Franklin Institute facts for kids
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| Established | 1824 |
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| Location | 222 North 20th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Type | Science museum |
| Public transit access |   SEPTA bus: 7, 32, 33, 38, 48, 49 Philly PHLASH, Suburban Station |
The Franklin Institute is a famous science museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is also a big center for science education and research. The museum is named after Benjamin Franklin, a well-known American scientist and leader. It is home to the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial.
The Franklin Institute was started in 1824. This makes it one of the oldest places in the United States dedicated to teaching and developing science. Its main astronomer is Derrick Pitts.
Contents
History of the Franklin Institute
How it Started in the 1800s
The Franklin Institute was founded on February 5, 1824. Two people, Samuel Vaughan Merrick and William H. Keating, started it. They wanted to help develop new inventions and improve skills in mechanical arts.
An old newspaper from 1824 wrote about the opening. It said the goal was to "further develop the resources of the union, increase the national independence, call forth the ingenuity and industry of the people, and thereby increase the comforts of the community at large." This means they wanted to help the country grow and make life better for everyone.
From 1825, the institute became very important for science and technology in America. It studied things like steam engines and water power. Besides doing scientific research, it also helped with education. It ran schools, published a popular magazine called Journal of The Franklin Institute, and held exhibitions. It also gave out awards for new scientific discoveries and inventions.
The 1900s and Beyond
In the late 1900s, the institute changed its focus. It moved from doing a lot of research to mostly educating the public through its museum. Some of its research parts, like the Bartol Research Foundation, became part of other universities.
Many scientists have shown off amazing new technology at the Franklin Institute. In 1884, it hosted the first big electrical show in the United States. Later, in 1934, Philo Taylor Farnsworth showed the world's first all-electronic television system there.
The first female member, Elizabeth Skinner, joined in 1833. The institute also welcomed people of all races starting in 1870. Octavius Catto, a teacher and activist from Philadelphia, became a member then.
The institute's first building was too small. So, in 1934, it moved to its current home on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The new building was designed for hands-on learning. Visitors were encouraged to "touch, handle, and operate the exhibits" to understand how things work.
In 1940, a funny event happened. A press agent jokingly announced that the world would end the next day. A radio station reported it, causing a panic! The Franklin Institute quickly told everyone it was just an April Fool joke.
Recent Times
In 2017, an incident happened where a valuable statue from China was damaged. The museum reviewed its security to prevent similar issues.
In 2021, the institute hosted Dyymond Whipper-Young. She broke the Guinness world record for the "world's largest drawing by an individual."
In 2011, the Franklin Institute received a huge gift of $10 million. This money helped build the Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion. This new area has a large exhibit about the brain, plus spaces for conferences and classrooms.
The Science Center
The most famous part of the Franklin Institute is its Science Museum. Its goal is to inspire people to learn about science and technology. The museum has the largest collection of items from the Wright brothers' workshop.
Permanent Exhibits
- Electricity: This exhibit shows how electricity works and how we use it today. You can see a dance floor that creates electricity and lights that react to cell phone signals.
- Changing Earth: This exhibit explores the powerful forces of air, water, and land that shape our planet. It also shows how humans interact with these forces.
- The Franklin Airshow: Here you can see the Wright Model B airplane, restored to its original glory. There's also a 1948 T-33 Shooting Star jet trainer.
- The Giant Heart: This huge, walk-through heart has been a symbol of Philadelphia since 1954. It teaches you about biology and how your body works.
- Joel N. Bloom Observatory: Updated in 2006, this observatory has five telescopes. You can look at stars and planets!
- SportsZone: This interactive exhibit shows the science behind different sports. You can learn about physics and technology while playing.
- The Train Factory: This exhibit has a real, massive Baldwin 60000 steam locomotive. It was so big, the museum walls were built around it! This exhibit is being updated and will reopen in 2024.
- Sir Isaac's Loft: This area lets you mix art and science to create your own masterpiece.
- Space Command: See real space suits and learn how satellites track things on Earth in real time.
- Amazing Machine: Explore a machine-like environment with unique items from the institute's collection, including Maillardet's automaton. This is a very old, special robot that can draw and write.
- Your Brain: This exhibit explores how your brain works. It includes an 18-foot-tall climbing structure that looks like neural pathways. You can also learn about brain ethics and enjoy 70 hands-on activities.
Other Cool Attractions
The Science Center has other interesting things to see. The Budd BB-1 Pioneer airplane is in front of the museum. It was the world's first stainless steel airplane and has been there since 1935.
