The Franklin Institute - Philadelphia, PA - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com

"49. The Franklin Institute (open 2-10 Wed-Fri and Sun., 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sat.; adm. 25¢), Winter St. at 20th St., was founded in 1824 through the efforts of Samuel Vaughan Merrick and Dr. William Keating. The first exhibition of the institute was held in the fall of 1824 at Carpenters' Hall, and for more than a century the association occupied a building on the east side of 7th Street below Market. John T. Windrim was the architect of the new building, opened in 1934. Of light-buff limestone with a granite base, it has a central portico with six tall Corinthian columns." Pennsylvania: A Guide to the Keystone State, 1940; page 278-79

The Franklin Institute itself comprises three centers, The Science Center, The Franklin Center, and The Center for Innovation in Science Learning. It also houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial. I remember my graduation year from high school hearing that this site attained national recognition status and was placed on the national register. I must have visited this place over a dozen times with family, on field trips, geocaching and lately, waymarking. The most notable part of every visit is the huge heart and that static generator you touch and makes your hair stand on end.

Recently, the museum has begun to incorporate a rotating exhibit schedule in an effort to attract more people. It has worked. The King Tut exhibit was a huge success and provided a much-needed financial windfall and economic boost for Philadelphia and for the museum.

When you first enter be sure to check out the huge statue of Benjamin Franklin, the museums namesake. There is a lot to do and it seems with each passing year more and more improvements are being made.