Philadelphia is the home of
our founding fathers. The Franklin Institute honors America’s first scientist,
Benjamin Franklin. The Franklin Institute’s mission is to inspire passion for
learning about science and technology. Since I was here for a medical device
conference, it was only fitting that I visit this museum. As a plus, the
Franklin Museum is part of the Philadelphia CityPASS. The transportation, The Big Bus Company and Philadelphia Trolley Works, is also included as well.
We arrived at the Franklin
Institute around lunch time and the exterior of the museum was regal as it was
illuminated by the high noon sunshine. The six pillars at the top of the
stairway to the entrance were so elegant and part of an architect’s dream. To
beat the lunch crowd, we headed straight to the Franklin Foodworks. It is a
cafeteria-style eatery with an array of choices. I grabbed a pre-made Cobb
Salad. I wanted something light as we were doing a lot of walking and hopping
on and off of the buses and trolleys. The lettuce was fresh and crisp. The
chicken, bacon, and bleu cheese were a little light in portion, but the cupcake
made up for it. The fresh-baked carrot cake cupcake was fluffy and not too
heavy. The cream cheese icing was perfectly creamy and not too sweet. Overall food
rating: 4/5
After lunch, we walked over
to the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial. A 20-foot high marble statue of
Benjamin Franklin is the centerpiece of the rotunda. It was sculpted by James
Earle Fraser and weighs 30 tons. The statue sits upon a 92-ton pedestal made of
white Seravezza marble. The rotunda was designed by architect John T. Windrim
and modeled after the Pantheon in Rome. The marble in the rotuna are made of
rare marbles imported from Portugal, Italy, and France.
The Giant Heart exhibit is
the main place I wanted to check out at the Franklin Institute. The Giant Heart
has been here for over 50 years. Fun fact: The Giant Heart is the right size
for the Statue of Liberty if she ever needed a heart transplant. A surgical
suite of current medical devices for cardiothoracic surgery was on display. The
former company I worked for made a laser for Transmyocardial Revascularization
(TMR), a therapy procedure to relieve chronic angina and it was on display. It
was really neat to see our device in a museum.
Pendulum Staircase is a show
in itself as you watch the pendulum swing constantly in the same direction as
the Earth rotates beneath. In doing so, the pendulum will eventually knock down
pegs as the Earth rotates on its axis. The pendulum ball is shiny; like a giant
“steely” from childhood marble-playing days. We stayed there for a good 15 minutes
just watching it. It was quite hypnotic.
There are many more exhibits
to at the Franklin Institute and activities for children to play and learn. We
hopped back on the bus to get a glimpse of the Liberty Bell.
Atmosphere: 5 out of 5 stars
Service: 4 out of 5 stars
Décor: 5 out of 5 stars
Food: 4 out of 5 stars
For more information:
271 N 21st St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
+1.215.448.1220
Hours: Daily from 9:30am to
5pm (closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and
Thursday, April 23, 2015)
Parking: Garage parking,
check website for parking rates
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