Crayola Factory Day Trip

When your family goes out to Friendly’s do your kids sit quietly; patiently coloring on a menu with crayons as they wait for their chicken tenders to arrive? If so, then the Crayola Factory will make for a really good daytrip.

On the other hand, if your kids bounce in their seats, want to get up and see the ice cream sundaes being made and are active in general you may find yourself disappointed with the Crayola Factory and several hours away from home to boot.

For my family this day trip was fun but full of the dreaded ‘buts’ (insert Beavis and Butthead snickers here …)

For example, the Crayola Factory is truly a creative child’s discovery land with more than a dozen hands-on activities. During our visit my kids did a little of everything, from warm wax painting to creating a journal to basic coloring. Their favorite activity was a trippy TV that projected their colorized and funky silhouettes  on screen. FYI, according to the Website activities change each quarter.

Now for the ‘but’. Their favorite activity, the dancing, is ‘active’ and while they both enjoyed The Crayola Factory they got bored at the exhibits quite quickly.  Let’s just say it wasn’t quite their cup of … milk. When asked, Justin, age 6, gave the Crayola Factory a ‘thumbs in the middle’ rating. Please be advised that this scale goes to a billion, zillion, hundred million thumbs up however

Some other examples:

• Visitors can learn how Crayola Crayons® and Markers are made …  BUT, while I found it interesting, my boys at 6 and 3 found it quite dull. (NOTE: this is not a manufacturing plant).
• The Crayola Factory is located in eastern Pennsylvania along the New Jersey border in Easton, PA. It’s a beautiful drive BUT, easily 2 hours away from Philadelphia.

The folks at the Crayola Factory advise, accurately, that it takes about 2 hours to go through the exhibits. Fortunately, after your long drive, there is more to do. The National Canal Museum which is upstairs from the Crayola Factory, and included in your admission, was very interesting for us all.

• The kids had a blast experimenting with canals and locks as they moved their own boats through a ‘river’.
• They learned about leveraging pulleys, mules and and how water allows boats to move heavy loads
• The adults even learned a great deal about the history of the area and more

All that said, if you are coming in from the Philadelphia area in the morning I would definitely look for something else to do in the afternoon on the drive home … before you stop at Friendly’s for chicken tenders that is!

Current Admission Rates:

Adults and Children (ages 3 – 64): $9.50

Seniors (ages 65+): $9.00

Military Discount: $8.50

Infants (2 and younger): Free Admission

Admission price does not include the 5% City of Easton admissions tax

Helpful hints (from the Crayola Factory Website):

• Come early- doors open at 9:30 a.m. so it’s the best time to visit.  The Crayola FACTORY begins to get crowded between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., so early arrivals have the best experience.
• Although strollers are permitted at The Crayola FACTORY, it is recommended to leave your stroller in the car.  Due to the volume of visitors, it will make your experience a much more pleasant one.
• Daily admission is on a first–come, first–served basis. Admission is not guaranteed. Admission price generally includes The Crayola FACTORY and The National Canal Museum.
• Visitors spend 2 – 3 hours at Two Rivers Landing, however, you are welcome to stay longer. To ensure enough time to enjoy your visit, our suggested last ticket sale time is 2 hours before closing. (1:00 P.M. during the week; 3:00 P.M. on weekends, during certain holidays and in the summer).
• The busiest months are July and August. Other busy times are Thanksgiving Weekend, Winter Break and Spring Break. Advance reservations are strongly recommended during these times. Advance reservations cannot be made the day of the visit.
• Advance tickets are also available for Canal Boat Cruises and combination tickets seasonally.
• All children under the age of 16 are required to be accompanied by an adult chaperon at all times.
• Backpacks are not permitted in Two Rivers Landing. Other bags may be subject to search.
• Roller–skating is not permitted in Two Rivers Landing. This includes Roller Sneakers

Click Here to visit the Crayola Factory Web site

Crayola Factory Day Trip, 3.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating