The museum originally opened at the Academy of Natural Sciences on October 2, 1976, in a 2,200-square-foot (200 m2) space, and moved to another location on nearby Cherry Street two years later. In 1983, the museum moved to 21st Street near the Franklin Institute. On February 14, 2005, the museum received an 80-year lease for Memorial Hall (in Fairmount Park), the last major building left from the 1876 Centennial Exposition. This came after plans to relocate the museum to a location at Penn's Landing fell through.[3] Renovations at Memorial Hall began on December 15, 2005, and the museum closed its 21st Street location on September 1, 2008. On October 18, 2008, the museum opened at its current location with a larger facility and more exhibits.[4]
The museum's financial projections related to its move to Memorial Hall proved to be over-optimistic and it was forced to declare bankruptcy in 2015.[5] It emerged from bankruptcy in 2016[6] and, with the help of new major donations, was able to announce that it was now debt-free.[7]
On September 24, 2018, the Philadelphia Flyers introduced their new mascot, Gritty, at the Please Touch Museum.[8] A furry purple monster mascot, Squiggles, was introduced at the Please Touch Museum on October 7, 2018.[9]
Playhouse Theater - As a component of the museum experience, Playhouse performances by in-house performers present opportunities for playful learning, imagination, innovation and audience interaction featuring music, movement, folklore and/or puppetry, all while introducing children to live arts.
Creative Arts Studio - Each month, there is a new set of art experiences, which include a studio art experience, a sensory art experience and a manipulative art experience. The Creative Arts Studio provides a setting for parent-child interaction.
Albert M. Greenfield Makerspace - Focused on how kids are creating, not what they are creating, the Makerspace empowers children to think of themselves as an “inventor” and through facilitated and self-directed experiences, discover that learning is found in the process of making, not the end result.
In 1996, the Please Touch Museum began presenting its own GFTK award, to coincide with the museum's 20th birthday. The awards honor individuals and organizations making outstanding contributions to enriching the lives of children. The 2009 awards were designed by Philadelphia artist Leo Sewell, creator of Please Touch Museum's own "Artie the Elephant" and the Statue of Liberty Arm & Torch created entirely from discarded toys.[11]
