On January 17, 2006 the nation celebrated the 300th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin's birth, but The Franklin Institute started celebrating on October 10, 2005 with shows, exhibits and special events portraying Franklin in a meaningful way for elementary and middle school students.

The Benjamin Franklin National Memorial
This majestic national monument to Franklin, with its 30-ton white Seravessa marble sculpture of Franklin, sits at the heart of The Franklin Institute. The elegant marble rotunda—modeled after the Pantheon in Rome—contains Franklin artifacts that have been installed along one wall, and an audio presentation offering a vignette of the multi-faceted scientist-statesman for whom the Institute was named.

Franklin...He's Electric
Welcome to Ben's world. A trained guide will escort your class through Franklin...He's Electric, an exhibit about Franklin's inventions. Students will get the inside scoop on how Franklin's ingenuity and curiosity led him to invent things that were both practical and advanced—from the electrostatic machine to swim fins, the musical harmonica to his bifocals to his mechanical arm for retrieving books. Learn how he discovered and measured the Gulf Stream, developed his hypothesis about waterspouts, and created educational electrical experiments.

Live Shows, Workshops and Films

The Electrifying Science Quest* NEW! Grades 2-5 and 6-8
Benjamin Franklin was an amazing inventor, thinker and scientist- his contributions are legendary. He was perhaps most well known for his famous kite and key experiment that enabled him to formulate his theories on electricity. In this hands-on workshop your students will learn about Franklin's electricity experiments and the scientific process while conducting and investigating electrical experiments and devices with a museum educator. Minimum 30 students; maximum 60. Reservation required.

Sparks! Grades 2-5 and 6-8
Now, a new electricity show like no other! Your students will travel the world of electricity, exploring the current and investigating the past science of electricity. We will ignite their interest with the power of plasma, concepts involving electromagnetic force, and the true science in Franklin's experiments with lightning. Minimum 30 students; maximum 250. Reservation required.

Benjamin Franklin (Video)* Grades 1-4
Franklin's insatiable curiosity led him to many of his achievements as a scientist, inventor, diplomat and founding father. This film chronicles Franklin's groundbreaking work with electricity. Students will see that in Ben's famous kite and key experiment, he captured electricity in a Leyden jar. He had controlled electricity, the principle behind his life-saving lightning rod. Minimum 30 students; maximum 140. Reservation required.

Benjamin Franklin: Man of Firsts (Video)* Grades 6-8
Franklin's ideas and actions represent the essence of the American character even today. Students will learn about his many contributions, and see sites and artifacts associated with Franklin to help them understand the incredible diversity of his achievements.

Free Demonstrations

Ben's Curiosity Show
Recreating some of Franklin's famous "parlor" experiments.

Self-Guided Tour

Ben's Self-guided Tour
Available for downloading from the web at www.fi.edu/franklin/tour

*Available with Ben300 experience only.