Where-To-Go Wednesday - Franklin Institute and Franklin Institute Sleepover

We were given a free visit to the Franklin Institute and a free sleepover at the Franklin Institute for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: The Franklin Institute

Where: 222 N. 20th St.
           Philadelphia, PA

Who: All ages


Me - The Franklin Institute was extremely enjoyable.  It was huge! There were a lot of different exhibits that you can visit. There was a giant heart. I think it looked gross. Even though, it wasn't real I didn't want to touch it. I did go through it though. There was a place where you could hear what different animals heartbeats sound like. They were all loud. There was even a human's. The human heatbeat is so much slower than animal heartbeats. Animals hearts beat really fast. There was a train exhibit. There were several full size train cars. You could go on one of the train cars. Also, you could make your own train on a computer, and you could e-mail it to yourself. You could solve a mystery too about who was responsible for a train crash. There was a space area. They had a computer exhibit about what life would be like on other planets. They had space suits. One was from Russia. One was from the United States of America. They had space food. They had an area about the brain. There was place there that you could climb up. It was fun! There was an exhibit about electricity. They had a picture of Benjamin Franklin there. They also had a key, and if you touched it, it shocked you like when Ben Franklin discovered electricity. There was a sports area, You could play all kinds of games. I did a surfing game. It was not hard. I liked it. There was an area where there were a lot of different machines. There was an old printing press. There was a typewriter. There was sewing machine. There was a Victrola. There was a lot more. Over all, it was a really fun museum, and you should really go.


Mom - The Franklin Institute is a great place to go for kids to learn about science in a fun way. There are three floors overflowing with interactive exhibits of all types. There are areas related to electricity,the brain and machines among other things. There are exhibits where you can test how high you can jump, where you can try to detect when another person is telling a lie, where you can see if you can generate enough power to light up different kinds of light bulbs, and there is so much more to do, see and try. There are also special exhibits including one on Jurassic Park and one on Robots. Special exhibits do cost extra, however. Also, since special exhibits are very popular tickets must be purchased for a specific time. However,  tickets can be purchased in advance on-line, by phone or on the Franklin Institute app. There is also an Observatory, a Planeterium,and an  IMAX Theater. In addition to special science movies like ones on space, robots and National Parks, they also have showings of movies like Rogue One: A Star Wars story in the IMAX Theater. Paid tickets are required for movies like Star Wars, however. Although the museum is very large and may seem confusing to get around in besides paper maps, you can actually download a museum app that will give you turn by turn directions to get to anywhere you want go in the museum. All in all, the Franklin Institute provides hours of  entertainment for kids of all ages and adults too. Just make sure if you go, you give yourself plenty of time because there is so much to do.

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What: Sleepovers at the Franklin Institute

Where: 222 N. 20th St.
           Philadelphia, PA

Who: Ages 6-13 with parents or adult chaperones

Me- The sleepover at Franklin Institute was fun. We slept in the Space area. They didn't have cots though. You just slept on the floor in your sleeping bag. They had a lot of exhibits open at night. It was really enjoyable  to be able to see the exhibits without so many people there. They didn't serve any dinner or snacks. We ordered pizza for dinner. That was cool! I've never been to a sleepover where they let you order in food before. Besides, the pizza was better than the food they usually serve at sleepovers. We saw something about the science of fireworks. They showed how they make different colors of fireworks. Also, they showed what an unexploded firework looks like. Also, they exploded a balloon, but not with the fireworks since it would be too dangerous. They also had a planeterium show. The seats in the planeterium were really comfortable. I did not sleep well at night. A lot of people were snoring, and I kept walking up. I woke up at 5:00 AM even though we didn't need to wake up until 6:30 AM. In the morning, I read with my Mom when I woke up. We were sitting on a bench in the hall so we didn't wake up anyone else. They did serve breakfast. It wasn't good. They had cereal, blueberry muffins, and bananas and apples. After you ate you could look at the exhibits some more. You could stay until 12:00 PM without having to pay extra. In conclusion, the sleepover at the Franklin Institute was very fun and I would highly recommend you go.


Mom - Franklin Institute sleepovers are open to scout groups, schools, and families. Sleepovers include a live science show, a Planeterium show, and an IMAX movie. In addition, unlike at many museum sleepovers where only certain exhibits are open, all museum exhibits are open until approximately 10:00 PM. There are also art projects available to participate in. Free rides on the Blue Angels Flight Simulator are available as well. You can still ride on the Flight Simulator the next day but it will cost $5 per ride. Neither dinner nor snacks are provided but there is a vending machine, a storage area (but not a refrigerator) for if you choose to bring your own food, or you are able to order in food from one of the local restaurants. In the morning, a continental breakfast is served. After breakfast, you are free to continue exploring the museum until noon without additional cost. However, you do have to pack up your belongings and take them back to your car. Whether they are scouts or not, all children who participate in sleepovers at the Franklin Institute receive a patch which entitles them to free entry to the museum for the rest of the year. Over all, sleepovers at the Franklin Insitute are fun and entertaining for all.


For more about the Franklin Institute or to find out about purchasing tickets for the museum, for an special exihibits, and/or movies go to https://www.fi.edu/.

Tune in tomorrow for Theater Thursday.