Member Events and Updates
For event reservations, please call the Membership Office at 215.448.1231, Monday-Friday from 9AM-5PM.
Visit this page often and watch your email for announcements about special Member events. Member emails contain information regarding events and exhibits, along with exclusive offers. If you are a current Member and do not receive Membership emails, please send your email address to . We won't share your email address with anyone!
Member Sundays | RACE: Are We So Different? | STAR TREK: THE EXHIBITION | Galileo, the Medici & the Age of Astronomy | Night Skies in the Observatory | Science Book Club
Cost: $5 - Reservations are required.
Workshop Times: 11:30AM, 12:45PM and 1:45PM (unless otherwise specified)
Come to The Franklin Institute every second Sunday this year and discover the answer to fun and exciting scientific questions! From teaching basic scientific building blocks like electricity and machines, to showing wider scientific applications in habitat and pollution, these workshops are designed to help your child build a hands-on understanding of science. So come to The Franklin Institute every second Sunday this year and bring out the inner scientist in your child!
NEW! Receive a free 4-hour parking sticker when you attend any Member Sunday workshop!*
July 19 - Nanotech - Nanoscale science is way smaller than the eye can see, but it can lead to some unexpected results. In this workshop, we'll do some hands-on chemistry to experiment with gold particles that are a million times smaller than a grain of sand. Learn how the unique properties of gold at the nanoscale could change the way we treat cancer, and take home your own sample of nanogold. Don't miss this exciting opportunity to check out some cutting-edge science!
August 9 - How We Study Stars, featuring Chief Astronomer Derrick Pitts
12PM - 2:20PM (Recommended Arrival Time: 11:30AM)
Join us for a special three part Member Sunday! First, enjoy a LIVE planetarium show where Derrick Pitts will explore and explain how stars are studied. Then, enjoy a special workshop where participants will make spectroscopes - an instrument which measures the property of light and helps us understand stars - and solar filters, which will allow for daytime viewing of our own star - the Sun! Finally, participants will take their new inventions to The Franklin Institute's exclusive roof deck and put them to the test, while enjoying views of the Sun AND Venus through the Institute's telescopes! Don't miss out on this special Member Sunday presentation. Reserve your ticket today!
September 20 - Philadelphia Science
October 4 - World Space Week Activities
November 15 - Mummification Techniques
December 20 - Make Your Own Candy
For reservations, please call 215.448.1231, Monday through Friday, 9AM - 5PM.
*Parking is first come, first served in The Franklin Institute's parking garage.
May 30 - September 7, 2009
The Franklin Institute's newest traveling exhibition, RACE, represents the work of scientists, artists and researchers who have come together to explore a seemingly simply question&3151;are we really so different? A truly immersive experience, RACE helps individuals of all ages better understand the origins and manifestations of race and racism in everyday life through a variety of educational displays, interactive activities, scientific studies and multimedia presentations. This dynamic exhibit teaches visitors about the history of the idea of race and the science of human variation by allowing them to interact with each other and by testing their knowledge and conceptions.
Be the first to visit this must-see exhibition!
Ticketing Information:
This exciting exhibit is FREE for members, in accordance with membership coverage. Advance reservations are NOT required.
May 16 - September 20, 2009
Step into the realm of Star Trek and be part of the legacy that has captured the imagination of generations!
This unprecedented exhibition features the world's most comprehensive collection of authentic Star Trek ships, sets, costumes and props from all five series and ten films over the last 40 years and includes over 200 authentic objects, a full-motion flight simulator AND the spaceship bridge from the original TV series!
Immerse yourself in the action and witness the imagination that gave rise to so many of today's modern marvels. See how the show was built on real scientific principles like quantum teleportation, inertia, rocket propulsion and relativity and how it continues to influence our lives today. This exhibition is sure to be a hot ticket - RESERVE YOUR TICKETS NOW!
Members receive special ticketing benefits to STAR TREK: THE EXHIBITION*:
Premier Members - 6 Free Tickets
FamilyMAX Members - 4 Free Tickets
All Other Member Levels:
Adult (12+): $23.75 - $7
Child (4-11): $15.50 - $6
Shuttlepod Simulator** - $6
Call TODAY for reservations! STAR TREK: THE EXHIBITION is a timed-ticketed exhibition and advance reservations are strongly recommended. Call 215.448.1231, Monday through Friday, 9AM - 5PM.
*Subject to exhibit availability and membership coverage. No refunds or exchanges.
**Not available for advance reservations.
April 4 - September 7, 2009
Reserve your tickets today for a first look at this exclusive exhibit, created specifically for The Franklin Institute about "The Father of Modern Science!"
The Franklin Institute is proud to have been selected as the only host of Galileo, the Medici, and the Age of Astronomy, presented by Officine Panerai. Created through The Franklin Institute's exclusive partnership with the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in Florence, the exhibit showcases Galileo's accomplishments, his relationship to the ruling Medici family, his discoveries and his overall impact on astronomy, physics and math.
This will be the first time one of the two remaining Galileo telescopes has left Italy! Also exhibited will be other instruments belonging to Galileo, as well as instruments, paintings, prints and manuscripts from the priceless Medici collection. Together, the collections will showcase how the union of science, art and political power gave rise to Galileo's success.
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Lead Underwriting support provided by A. Bruce Mainwaring. Additional support provided by GlaxoSmithKline, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and John Diebel.
Ticketing Information
This exciting exhibit is FREE for members, in accordance with membership coverage and exhibition availability. Timed tickets are required for entry. Advance reservations are strongly recommended. For reservations, please call 215.448.1231, Monday through Friday, 9AM - 5PM.
Night Skies in the Observatory
The Joel N. Bloom Observatory is open for evening public observing on the 2nd Thursday night of every month.
About Night Skies in the Observatory:
Hosted by Chief Astronomer at The Franklin Institute, Derrick Pitts, the Joel N. Bloom Observatory is open late to the public and offers 5 different telescopes for you to view celestial objects in the sky, including stars, planets, nebulae, and if conditions are right, a galaxy or two. The evening includes a Fels Planetarium show and a lecture or presentation (appropriate for all ages) on an astronomical or space science topic. The Observatory is staffed with knowledgeable observers and free star maps are provided. Meet some BIG STARS on the second Thursday of each month (7-10pm), as we feature expanded "Night Skies" observation programming during the run of the Galileo exhibition.
Sponsored By:
Science Book Club
Combine your interests in science and reading! If you are one of those who enjoys reading science books written for the general public, let us know! The Franklin Institute is considering a book club for those who are interested and who would like to share their ideas with others. The book club would meet once a month—following is a list of possible books of interest:
Simon Winchester: The Map that Changed the World
John Gribben: In Search of Schrodinger's Cat
Richard Rhodes: Farm: A Year in the Life of an American Farmer
Jeremy Campbell: Grammatical Man: Information, Entropy, Language and Life
E.O. Wilson: The Future of Life
John Barry: The Great Influenza
Henry Petroski: To Engineer is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design
Roger Penrose: The Emperor's New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds and the Language of Physics
John Brockman (editor): What We Believe but Cannot Prove
If you are interested in joining an ongoing conversation about things scientific, please contact membership@fi.edu.