by We’re kind-of over science museums, but there were a couple items we wanted to see at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And since it was free with our ASTC membership, off we went.
The institute is named after scientist and statesman Benjamin Franklin, and as such, it also houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial. The institute was founded way back in 1824, making it one of the oldest science education centers in the United States.
Originally the institute was a place of research and education; classes were offered in mechanics, drafting, and engineering. The Journal of The Franklin Institute has been published since 1826, originally dedicated to patent information and documenting scientific and technological achievements but now primarily focused on engineering and applied mathematics.
The museum did not come into being until more than a century later, when construction on the new (current) building began in 1932. When it opened in 1934 it was one of the first in the nation to offer a “hands-on” approach.
In the late 20th century, the institute shifted its focus from research to education through the Franklin Institute Science Museum. Today there is more than 400,000 square feet of exhibit space.
Among many other items of interest, it holds largest collection of artifacts from the Wright brothers’ workshop. We also took in a show (and had a brief nap) at the planetarium, which was only the second built in the United States at the time of its 1933 construction (it’s since been fully renovated and updated).
