If you’re like me and have kids who are fascinated by science and technology, then taking a trip on the turnpike to have an adventure at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a must. Named in honor of America’s first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of the oldest (founded in 1824!) and one of the country’s premier centers of science education and development. This family-friendly Institute is full of surprises and will wow even a non-sciencey kid—you can race against pro athletes in the SportsZone, explore a brand new $8.5 million Wondrous Space exhibit, or you can walk through a “beating” human heart at The Giant Heart at the new Body Worlds: Vital exhibit. We recently spent an afternoon exploring it and had a blast learning about health, physics, and tech. Scroll down for more details on our visit, and if you decide to make it a day trip, check out the other places to visit in Philadelphia with kids. (feature photo credit: NJ MOM)
From pulleys to sports skills
With a bunch of interactive exhibits that emphasized physics, chemistry, and technology over three floors, we started our visit at Sir Issac’s Loft, known as a playground of experimentation that has falling objects, chain reactions, and optical illusions that bring Newton’s laws to life. There are a bunch of pulleys, prisms, and pendulums to try. We experimented with chain reactions, and the kids tested their strength by lifting their body weight with pulleys. Then, we headed over to the SportsZone, an interactive exhibit on how sports connect the science of the human body, laws of motion, and technical innovation. My son is a baseball player, and he loved throwing a pitch and watching the playback at high speed to analyze it. The kids also tried their balance on the surfboard simulator and then raced a pro athlete (you can pick from a gold medal winner, Eagles running back, or the Philly Phanatic baseball mascot) with their race simulator.
Out of this world learning
After spending time in the permanent exhibits, we headed to the newer—Wonderous Space. The neon colors, interactive displays, and unique sounds made us feel like we had entered another world. We were able to touch a genuine meteorite that fell to Earth over 50,000 years ago, design and launch a rocket, and explore a Mars Rover. There were interactive space activities like the gravity well, where we spun colored marbles that created a light path on the way down. We were also part of a computer-generated solar system as the planets and stars gathered around us, allowing us to experiment with mass, gravity, and orbits. But the kids’ favorite part was creating their own spacesuit– they used a touchscreen to pick everything from the colors to the space destination they wanted to visit in outer space.
More to explore
As we made our way through the Franklin Institute, we arrived at Your Brain. Within the exhibit, we explored the city street exhibit filled with optical illusions and tried to figure out the truth from the distorted images. But the best part was the 18-foot-tall neural climb in the exhibit. The climb was in a darkened room with mood lighting that gave the space a fun vibe (Bonus: this is the perfect place for mom and dad to rest while the kids climb and play). There’s also the Hamilton Collections Gallery featuring the Baldwin 60000 steam locomotive that you can climb aboard and learn all about the machinery. Also, in the gallery sits rare artifacts, including early film projectors and designs by the Wright Brothers.
The heart of the Franklin Institute
For over fifty years, The Giant Heart has been Franklin Institute’s most famous exhibit. The kids enjoyed taking this cardiovascular journey, where they could hear the sounds of an actual human heartbeat while exploring the heart’s different chambers. They climbed through the heart independently and explored the 8-foot arteries while we walked around the exhibit. The heart is in the newly renovated Body Odyssey exhibit, and we learned a lot about everything from gut health to our senses and perception. On the same floor, we visited the Franklin Air Show, where the kids could create paper airplanes and whirligigs to see how they would fly. They could even sit in a 1948 T-33 Jet, put on wings, and feel the force flying in a wind tunnel. One exhibit we are anxiously awaiting to see when we visit next is the BODY WORLDS: Vital exhibit opening in February, which will feature real human specimens in whole-body plastinates, with transparency to highlight how everything works together. The exhibit will take you on a fascinating journey beneath the skin and explore how emotions impact our minds and well-being.
A starry night at any time of day
We decided to take a little break, and the planetarium seemed like the perfect place to relax and enjoy a show. The Fels Planetarium has a 60-foot diameter dome that allows us to look up to see the night sky without weather or pollution getting in the way. Current shows include Worlds Beyond Earth, The Sky Tonight, and To Space & Back. You can also visit the Holt & Miller Observatory, a 10” Carl Zeiss Refracting Telescope, one of the most significant historical artifacts in their collection—it allows you to safely view the sun and take in picture-perfect city views.
What to know before you go
The Franklin Institute takes about 2-3 hours to explore, and it can take longer if you visit their special exhibits, the planetarium, or attend one of their events. The InstiInstitutepen daily from 9:30 AM – 5 PM (they recommend going later in the afternoon to avoid school crowds on weekdays). Tickets are valid for the day of purchase only, and tickets are $29 for adults, $23 for kids (ages 3-12), and $25 for youth (ages 13-17). BODY WORLDS: Vital with Museum pricing is extra and is scaled to the time you want to go. A parking garage is connected to the museum, costing $25 daily. Strollers are allowed in the museum; however, large toddler carriers, double-sided strollers, and jogging strollers are not allowed in the special exhibition galleries due to space. Strollers are not available to rent or borrow. An Infant Feeding Area is located on the first floor near the gold elevators for nursing mothers. If you are looking for storage, there are lockers for small bags, backpacks, and coats. A Sensory Guide is available to assist anyone with sensory processing needs so that they know what to expect at each exhibit.
Visit The Franklin Institute on their website, Facebook, and Instagram for more information.
Franklin Institute
222 N. 20th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Want the inside scoop? Sign up for the NJMOM bi-weekly newsletter to get the lowdown on everything for your family in NJ (think of it as the ultimate cheat sheet for NJ Moms). And don’t forget to tag your photos #NJMOM and @njmom for a chance to be featured.
