Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse

I had heard about the Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse from a Mom that I met at a park one day. She mentioned that it had a huge playground for kids and was free. As always the free caught my attention. She also mentioned it was close to the Philadelphia Zoo, so we could always swing by the Zoo too if the kids wanted. When we arrived, I was surprised to see what looked like a mansion. 

This mansion, is actually the Playhouse. According to their pamphlet, it opened in 1899, and was specifically designed to be used as a play place just for kids. Pretty cool that even back then they wanted a place just for kids to play! It is really big! 16,000 square feet to be exact! It has 3 levels. The Playhouse is for kids 5 and under but the older kids up to 10 years old can play out on the playground (get to that in a bit). I can see why the Playhouse is for kids 5 and under as the toys are geared more towards the younger crowd. There are lots of toys for younger kids to play with. This is the main big room upstairs.

There is also a cute library on the top floor.

On the main floor was a room with blocks and another room with this cool looking train to play and climb on.

My favorite part was down in the basement area where there is a room full of ride on toys and tricycles for kids to ride and pretend they are driving on a street-like area, even with parking spaces. There is even a traffic light!

On to the Playground, it is big! Their pamphlet notes 6 1/2 acres big! There are different play areas with lots to do for the younger as well as the older kids. Their oldest feature is the Ann Newman Giant Wooden slide. 

Here's a video of the boys going down. I think it's neat as it is over a century old.

The boys had a blast playing all over. There was just so much for them to do. It was pretty cool. From the Giant Net Climber, Apollo Spinner, and Swing City, there was lots for the kiddos to play on.

The Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse is a must see if you are in the Philly Area if you want to do something fun with your kids! They will love it! You can spend hours and hours there if you wanted. I just wish we lived closer to take advantage of their free programs they offer - crafts and a storytime (times listed on their website). Overall, it is a great place for kids to play! :)