You can also see a model of what would become the Lunar Module from the Apollo space program. It was first shown at a World's Fair in 1966.
Theaters
In 1933, the Fels Planetarium was built. It was only the second planetarium in the United States. It was rebuilt in 2002 with a new, lighter dome. The planetarium is also set up for visitors who are hearing impaired.
The Tuttleman IMAX Theater was a huge dome theater. It had a 180-degree screen and powerful sound. It closed in 2020 and will not reopen.
The museum's auditorium was renovated in 2008 and renamed Franklin Theater. It shows educational films and sometimes feature-length movies.
Traveling Exhibits
The Science Center often hosts special traveling exhibits. In the past, these have included shows about the Titanic, Body Worlds, and Robots.
In 2007, the Franklin Institute hosted "Tutankhamun and The Golden Age of The Pharaohs." This exhibit was almost twice as big as the original Tutankhamun exhibit from the 1970s. It had 50 items directly from King Tut's tomb. It also featured a CAT Scan that showed what the young king might have looked like.
The Franklin Institute is part of a group of science museums that share exhibits and ideas.
Benjamin Franklin National Memorial
The Benjamin Franklin National Memorial is inside the Franklin Institute. It features a huge 20-foot (6.1 m) tall marble statue of Benjamin Franklin. The memorial opened in 1938 and looks like the Pantheon in Rome.
The main hall is 82 ft (25 m) long, wide, and high. The domed ceiling is self-supporting and weighs 1600 tons! The floors, walls, and columns are made of beautiful marbles from Portugal, Italy, and France.
In 1972, the United States Congress officially named the hall and statue the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial.
In 2008, the memorial was updated with new multimedia features. Now, every hour, a 3.5-minute show called Benjamin Franklin Forever uses the entire rotunda to tell stories about Philadelphia's famous citizen.
The Franklin Institute also has a collection of Franklin's personal items. These include his 1777 Nini Medallion, a model of the statue's bust, a figurehead from a ship named after him, and the odometer he used to measure postal routes. The Electricity exhibit also shows one of Franklin's lightning rods and his electricity tube.
The Journal of The Franklin Institute
In 1826, The Journal of The Franklin Institute was created. It published information about US Patents and shared scientific and technological achievements. It is the second oldest science magazine in the country that has been published continuously. Today, it mostly focuses on applied mathematics.
Awards for Science and Technology
Since 1824, the Franklin Institute has given out science and technology awards. This is one of the longest-running award programs in the world! Famous past winners include Henry Ford, Frank Lloyd Wright, Marie Curie, and Thomas Edison.
In 1998, many of the older medals were combined into the Benjamin Franklin Medals. Several of these medals are given out each year for different areas of science and engineering. These fields include "Chemistry", "Computer and Cognitive Science", "Earth and Environmental Science", "Electrical Engineering", "Life Science", "Mechanical Engineering" and "Physics".
Since 1990, the Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science has also been given out. This award includes $250,000 in cash, making it one of the largest science awards in the U.S.
Learning About Science
The Franklin Institute also studies how people learn science outside of school. They focus on educational technology, working with schools, and helping young leaders. They also have many online resources about the history of science.
The Franklin Institute is part of the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net).
Programs for Students and Teachers
Science Leadership Academy
The Science Leadership Academy is a special school that opened in 2006. It is a partnership between the Franklin Institute and the School District of Philadelphia.
Teacher Training
The Franklin Institute offers special summer courses and shorter classes for teachers. These programs help teachers learn new ways to teach science to students in kindergarten through 8th grade.
Partnerships for Achieving Careers in Technology and Science (PACTS)
Partnerships for Achieving Careers in Technology and Science, or PACTS, is a program for middle and high school students. It helps them explore science careers and develop leadership skills. Students do hands-on science workshops, field research, and lab experiments. They learn how science is part of their daily lives.
Girls at the Center
Girls at the Center was a program that helped girls and their families learn about science together. It was a partnership between the Franklin Institute and the Girl Scouts of the USA. Girls did activities at home and at the museum, ending with a fun party.
Images for kids
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A 1911 Wright Brothers Model B flyer
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A mock-up of the Apollo Lunar Module
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The front steps of the Franklin Institute
See also
In Spanish: Franklin Institute para niños
- Academy of Natural Sciences
- Children's museum
- John Scott Award issued by the City of Philadelphia
- List of science museums
- Logan Square
- National Treasure
- Wagner Free Institute of Science
