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I’m always on the lookout for fun things to do with my kids, so on a recent trip, my daughter and I visited the Bucks County Children’s Museum in New Hope, PA.
The Bucks County Children’s Museum is located in Union Square on the edge of New Hope’s very charming downtown and accessed from the same parking area as the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad. It opened to the public in 2011 and offers a wide variety of activities for kids to explore.
It’s worth noting that I visited just a few months before the museum will temporarily close in September 2025 to reimagine about half of their play spaces. I find this a bit surprising to be honest because the spaces here still felt quite fresh. However, if you’re visiting in 2026 or beyond, read this review as more of a general overview and not a specific what you can see and do article.
The museum is recommended for kids from 1 to 7. My daughter was seven years old during our visit and she had a great time, though she still enjoys pretend play. Kids beyond that stage might not have as much fun here, so just keep that in mind.
The Bucks County Children’s Museum is divided into eight different play spaces, each quite nicely themed. There’s enough variety here that kids should enjoy playing no matter their interests.
You can roughly divide these play spaces into two groups: the first focusing on pretend play and the second on more hands-on scientific concepts.
The pretend play areas include a Bucks County space with a small climbing wall (representing High Rocks at Ralph Stover State Park) and slide, a hospital, train, grocery store area, and more. These areas are a lot of fun for kids that enjoy pretend play, and there is a lot of variety here for them to enjoy.
The other half of the museum covers scientific concepts in a fun and playful way. Here, kids can enjoy pneumatic tubs, a small water table, building areas and more.
Probably our favorite space here during our visit was the Shadow Freeze Room, which is hidden in a back corner. Here, a flash of light freezes your shadow on the back wall, and it’s a ton of fun to see what shapes you can make. Don’t miss this fun spot during your visit.
It’s worth noting that buying tickets ahead of time his high recommended as the space can sell out (though capacity definitely isn’t overcrowded if it’s sold out). During my visit on a random summer weekday, a local camp had the museum nearly sold out during our visit. We almost didn’t get in, an issue that could have been easily avoided if we’d bought tickets ahead of time.
Just something to keep in mind when planning your visit.
Overall, we had a ton of fun at the Bucks County Children’s Museum. Despite the upcoming refresh, the spaces here were well put together, and it seemed like all the kids there were having fun, including my daughter. I can’t wait to see how it improves once they are done with the remodel.
So, if you’re looking for something to do with younger kids in Bucks County, PA, I definitely recommend checking this spot out.
Note: The parking lot adjacent to the museum charges $2 per hour for parking. Make sure to feed the meter so you don’t get ticketed.
Looking for more places to visit nearby? Check out Sesame Place, the Crayola Experience, Washington Crossing Historic Park, and Fonthill Castle.
Bucks County Children’s Museum
| Hours: Open Tuesday-Sunday Hours Vary. See website. | Cost: $9 |
| Website: BucksKids.org | Address: 500 Union Square Dr New Hope, PA 18938 |