Visiting the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA

Two weeks ago, my family and I visited the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA. It’s truly an amazing place for learning and exploration for both kids and big kids…like me.

We are members of the Maryland Science Center, which is part of the ASTC (Association of Science – Technology Centers) Passport Program (http://www.astc.org/members/passlist_about.htm). The Franklin Institute is also a member of the ASTC. Therefore, it has a reciprocal admission policy for all members of the Maryland Science Center. We were able to get into the Institute for free and we ended up going over the course of two days because there was just so much to see. And it didn’t cost us anything for admission!

Upon entering the Institute, you are greeted with huge statue of Benjamin Franklin seated. It reminds me of the Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson statues back in Washington, DC. In fact, there’s a sign next to it that reads it’s the National monument to Ben Franklin. It’s definitely worthy of that distinction. We were greeted with a cool drone demonstration upon our arrival. My kids loved watching the drone fly around Ben Franklin’s head!

The next adventure we explored was the Sports Zone. It was very interactive and focused on the science behind sports and movement in general. My littlest love racing the “girl” athlete in the simulated sprint course.

We also played in Sir Isaac’s loft. When you enter this “playground of experimentation,” you’ll be fascinated with falling objects, chain reactions, and optical illusions that bring Newton’s laws to life in whimsical and artful ways. Pulleys, prisms, and pendulums captivate the mind and illuminate classic scientific principles.

The second day was filled with more activities and exhibits. We first checked out the “Changing Earth” exhibit. The kids learned how the Earth is always changing. There was a monitor there showing current actual earthquakes from across the world. We were there right after the Papua New Guinea 7.5 quake on February 26 and we got to show the kids news clips from the day about the quake. The made the connection to the monitor and real world events.

Then we checked out an iMAX Theater showing of Extreme Weather, a National Geographic documentary mostly about tornados and glacial melting.

We proceed to visit to the Giant Heart exhibit, where we got the play inside a huge heart playground. We were also able to see a real live heart dissection and discussion with an institute scientist!

We visited other exhibits like Space Command and built Mars rovers!

We visited the Train Factory, Electricity and Brian Exhibits. All were so cool and interactive. The kids were very engaged the whole time. They learned so much about science over the course of two days.

The one exhibit that is currently at the Franklin Institute that we didn’t get to see but could of for an additional $15 per person is the Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor exhibit. I would have loved to go through it but it would have been hard with the kids as it isn’t as interactive as the other exhibits…so we skipped it ☹
https://www.fi.edu/exhibit/terracotta-warriors

From the website:

In 1974, a farmer in China was digging a well when he struck upon fragments of terracotta. Unbeknownst to him, the farmer had uncovered one of the most monumental achievements in human history. Buried beneath the surface of the land were thousands of life-sized statues, constructed over 2,000 years ago—silently and steadfastly guarding the tomb of their master: China’s first emperor.

If you take a trip to Philly, you should definitely check out the Franklin Institute. You won’t be disappointed!

With Love,
Chris