Franklin Institute, Philadelphia

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The Institute was interesting and the staff seemed enthusiastic. During the visit, I visited the Mummy Exhibition - and although I have seen better examples they did show some recent Mummies - not all from Egypt and some fairly modern European natural Mummies.

As you can imagine - lots of scientific exhibits to be seen.

A reasonable shop and cafe!

The big draw for us was the King Tut exhibit which is only there until September. It was in LA, Fort Lauderdale, and Chicago before. This is the last stop for the US, so I was eager to catch it before it went off to London.

Overall the exhibit was pretty good. They had it well organized. We bought our tickets the same day and we only had to wait until 2:30 to enter. This exhibit does NOT include king tuts case. I guess most people were expecting that. They do have many of the elements found inside on display.

I actually was not impressed with the rest of the museum. A lot of the interactive exhibits were broken. I am not sure if this was because of the high amount of summer camp kids that were coming in and out, or because they havent had a chance to do an upkeep because of King Tut.

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I love the Franklin Institute and am disappointed that I haven't gone as much as an adult. I think ti really cultivated my strong interest in science. It is absolutely perfect for kids because EVERYTHING is hands on. It also has enough exhibits that adults can be interested in too. All the 40 year old men were fascinated with making paper whirly-gigs (which was admittedly very fun!). Highly recommended for some fun! There's an IMAX theater and Planetarium as well.

(PS. The Big Heart you can walk through is fun...just make sure there isn't a huge line or you'll have to hurry through).

Open 9:30 to 5, closed Monday. $13.75 for adults for the museum, $18.75 for the IMAX show as well.

The Franklin Institute was fascinating! There are interactive displays and a workshop modeled after the one in which Franklin worked on his inventions.

An Imax theatre, which offers realistic thrills and laser shows are presented in Fels Planetarium which can hold up to 340 people. Traveling exhibits are staged here, as well.

One cannot visit this facility without climbing up and through an enormous replica of the human heart, which boggles the mind! You can also check your skills in piloting a state-of-the-art flight simulator in The Franklin Air Show or find a lost space probe in Space Command.

The institute was founded in 1824 and is meant to honor the accomplishments of Benjamin Franklin. Admission is $9.00 for adults and $7.00 for children and senior citizens. The hours are daily from 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Sunday-Friday and 9:30 am-6:00 pm on Saturday. The museum is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

The Franklin Institute is an interesting educational museum for school children of all ages and a popular destination for field trips. The museum is currently undergoing some major improvements, but there are some classic exhibits that never change. My favorite activities are on the hands-on exhibits top floor of the museum. The huge pendulum in the stairwell has fascinated me since I was a child. The planetarium, human heart and electricity exhibits have always fasciniated adults and children as well. There's even a real working steam locomotive!

Tickets aren't cheap and certain exhibits require an additional fee for admission, so plan to spend the day. Pack a lunch to avoid overpaying for food. There are several cafeterias for seating that can accomodate groups.

This is one of the best science museums I've seen. Ben Franklin's imprint is all over Philadelphia, but perhaps nowhere is it more beautifully marked than in the entryway to the Franklin Institute. It's also a great place to take your curious kids. They'll enjoy it and learn something too.

I recently (February 2006) visited the Franklin to see the exhibit, "Body Worlds" in which real human bodies are shown dissected and stretched in all sorts of ways making for the most eye opening anatomy lesson you'll ever receive.

On the walking tour of Philadelphia right behind the Independence Hall, is Franklin Court.

The state-of-the-art Franklin Museum has samples of Franklin's inventions, plus interactive exhibits and a film on his life. Several row houses, once rented out by Franklin, contain exhibits on architecture and Franklin's printing implements.

In the courtyard, a house-shaped steel frame hovers over the remains of the residence that the inventor and statesman owned from 1763 to 1790; glass portals let you peer into the original foundations.

This is another great museum for kids and adults alike as it has a lot of hands on exhibits. I recently went to tour around like I did when I was in middle school, but I got there too late. My favorite parts are the trains, the electricity exhibits, the giant heart, and the planetarium. Worldclass. There is also an IMAX movie theatre located here. Check the link below to check for the current showing movies.