Family Activities in Harrisburg, PA

Historical Activities

• The Pennsylvania State Capital (pacapitol.com), located right in the heart of Harrisburg, was dedicated over a century ago in 1904 and is an architectural and historical gem. In addition to viewing the lavish paintings and stunning stained glass windows, your family can take a guided tour of the building, learn about William Penn, the founder of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth, and catch a glimpse of where the members of Senate and the House of Representatives work. The John Harris-Simon Cameron Mansion (dauphincountyhistory.org/mansion) is a stop on the Civil War Trail and showcases historical artifacts and rooms decorated in the grand style of the rich and famous. Spend the day at the Fort Hunger Mansion (forthunter.org) for an even bigger dose of history. Between the gardens, park, conservancy and bridge, your family will learn a great deal about the history of this area including the significance of the fort itself and its role in times of war.

Educational Activities

• The State Museum of Pennsylvania (statemuseumpa.org) has fun for children and adults of all ages. Your family will learn about the history of Harrisburg, view stunning watercolor paintings and discover new facts about the Civil War. Stop by the Curiosity Connection, which is an interactive and hands-on room that educates children about a variety of topics including insects, outer space and dinosaurs. A short 20-minute drive from Harrisburg will bring your family to the Paulus Farm Market (paulusfarmmarket.com) in Mechanicsburg. Learn how to be real-life farmers as you feed the barnyard animals, pick your own food and flowers sample farm-grown foods. Stop by the Fun Fort to play with farm toys, read farm books, wander through a hay bale maze and play on the playground. Spend the day at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park (laketobias.com), which is about 30 minutes away in Halifax. Your family will discover interesting facts about animals by taking a safari tour that spans 150 acres where you'll see animals from around the world. Visit the reptile exhibit and the petting zoo, too.

Amusement Venues

• No trip to Harrisburg is complete without a stop at the iconic Hershey Park (hersheypark.com), which is located just 20 miles away in Hershey. The park boasts a number of roller coasters, family activities and kiddie rides just for small children. Visit the boardwalk, take in a candy-related live show or stop by the water park and ride the slides, play in the wave pool or bask in the warm sun near the cabana. Let's Pretend 123 (letspretend123.com) is also 20 minutes away in Middletown. It's an indoor play area that's set up in a variety of scenarios. Your family can deliver mail at the post office, teach a lesson at the grammar school, grocery shop at the corner store or work on the construction site. Play a round of miniature golf, play arcade games or go bowling at the Challenge Family Fun Center (challengefamilyfun.com) in Hummelstown, about 15 minutes from Harrisburg.

Full-Day Activities

• If your family is willing to drive a bit further, entertainment abounds all within an hour of Harrisburg. For an interactive lesson in America and its rich history, head to Roadside America (roadsideamericainc.com), which is located about 45 minutes from Harrisburg in Shartlesville. The 8,000-square foot exhibit includes hundreds of miniature structures, 18 trains, 4,000 models of people hard at work and real water displays. Much of the exhibit is interactive, making your visit a hands-on history experience. Also about 45 minutes from Harrisburg in Lancaster is the Hands-on House (handsonhouse.org). Your family can catch butterflies in the play garden, pretend to catch fish, learn about the farming community, play dress-up or get your faces painted. About 50 minutes away in Strasburg is the Choo Choo Barn (choochoobarn.com). The 1,700-square foot attraction includes 22 working trains that your family can watch as they wind their way through the scale model terrain and cities.