Explore This Park

Visiting the Benjamin Franklin Museum

Explore Franklin's life and character in the Benjamin Franklin Museum. The museum features artifacts, computer animations, and interactive displays. The exhibits are geared toward visitors of all ages, with displays that are educational, challenging, and fun.

NPS photo

 

Location

The museum is located in Franklin Court. Entrance to the courtyard is from Market or Chestnut Streets, between 3rd and 4th Streets.

Hours and Fees
Open daily from 9 am to 5 pm.
Closed at 3 pm on Christmas Eve. Closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

$5.00 for adults
$2.00 for children, ages 4 through 16
Children ages 3 and under are FREE

As part of the Every Kid in a Park program, we are providing free admission to the Benjamin Franklin Museum for fourth grade children who have an Every Kid in a Park pass. Up to three adults accompanying this child are also admitted free.

All visitors will enjoy free admission on the following fee-free entrance days in 2017:
January 16: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
February 20: Presidents' Day
April 15-16 and April 22-23: Weekends of National Park Week
August 25: National Park Service birthday
September 30: National Public Lands Day
November 11-12: Veteran's Day weekend

 

Ticketing
Admission is available at the door and must be purchased on the day of your visit. Plan to allow at least one hour for your visit. The America the Beautiful Annual Pass, Senior Pass and Access Pass do not apply at the Benjamin Franklin Museum.

 

School Groups
School groups and other bona fide academic institutions are eligible for FREE admission to the museum. Learn more about the eligibility requirements and reservation process.

 

Exhibits

Explore Benjamin Franklin's life and legacy through his character traits. The exhibit area is divided into five "rooms" with each room focusing on a particular trait: ardent and dutiful, ambitious and rebellious, motivated to improve, curious and full of wonder, and strategic and persuasive. There are videos, touch screen interactives, mechanical interactives, and artifacts in each "room." An additional area called the "Library" presents a video with excerpts from Franklin's Autobiography.

 

Benjamin Franklin Museum Store
The Benjamin Franklin Museum Store, operated by Eastern National, is located on the courtyard level of the museum. The store offers a wide variety of apparel, commemorative items, books, and other merchandise related to Franklin and colonial Philadelphia.

 

Accessibility
The Benjamin Franklin Museum is fully accessible for visitors with mobility impairments. An elevator allows visitors to access the museum. There are also accessible restrooms located on the lower level. An audio described tour of the museum will be available in the future. Tactile objects are located throughout the exhibit area.

 

Family Fun
Families will enjoy looking for the small squirrel figurines located throughout the exhibits. Franklin delighted in pet squirrels, or skuggs as they were known in his day. Read about the Skuggs mascot as you enter the exhibit area and then look high and low to find the figurines.

 

Images and Historical Information

Check out these photos of the Benjamin Franklin Museum. Want to learn more about Benjamin Franklin and his contributions to society? Additional resources about Franklin are available on our website.

 

More to Explore in Franklin Court
Franklin Court courtyard
Franklin Court Printing Office
Fragments of Franklin Court exhibit in 318 Market St.

 

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  The Benjamin Franklin Museum

  This short video highlights the Benjamin Franklin Museum, which opened on August 24. 2013. For closed captions, please visit: http://youtu.be/QT22TSrjjdo

  Duration:

  1 minute, 1 second