Hands-on House
Hands-on House
4
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
Kids can touch everything at this interactive museum designed to help children and their parents learn together in a fun way.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Full view
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
123 within 3 miles
Attractions
164 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
183 reviews
Excellent
84
Very good
54
Average
31
Poor
5
Terrible
9
Katelynn M
1 contribution
Oct 2022 • Family
I had such high hopes for this place, but $38 for two adults and a child just wasn’t worth it. It was very dirty and no staff in sight keeping anything tidy. I actually saw a staff member step right over a bag on the ground. Milking cow broken— no sign or anything. We won’t be back.
Written October 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kimberly C
1 contribution
Feb 2021
Terrible experience! I took my husband, my adult daughter who was home visiting for the weekend and our 2 1/2 year old granddaughter. Everything was broken! It was such a disappointment. The crappy New Holland tractor was busted; none of the gauges worked. The grand baby couldn't wait to milk the cow but the milking machine was hot glued to the cow's utters and couldn't be used! The robot machine didn't fully articulate and acted like it was on it's last leg. The light/bright machine was missing most of its colors. The bucket that hoists hay bails had a rope that was knotted and didn't work right. The facility was just in sad shape. We were so disappointed. Years ago, that place was wonderful; my daughters loved it. But, alas, a generation goes by and now it's junk. So disappointed. I hope that whoever runs the place either reinvests to make it wonderful again or shuts it down and stops inappropriately advertising it as a wonderful place for kids when in reality it's just a bunch of busted toys laying around. You could just see the looks of disappointment on everyone's faces as they realized they'd been had!
Written February 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kim R
3 contributions
Jul 2021 • Friends
Very disappointed. We took our small children ages 2 and 3 and felt as though there were just random items placed around to play with. I have always heard that this was an amazing place with so many different opportunities for children to experience and this was definitely not the case. It’s very very small inside. There is a grocery area that consists of a picnic table with some various fruits and a cash register but it is so poorly placed in the middle of the walkway it made it difficult to enjoy the set up.
There are different areas, all with good intentions but things definitely need updated and cleaned. And a word of caution, if playing in the outside garden and you have smaller children watch for tripping hazards, they are everywhere!! And have bug spray!!
There are different areas, all with good intentions but things definitely need updated and cleaned. And a word of caution, if playing in the outside garden and you have smaller children watch for tripping hazards, they are everywhere!! And have bug spray!!
Written July 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KindPathFinder
62 contributions
Dec 2022 • Family
Great stop for the kids right after visiting Landis Valley museum nextdoor! Little people (2 and 8) both had a blast! There is an indoor and outdoor play area. Nursing moms they have a nursing room just past the bathrooms I think. I think its probably good for kids 1-10 or maybe 11 or so.
Written March 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Five Road Trippers 🚙🎡🎢🧳
Long Island, NY16,135 contributions
Aug 2019 • Family
We came here as a last minute change of plans, due to the rain. This is an immaculately kept children's museum. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Our kids had about two hours of fun between the science lab, play places, and outdoor playground. Their favorite parts were the pretend supermarket and the pretend farm. The cost for a family of five was $47.50. I felt it was very reasonable for an afternoon of fun.
Written August 29, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Naspinsky
Chugiak, AK39 contributions
May 2011
Staff were antagonistic, unkind, and disrespectful. There is no place for for kids to take a snack break anywhere in facility or on the grounds should the weather be frigid or with any precipitation. Today, I was literally attempting to stay dry and give kids some nourishment under the entry awning with 2 young kids (in truth, I was trying to get my son to eat before he had a hypoglycemic episode) after being told 1- I may not use the picnic tables outside (they were dry when we first attempted to eat something) and 2- I absolutely may not eat anywhere inside due to "new" rules (note: such rules must be very, very new as we have been snacking as permitted by staff on benches in entryway at minimum monthly for over 2 years now). So there I was under the awning in such a manner that a mom in a double stroller easily accessed the building and attempting to respect all the "rules" of the Hands On House, when staff management literally came outside and told me "You can't eat here. I know it is raining but YOU CAN GO EAT IN YOUR CAR." Clearly, I will not be renewing that membership after being a member for years! Truth be told, I was unlikely going to renew as kids are getting bored with museum itself. It is stale as others suggested and never changes much on inside. I wish they had left their garden be (it was nice as it was) and improve the inside... maybe add a space for kids to sit down and eat like every other children's museum I have been in from Alaska to Maine!
Written May 18, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
OHfamilyguy
Washington Court House, OH53 contributions
This is simply an indoor play area with limited space and things to do. It is essentially daycare except you're watching your child play. Spend the day going through the grandparents attic for playthings or dig out the Legos instead of spending money on this "attraction".
Written July 18, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hwhi
1 contribution
May 2013
Cost is $8.50 each including kids over 2. Takes about an hour to do the whole thing. Most stations were broken or had missing pieces. No antibacterial gel in the place. Should have been cheaper.
Written May 15, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paisleybeth
Reading, PA1 contribution
I went with my three children not knowing what to expect. When I thought of a a museum for kids, I thought it would be stressful and that it wouldn't be fun for all my kids because of the age difference (ages 2, 6, and 9) In a world where children are always being told what not to touch, where parents are constantly getting glares to keep the kids quiet, it was very freeing for my children to be told go play with that, touch everything! No stress for mom, lot's of fun for the kids, and great for family events! The kids learned a lot with out even knowing they did! I loved it so much we bought a membership and now I take all my friends who have small children there! It's also a nice drive into the country. I think anyone with children (1-10 years old) should visit this place! It's just what the area needed!
Written December 15, 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Erica S
Harrisburg, PA132 contributions
This is without a doubt the worst place to take a child. During our visit we had to contend with overcrowding, children running all over the place with no direction, small spaces to lose sight of the children, and totally uninterested staff. I was robbed there and not only did the staff do NOTHING to help me they also informed me that there are NO SECURITY CAMERAS! How can you run an establishment like this with no security whatsoever?! Visit this place at your own risk!
Written August 5, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The entrance fee is $9.50 for children, is there an age cut off? Would I need to pay for my 2 year old and 2 month old grandsons?
Written August 5, 2018
Under 2 is free.....good place for kids 4 and under
Written August 8, 2018
Would there be anything to do with a one year old at the Hands on House?
Written February 11, 2018
Absolutely. There is an older infant/toddlers' play area along with the rest of the attractions. Some of the attractions are fine for young toddlers too.
Written February 12, 2018
Showing results 1-4 of 4
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing