Philadelphia Childhood Treasures
Wanamaker Monorail
Up, up and away...
The aptly named Rocket Express is a kid-sized monorail that carried children above the 8th floor toy department at the famed John Wanamaker’s department store near Philadelphia’s City Hall. From 1946 to 1984, kids would climb a stairwell and hop aboard the red- and silver-colored train to get a birds-eye view of whichever toy they were going to beg their parents to buy.
In the late 1980s, Nancy Kolb got a call from a salvage worker emptying out the department store. He asked if Please Touch Museum wanted the Wanamaker monorail. There was no question in Kolb’s mind that this would be a great vehicle for intergenerational memory-sharing. And so the monorail made the Children’s Museum its new home, as adult visitors shared with their children or grandchildren their fond memories of riding the amazing toy train that flew in the air.
The Monorail’s next stop was Memorial Hall, where the Rocket Express overlooks the City Capers exhibit. Kids can sit in the three open cars and watch their favorite flying objects—Superman, the Millennium Falcon and Astronaut Barbie—whizzing by the windows of the monorail on their way to the Flight Fantasy exhibit.
Captain Noah and his Magical Ark
In 1967, a Philadelphia minister donned a red coat and matching captain’s hat in a local television studio with the goal of entertaining kids while teaching them a moral lesson. W. Carter Merbreier became known as friendly, popular Captain Noah. His wife Pat, Mrs. Noah, was the puppeteer for adorable characters like Wally the Walrus. The homegrown show Captain Noah and his Magical Ark became a daily ritual for the children of Philadelphia.
The show quickly became THE place to be seen for more than 27 years. Elvis Presley, Frank Perdue, Tug McGraw, Dorothy Hamill and Charles Barkley all made guest appearances on the show. The Philly Phanatic made its first public debut on Captain Noah. Jim Henson introduced Kermit the Frog to Mrs. Noah’s puppets. Jon Stewart made his television debut as a standup comedian on the show when he was only in junior high school.
In City Capers, Captain Noah’s set is on display for the first time since the show went off the air in 1994. Complete with Captain Noah’s coat and hat, guitar and original puppets from the show, visitors can pretend to film their own television show and watch archived Captain Noah footage as they relive their personal television memories while making new ones with their little ones.
Enchanted Colonial Village
One of Philadelphia’s annual holiday traditions was the Enchanted Colonial Village displayed at the Lit Brothers’ department store, which occupied a full city block on Market Street. The Village, which is scaled down to three-quarters life size, was an annual display at Lit’s from 1962 to 1975.
Originally, there were 18 wooden buildings, each with different themes, including moving figures and mechanical displays. The nostalgic Colonial scenes included a toymaker, clockmaker, baker, blacksmith, tailor shop, general store, schoolhouse and a family enjoying a festive holiday dinner.
Since the closing of the department store, the Village has moved from Longwood Gardens to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and to Philadelphia’s Atwater Kent Museum. In 2000, Please Touch Museum bought the remaining nine scenes for “100 pennies.” It took five years to restore dozens of figures, while also making new dolls to reflect a more culturally diverse population.
Memorial Hall gives Please Touch enough space to display all of the Village’s remaining scenes. Parents with fond memories of seeing the Enchanted Village as a child can now bring their own children to discover its magic for the first time.