six exhibit zones. There’s a spectacular Wonderland exhibit, which even tots who aren’t hip to Alice’s escapades will love. A trippy scene full of bright colors, optical illusions, and shape-changing mirrors, it even offers a chance to play flamingo croquet, Queen of Hearts style. Here, as in most areas of the museum, there are designated areas for toddlers, a good way to be sure the little ones get their fair share of the action.
