What to do with kids in Philadelphia over Christmas break, from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day. We read the holiday hours posted by four museums, zoos and play places: four say they’re open on Christmas Day and four on New Year’s Day. Plus 12 dated outings on Christmas Eve and the days in between.
Dec 24 · Dec 25 · Jan 1
Holiday hours from each place’s own page, side by side. Many are standing rules (“closed Christmas Day”) that hold year to year, but a quick check that morning is worth it.
“Not posted” means the place’s own page doesn’t say. Call or check the morning of.
Day by day
Pick a day to see what’s on. Many places close early on Dec 24 and Dec 31, so check each card’s times.
Adventure Aquarium · 1 Riverside Drive, Camden, NJ 08103
Good to know: Scuba Santa dives daily with the sharks and sea turtles. There’s indoor snow every hour in the Rotunda and a storytime by Santa’s throne, sometimes led by Mrs. Claus.
Sesame Place Philadelphia · 100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, PA 19047
Good to know: Part of A Very Furry Christmas, which also has a Christmas parade and millions of lights.
Elmwood Park Zoo · 1661 Harding Blvd., Norristown, PA 19401
Good to know: Closed Nov 26 and Dec 24–25. Cookie decorating is $10 on select dates.
Philadelphia Zoo · 3400 W. Girard Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19104
Franklin Square · 200 N. 6th St., Philadelphia, PA 19106
Good to know: Opening night, Nov 19, has a free choir performance and hot chocolate, with the first show at 6:30pm.
Longwood Gardens · 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348
LOVE Park and City Hall · LOVE Park, 1500 Arch St., Philadelphia, PA 19102
Good to know: Open 9am–5pm on Thanksgiving and noon–5pm on Christmas Eve. Kids under 12 ride SEPTA free.
Sesame Place Philadelphia · 100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, PA 19047
Good to know: Millions of lights across the park, a Sesame Street Christmas parade and visits with Santa.
Shady Brook Farm · 931 Stony Hill Rd., Yardley, PA 19067
Good to know: More than 4 million lights. Santa’s Village is free. Wagon rides skip Nov 26, Dec 24, Dec 25, Dec 31 and Jan 1.
Peddler’s Village · Routes 202 & 263, Lahaska, PA 18931
Good to know: Santa and Mrs. Claus light up the village at 6:15 sharp. Parking fills fast, so the village asks you to arrive by 5:30.
Dilworth Park · 1 S 15th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Blue Cross RiverRink · 101 S. Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Franklin Square · 200 N. 6th St., Philadelphia, PA 19106
Good to know: An early countdown for kids, with the Square Drop at 6pm.
Upper Darby Sellers Memorial Library · Upper Darby
Good to know: Make noise, sing and dance, then a balloon drop at noon. All ages; kids 8 and under need a caregiver 14 or older.
Burlington County Library System – Cinnaminson Library · 1619 Riverton Road, Cinnaminson, NJ 08077
Good to know: Best for ages 5 and under: New Year’s Eve crafts, a photo booth and a countdown at 11:59.
Burlington County Library · 5 Pioneer Boulevard, Westampton, NJ 08060
Good to know: For preschoolers and up: music, dancing and festive activities, then a countdown when the clock strikes noon.
Philadelphia Zoo · 3400 W. Girard Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19104
Longwood Gardens · 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348
Sesame Place Philadelphia · 100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, PA 19047
Good to know: Millions of lights across the park, a Sesame Street Christmas parade and visits with Santa.
Shady Brook Farm · 931 Stony Hill Rd., Yardley, PA 19067
Good to know: More than 4 million lights. Santa’s Village is free. Wagon rides skip Nov 26, Dec 24, Dec 25, Dec 31 and Jan 1.
Peddler’s Village · Routes 202 & 263, Lahaska, PA 18931
Good to know: Santa and Mrs. Claus light up the village at 6:15 sharp. Parking fills fast, so the village asks you to arrive by 5:30.
Open on New Year’s Day: The Franklin Institute, Longwood Gardens, Christmas Village in Philadelphia, Adventure Aquarium.
Rainy-day backup
These don’t post holiday hours yet, so check before you go. More on our indoor play page.
Keep planning
November: things to do in PhiladelphiaEvery dated listing for the month, by weekDecember: things to do in PhiladelphiaEvery dated listing for the month, by week
Free things to do in PhiladelphiaFree days, free events and places that never charge
Free museum days in PhiladelphiaFree days, Museums on Us and EBT discounts, with who gets inIndoor play in PhiladelphiaIndoor playgrounds, toddler times, museums and classes, with prices
Library storytimes in PhiladelphiaBaby, toddler and preschool storytimes by day and branch
Ice skating in PhiladelphiaHoliday and indoor rinks, skate aids and prices
Thanksgiving weekend in PhiladelphiaParades, turkey trots and what’s open on Thursday
Noon Year’s Eve in PhiladelphiaKid-friendly countdowns, home by nap
Christmas parades in PhiladelphiaParades and tree lightings with dates and start timesChristmas trains in PhiladelphiaPolar Express, Santa and lights trains with datesThe Nutcracker in PhiladelphiaBallet and touring shows, sensory-friendly flagged
Christmas markets in PhiladelphiaChristkindlmarkts and winter wonderlands with hoursBirthday party places in PhiladelphiaStarting prices, ages and what’s included
This week in PhiladelphiaDated outings for ages 0–6, checked every Thursday
Good questions
The Franklin Institute (Dec 24 and Dec 25: closed), Longwood Gardens (Dec 24 and Dec 25: open 10am–11pm (A Longwood Christmas runs daily)), Christmas Village in Philadelphia (Dec 24: noon–5pm; Dec 25: closed), Adventure Aquarium (Not listed) post that they’re open on Christmas Day.
On the calendar: Scuba Santa at Christmas Underwater and Santa in his Furry Workshop at Sesame Place.
The Franklin Institute (Closed), Longwood Gardens (Open 10am–11pm), Christmas Village in Philadelphia (Closed (season ends Dec 27)), Adventure Aquarium (Not listed).
On the calendar for Jan 1: LumiNature at the Philadelphia Zoo, A Longwood Christmas, A Very Furry Christmas at Sesame Place and Shady Brook Farm Holiday Light Show and one more. Check each one’s own page before you go, since holiday hours can change.
Wild Lights at Elmwood Park Zoo, LumiNature at the Philadelphia Zoo, Electrical Spectacle Light Show in Franklin Square, A Longwood Christmas and Christmas Village in Philadelphia. Check each one’s calendar for the exact nights; some close on certain days.
Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page and links to it. We only list a date, time or price when that page shows it, and anything we can’t confirm stays off. These were last checked Oct 26, 2026, and we recheck them in early December and again the week before Christmas. How we choose and check.
One short email every Thursday evening with the best things to do with little ones in Philadelphia, through the holidays.
