Imagination Ball 2026

Please Touch Museum is hosting its annual fundraising gala, the Imagination Ball, on Thursday, October 22, from 6 to 9 PM. This year's party is more than the usual fundraiser: it's a celebration of the museum's 50th birthday. The museum opened in 1976 as the first in the country to focus on families with children seven and younger, and it's spent the last five decades calling itself an expert in play, with a mission to "change a child's life as they discover the power of learning through play."

The ball is the evening chapter of a year-long celebration. The museum kicked things off with a 50th Birthday Weekend in early October and will keep marking the milestone throughout the coming year. The gala itself is built around that same spirit: dinner and dancing, carousel rides, interactive entertainment, and playful surprises spread across the museum. It's a night where the exhibits aren't just for the kids—the carousel is open to the adults, too.

Beyond the party, the night is a fundraiser for the museum's work. The whole thing is in support of the power of play, which is what the museum has been championing since it first opened its doors in 1976. If you've spent any time there, you know the drill: it's a place designed for the youngest visitors in the city, and the gala is a way to keep that going. The Imagination Ball runs from 6 to 9 PM on Thursday, October 22, at the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia.