Franklin Institute - Philadelphia, PA
Posted by: 
hykesj
N 39° 57.487 W 075° 10.344
18S E 485274 N 4423123
Popular hands-on science museum in Philadelphia coupled with the National Benjamin Franklin Memorial.
Waymark Code: WM19VA3
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 04/15/2024
Views: 1
The Franklin Institute was founded in 1824 by industrialist Samuel Vaughan Merrick and geologist William H. Keating who named it after the famous statesman and scientist. Its purpose was to promote science and technology in the United States which wasn’t even 50 years old at that time. The current building opened in 1924 and from the beginning was going to be a hands-on science museum, one of the first such museums in America, and a memorial to its namesake, Benjamin Franklin.
Today, the museum features permanent exhibits on electricity, earth science, anatomy, astronomy, powered flight, transportation and mechanics. Some of the highlights of the collection include a massive 4-10-2 steam locomotive built by the local Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1926, an original Wright Model B flyer, one the few still in existence, and a giant model of a human heart.
Most folks are aware of the Lincoln Memorial and Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC which contain larger than life statues of Lincoln and Jefferson respectively. But there is also a National Franklin Memorial housed in this museum which also features a colossal statue. The 20 ft. tall statue by prolific sculptor James Earle Fraser was dedicated in 1938 and sits in a rotunda modeled after the Roman Pantheon. A U.S. postage stamp, with a likeness of Benjamin Franklin based on the Fraser statue, was issued on the same day as the dedication.
Name of Source Book: 1000 Places to See Before You Die - In the USA and Canada (2007)
Page Location in Source Book: 219
Type of Waymark: Site
Location of Coordinates: Main entrance
Cost of Admission (Parks, Museums, etc.): 25.00 (listed in local currency)
List Available Hours, Dates, Season:
9:30 am to 5:00 pm daily
Official Tourism Website: [Web Link]
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