Escape the Winter Chill by Exploring Trees Inside and Out at Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia

Kids and Families Head Indoors to Experience a Unique Environmental Education Exhibit
Presented by Doubletree Hotels and the Arbor Day Foundation®

PHILADELPHIA (January 22, 2010) – Locals and visitors alike in the City of Brotherly Love will enjoy a unique indoor winter exhibit that celebrates the great outdoors, thanks to the Exploring Trees Inside and Out traveling exhibit opening at Philadelphia's Please Touch Museum on Saturday, January 23. At a time when Philadelphia and its 63 parks are experiencing the traditional winter chill, spring will be in full swing at the museum as children and families warm up to the sounds of woodland creatures beneath colorful green tree canopies.

"The imaginative, interactive educational venue created for the community at Please Touch Museum made Philadelphia a natural candidate for our nationwide tour of Exploring Trees Inside and Out," said Mary Beth Parks, vice president of brand marketing for Doubletree Hotels. "Doubletree Hotels and the Arbor Day Foundation are proud to present visitors with an exhibit that fosters both learning and joy. We hope Exploring Trees Inside and Out will inspire residents and visitors to the Philadelphia area to enjoy the exhibit's engaging activities and use the lessons they learn to appreciate the great outdoors in a whole new way."

Presented by Doubletree® Hotels and the Arbor Day Foundation®, this three-year touring environmental education project encourages family members of all ages to explore the beauty of the great outdoors through the wonders of trees. The spacious, 2,500-square-foot exhibit, developed by Arbor Day and the Dimensions Educational Research Foundation, is designed to create a better understanding among children age two to 10 about the significant role trees play in the environment. A variety of interactive activities encourage children to explore trees in a multi-sensory way through its fun-packed and educational components. For example, children will be able to:

? Crawl through a log and experience it as a habitat for other living things
? Help a seed "grow" into a young oak inside a huge acorn
? Explore the "heart" of a tree trunk and move the "blood" of the tree up and down its "veins"
? Smell scents from various trees, then discover just a few of the many products we get from trees
? Hear the sounds of animals that live in trees, and even become a forest creature in a "green screen" experience that allows children to fly like a bird and soar over the treetops

"Our exhibits at Please Touch Museum promote learning through play, and we are excited to awe our young visitors with the experience of the Exploring Trees Inside and Out exhibit in our Rainforest Gallery," said Laura Foster, President & CEO of Please Touch Museum. "We strive to bring unique, fun and educational exhibits to the museum that offer value beyond mere entertainment. The environmental exhibit presented by Doubletree Hotels and the Arbor Day Foundation creates a connection to nature that is meaningful to visitors of all ages."

Exploring Trees Inside and Out will be on display at Please Touch Museum through May 2, 2010. This is the seventh location in the country to showcase the exhibit. "Exploring Trees Inside and Out" will continue its tour to some of the top science centers and children's museums in Los Angeles and Chicago during 2010.

"Doubletree Hotels has taken an important leadership role with the Arbor Day Foundation in a profoundly needed initiative to connect young children with nature by working with us to present the Exploring Trees Inside and Out traveling exhibit," said John Rosenow, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. "Everyone at the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation appreciate the commitment Please Touch Museum has made by setting a wonderful example for children's museums across the country. We hope that our traveling exhibit will help inspire, demonstrate and encourage the important role that nature plays in the lives of young children in Philadelphia and across the country."

Entry to Exploring Trees Inside and Out is included with admission to Please Touch Museum. The museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Monday through Saturday, and 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $15.00 for adults and children over the age of one. Children under the age of one are free. Please Touch Museum is located at Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park, 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, Pa. The Museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. For more information or to support Please Touch Museum, visit their Web site at www.pleasetouchmuseum.org or call 215-581-3181.

For more information about the everyday importance of trees and the "Exploring Trees Inside and Out" traveling exhibit, please visit www.doubletree.com/thinktrees.

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About the Arbor Day Foundation
The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit conservation and education organization of nearly one million members, with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at www.arborday.org.

About Doubletree Hotels and Hilton Worldwide
With a growing collection of contemporary, upscale accommodations in more than 200 gateway cities, metropolitan areas and vacation destinations worldwide, Doubletree hotels and resorts are distinctively designed properties that provide true comfort to today's business and leisure travelers. From the millions of delighted hotel guests who are welcomed with the brand's legendary, warm chocolate chip cookies at check-in to the advantages of the award-winning Hilton HHonors guest reward programme, each Doubletree guest receives a satisfying stay wherever their travels take them. To make reservations at any Doubletree hotel, travelers may visit our website at www.doubletree.com.
Hilton Worldwide is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 90 years, Hilton Worldwide has been offering business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,500 hotels in 81 countries and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. For more information about the company, please visit www.hiltonworldwide.com.

About Please Touch Museum
Please Touch Museum® at Memorial Hall, Fairmount Park is dedicated to enriching the lives of children by providing learning opportunities through play. Recognized locally and nationally as one of the best children's museums, Please Touch is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. -5 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults and children age one and over. Children under one are free. For more information, please call 215-581-3181, or visit our web site at www.pleasetouchmuseum.org.