I have loved attending the Philadelphia Flower Show, year after year, with my kids. I’ve been taking them since they were toddlers. It’s always incredible to show them what artists can create with flowers.
For a few years, the Philadelphia Flower Show was outdoors at FDR Park, and while the setting has been beautiful, it just wasn’t been the same for me. It felt smaller than normal. Last year the Flower Show returned to the Pennsylvania Convention Center and I was ecstatic. There’s just so much more to see and do when the exhibitors don’t have to worry about outside elements like wind and rain. For 2024, the Flower Show will be back at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
My boys are all in high school now so pulling them out of school for the Philadelphia Flower Show wasn’t possible, but I grabbed another mom friend and together we checked out all the Philadelphia Flower Show activities for kids and teens.
Full details for the 2024 Philadelphia Flower Show are below. New pictures to come.
About the 2024 Philadelphia Flower Show
This year’s theme, “United by Flowers”
“United by Flowers” offers something for the whole family – a diverse lineup of floral and landscape designers, a dazzling array of colors, a play space for kids, live music, make-and-take projects, and so much more.
The Best Things to do with Kids at the Philadelphia Flower Show
If you really take the time to explore all the nooks and crannies, rooms, and spaces at the Philadelphia Flower Show you’ll find there really is a lot to do with kids. However, for this guide, we are focusing on the best things to do with kids and teens.
Stop and smell the roses, the tulips, and the orchids, and more
Visiting the Philadelphia Flower Show with kids provides a perfect opportunity for your kids to explore the sense of smell, sight, and perhaps touch. As you walk from exhibit to exhibit invite the kids to sniff at the fragrant flowers. Take in the details of each flower. Talk about how they compare to each other. What makes each flower unique? What makes them all similar?
Do be mindful though of exhibit signs. Some exhibits will be open to kids’ curiosity whereas others may ask that you keep a certain distance from the flowers.
Visit with the butterflies
Located in Bloom City in the Grand Hall
One of my favorite Philadelphia Flower Show activities each year is the Butterflies Live exhibit. It will be back this year and open for the entire duration of the show.
Walk among the native and exotic butterflies with spectacular color wings. You’ll be given a cotton swab with a sugar mixture to attract butterflies. Just remind the kids if a butterfly lands on their swab to not be startled but instead watch how gently the butterflies move and take in all the details of their wings.
Admission to the Butterflies Live exhibit is $5 per person and you can buy tickets right outside the butterfly tent. Admission to this area is free for children younger than 2 years old.
Go inside the Kids Cocoon
Located in Bloom City in the Grand Hall
There will be a FREE Kids Cocoon activity area for the youngest Philadelphia Flower Show visitors to explore, connect, play, and learn. This area is down the convention center concourse from the main Flower Show area.
The Kids Cocoon will be open every day, March 2 – 10, 2024. Stop by to enjoy discovery tables, artistic programming, hands-on instruction, and so much more!
Philadelphia Flower Show Kids Activities in the Kids Cocoon
Check the schedule for more details, dates, and times.
- Become a Butterfly
- Dig for pretend worms
- See Saw
- Play Games
- Seed Planting
- Planet Bee Foundation
- Splashes of Color
- PSBI Mini Mandala Workshop
- 4-H Activities
- Please Touch Museum activities
Explore a fairy garden (not yet confirmed for 2024)
Treeline Designz’s Exhibit will pay tribute to the children of Ukraine. This exhibit will use locally grown trees and plants to envision a magical, twinkling fairy house home to the Peace Fairy who watches over and protects all children.
Engage in Family Frolic
Family Frolic is a family-friendly event taking place on Sunday, March 3, 2024 at the Philadelphia Flower Show. Guests can enjoy lots of free activities and programming, face painting, giveaways, mascot visits, and more! All activities are free with Flower Show tickets and take place during regular show hours.
Make, Take, & Create
Located both inside the exhibit hall and in Bloom City in the Grand Hall
Hands-on activities are what truly help kids and teens feel engaged with the Philadelphia Flower Show. Bringing home a souvenir you made with your own hands makes a day extra memorable and is a wonderful way to spend a part of the day.
At this year’s Philadelphia Flower Show, there are several opportunities for kids, teens, and adults to create a floral-inspired project. There is an additional fee for some of these activities.
- Build your very own bamboo crafts at Cheng Du
- Potting Parties let guests pot and take home their very own creations.
- Craft a floral crown, pour a flower candle, make a purse from flowers, put together a Succulent Terrarium, or create a wearable piece of floral jewelry at Artisan Row. Fees generally range from $20-$25 per project.
Have a dance party (not yet confirmed for 2024)
Each day of the Flower Show there will be live music. Why not bring the kids over to the stage and let them dance out some of their energy when the music is upbeat?
When the music takes a softer note rock the little ones back and forth in the stroller and let them get in that afternoon nap while you continue the rest of your Philadelphia Flower Show visit.
Let them lead
Let your kids get their hands on the Philadelphia Flower Show map. Printouts are available at the show or can be downloaded to your phone. With a map in their hands let your kids pick the next spot to visit and the course they’d like to take to get there. My middle son always enjoyed that and still does to this day.
Don’t forget the pictures!
As you travel between vendors, exhibits, and Philadelphia Flower Show activities make sure you take time to take pictures. Your normally adorable children are going to look extra cute among the colorful flowers.
Take a variety of horizontal and vertical photos. You never know just what you might want those Philadelphia Flower Show photos for later on.
Best spots for Philadelphia Flower Show photos
After visiting the Philadelphia Flower Show earlier today here’s where I think the best spots for photos are. Each of these settings provides a beautiful engaging background.
- 2023 Philadelphia Flower Show Entrance Garden, “FLORASTRUCK.” Due to a mesh screen, you may not be able to see it once you first enter. Travel through the opening tunnel to be immersed in a 360-degree, vibrant floral world with 20-foot-high walls of blooming flowers. Every angle will make for stunning pictures.
- There’s a blooming panda and a delicate bamboo sculpture at Cheng Du.
- Underneath the floral Chandelier
- With the stained-glass triangle structure in the fairy garden.
- In Butterfly Live with the butterflies, especially if one lands on your child.
Helpful tips for traveling to the Philadelphia Flower Show with Children
Any parent, grandparent, or family member traveling with children knows it’s best to be prepared. We offer you the following tips to help you have the best Philadelphia Flower Show experience with kids.
- Remember to download your tickets to your smartphone or print them out at home and bring them with you. You can always request a reprint from the Will Call booth but that could result in waiting in line when you could be in the show.
- I’d suggest entering through the Market Street entrance if you’re able to. My past experience has shown that the lines there are smaller, plus it lets you start with the kids’ area.
- Adults are welcome to bring smaller bags, strollers, and other small personal items. All bags are subject to inspection upon entry.
- Make sure you and the kids wear comfortable walking shoes and layers. There are lots of areas to explore by foot. Temperatures vary inside the Convention Center and there’s nothing worse than being uncomfortable. It makes kids and grown ups grouchy.
- The majority of kids’ activities, make-and-take programs, and the live music are in a separate concourse/exhibit space from the larger Flower Show. They are close together, just a hallway separates them. See the Flower Show map.
- A daily Flower Show schedule of events is listed online here: https://phsonline.org/the-flower-show/plan-your-visit/daily-schedules. It’s a great place to check for new activities we didn’t mention or if there have been changes to the Flower Show activities we listed.
- Pack something for your kids to do while you wait in line. Coloring books, picture books, a sketch pad have an activity your kids can do while waiting with you in line. The way this year’s exhibits are set up there will likely be some lines during your visit as you wait to enter different exhibit areas.
- Restrooms are located along the entrance wall and back wall of the exhibit hall, in the concourse between the two spaces. There is no restroom in the Grand Hall.
- There is seating and table seating between the Marketplace and Horticourt and near the AARP space is seating without tables in the main exhibit hall. The concourse offers some seating and there is table seating near the stage in the Grand Hall.
- Re-entry is possible, if you need to leave and return with your children. Just make sure to have your hand stamped.
Philadelphia Flower Show FAQ
When is the Philadelphia Flower Show 2024?
The Flower Show is open Saturday, March 2, 2024, through Sunday, March 10, 2024.
What are the hours for the show?
The regular show hours are from 10 am – 8 pm daily but only until 6 pm on Sunday, March 12, 2024.
How much are Philadelphia Flower Show tickets?
Ticket prices range in price from $25 for children 5 years old to 17 years old to $49.99 for adults. Students can pay a reduced rate of $35.00 with a valid student ID.
How can I purchase tickets?
The Pennsylvania Horticulture Society highly recommends you buy tickets online at PHSonline.org/the-flower-show/ticket-info. Tickets are valid any day of the show.
Where is the Flower Show this year?
The Flower Show has returned to the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
What’s the best way to get to the Flower Show?
I always recommend taking public transportation to get to the Philadelphia Flower Show. You save on tolls and parking fees as well as time driving through traffic. Using public transportation also allows you to be engaged with your children talking about the Flower Show since you don’t need to be focused on driving.
From South Jersey, you can take NJ Transit to a PATCO station and take the PATCO Speedline to the 8th and Market Station. The Pennsylvania Convention Center is just a few blocks away from that station. Learn more about train rides with kids and the discounts available for children’s train tickets.
Where should I park?
If you do drive there are nearby parking options. The Convention Center does not have its own parking garage or street parking lot. Visit the Convention Center’s parking information page for more details about nearby parking options.
More Philadelphia Flower Show Photos
We know how our readers love photos from the show, here are a few more of our favorite Philadelphia Flower Show pictures.
