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Franklin Institute
Science Museum
Benjamin Franklin
Parkway at 20th Street
Philadelphia
(215) 448-1200
What
You Will See
The Franklin Institute has several
components:
- The Science
Museum is devoted to
"the science of yesterday
and today," including
everything from a recreation of
the Wright Brothers Cycle Shop, a
350-ton Baldwin locomotive, and
hundreds of interactive, hands-on
exhibits.
- The Mandell
Center focuses on computers
and the Internet, and often hosts
block-buster traveling exhibits.
- The Benjamin
Franklin National Memorial is a tribute to the city's most
well-known scientist. See the
30-ton marble statue of this
remarkable man, and then be wowed
once again by the variety of his
inventions and accomplishments.
- The Tuttleman
Omniverse Theater features science movies that
virtually come alive on a 4-story
tall domed screen with 57
directional speakers.
- The Fels
Planetarium is where the
stars hang out -- you can see the
latest in space exploration as
well as dazzling laser light
shows that are choreographed to
classic rock, modern rock and the
latest alternative music.
More Fun Nearby
Located in the Franklin
Institute's own backyard is the
CoreStates Science Park, which was
developed in collaboration with the Please
Touch Museum (located across the street). This
outdoor, interactive, learning center
includes about 30 interactive elements,
such as speaking tubes that permit kids
to talk to friends across the park
without raising their voices; the Sun
Dial which shows children how to use the
shadow of their bodies to tell the time;
the Spindancer which makes streamers
dance in the air; and the Granite Ball,
which weighs 400 pounds, but spins easily
because it sits on a bed of pressurized
water. Don't miss the The Sky Bike, which
allows two visitors at a time to ride 18
feet above the ground in a demonstration
of gyroscopic stability.
Admission to the CoreStates
Science Park is free if you have paid for
either the Franklin Institute or the
Please Touch Museum that day. The Park is
open each year from May through October.
Getting There
The Franklin Institute is located on
Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 20st Street
in the heart of Philadelphia's museum
district. For hours, admission fees and
detailed driving instructions, see the
Institute's web
site.
The Philadelphia Insider Directory:
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