<p>(Yes, teens love it.- re: Dave and Busters—finally JHS and I agree on something. And, didn’t the OP ask for something “FUN” for teens. Thanks, JHS for making my point.</p>
<p>If it were May, I’d recommend Longwood Gardens because it really is spectacular. If you’re into antiques, Winterthur is amazing. The other DuPont sites are also interesting but better in nice weather. (LG is a DuPont site, btw.)</p>
<p>In Philly, an odd but interesting thing is City Hall. You can go up it. The strangest thing is the Mutter Museum. Cool if someone is into oddities and horror movies. </p>
<p>The single museum I would visit is the Barnes Foundation in Merion, near the city line. Look it up. Utterly amazing. Words fail me.</p>
<p>'I just looked at the Keswick web site. They’re currently promoting concerts with: The Drifters, Kansas, a Neil Diamond tribute band, and Keith Emerson & Greg Lake. ‘Nuff said. If you can get your teen anywhere near that, you’re a more effective parent than I.’</p>
<p>Well, you can credit my DH for raising a son (not a teenager anymore but close) who loves classic rock (he’s a guitarist himself) and would jump at the chance to see ELP. And a tribute to Bob Marley. And Joe Bonamassa (a great blues guitarist). The trick is that he gets to go to these things FREE with DH…and doesn’t mind the old heads at all. Granted…a bit rare…but less than I thought based on my look around the place. Now, the PROBLEM is me. I will not let myself get dragged there anymore for loud crazy events that are mostly attended by motley-looking males. </p>
<p>BTW, The Tower Theater also has some good acts but it’s in a “gritty” area (JHS, I know you love that word!)</p>
<p>Now, back on topic, The Barnes Foundation is fun but I don’t know about most teenagers liking it. Dave and Buster’s is terrific but doesn’t seem all that unique to me. </p>
<p>Really what most teens would like is if you dropped them off on South Street for a few hours on their own!</p>
<p>Winterthur is closed until March 9 for the first seasonal shutdown in its history. Sadly, a friend who works there says it’s having financial difficulties.</p>
<p>Longwood Gardens is spectacular any time of year! It’s currently featuring its annual Orchid Extravaganza. My kids like visiting Longwood during the Christmas season, but I’m not sure it would appeal to most teenagers at other times of the year unless they like looking at flowers and gardens.</p>
<p>My teenage son loved the Barnes Foundation when we were visiting Haverford. You need reservations though. Parking is limited.</p>
<p>RE: The Annex closing…Bummer! Oh, well…The food wasn’t that great anyway. It was just a cool place to check out.</p>
<p>We go to Philadelphia, Princeton, and New Hope a number of times each over the course of a year. I think New Hope/Lambertville is out for teen boys (and girls don’t give it a much higher rating IMO). I’ve never been to King of Prussia mall (but if your son is anything like my H, shopping is OUT). Princeton is a cute town, but to make a special trip if you are not checking out the campus is probably not the most fun thing. How about checking out sporting events. Won’t there be some college or pro events somewhere in the area? Now maybe your D won’t like it so much (although mine does like some pro sporting and college sporting events), but would compromise if some shopping were thown in? - or perhaps just shopping for you, mom ;).</p>
<p>(We really like walking around the historic area of downtown Phila., but only in good weather. Our family likes art museums, even if we have been there before. So our fall back activities probably don’t meet your criteria.) Have a nice trip.</p>
<p>Yeah, my kids love the Barnes and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (and the Institute of Contemporary Art, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts). But at Christmas we took all the nieces and nephews to the Barnes and . . . it turns out, you have to like museums and art to enjoy it. (Also, the Barnes has begun shutting off part of its exhibits, in preparation for its move to new quarters in Center City in 2012 or thereabouts. You can no longer get the Full Barnes Experience in Merion.)</p>
<p>PMA is free on Sunday mornings, and has the “Rocky” steps, too. And, if the weather’s nice, lovely gardens along the Schuylkill.</p>
<p>toneranger, et al.: Give yourself a treat and go see a show at Johnny Brenda’s sometime, currently the best place for such things in Philly. Very gritty neighborhood (Fishtown, half a block from Girard and Frankford), but just about the greatest music bar ever, and people couldn’t be nicer. The last time my wife went with me, Kate Moss was there, too (her boyfriend was performing). Then, of course, there’s the posh World Cafe Live near Penn, which was designed and built to make music lovers Of A Certain Age comfortable and to give them great, not over-loud acoustics, and it does all of that.</p>
<p>Has anyone mentioned the Mutter Museum yet?</p>
<p>[::</a> The College of Physicians of Philadelphia - Mutter Museum ::](<a href=“http://www.collphyphil.org/MUTTER.ASP]::”>Account Suspended)</p>
<p>Thank you all for the suggestions. SJCM - Yes, I know what Dave & Buster’s is. It’s a chain. They have them everywhere. I was looking for something that was unique to Philly, not something I can find at home. And I really don’t want something that’s too “museum-y” because we’ll have come off a bunch of college tours. My kids aren’t as cultured as JHS’, which is why they aren’t Chicago material :-). Right now, the Eastern State Penitentiary sounds like a really interesting choice, and appropriate for the weather (the trip is in just a few weeks). </p>
<p>I’m actually snowed in at the Philly airport as I write this, so wish me luck getting out!</p>
<p>^^^ you can eat across the street from Eastern State at an old renovated firehouse, called Jack’s Firehouse (I think). Daughter and I ate on the sidewalk, at Jack’s, overlooking the lighted Gargoyles on Eastern Penitentiary----actually creepy to me.
Neat used bookstore in the same block. Coffee shop on corner, the Fairmount area is nice.</p>
<p>Gosh, every little kid in south and central Jersey goes to the Camden aquarium on a field trip at some point. Teens would most likely be bored there but it’s a very safe day trip. Certainly no worse than any attraction in Philadelphia.</p>
<p>Some teens like New Hope, if they’re of the tattoos and piercings persuasion. Depends on the kid.</p>
<p>The Mutter is great, my kids loved it.</p>
<p>South St. is popular but probably has more crime than the Camden Aquarium.</p>
<p>The Mutter is a museum, but it’s pretty gross, so they might love it.</p>