The Franlin institute is a fun stop on the parkway for everyone. There are a lot of exhibits with many changing every few months, as well as some old favorites. The museum is great for kids,... More

The Franlin institute is a fun stop on the parkway for everyone. There are a lot of exhibits with many changing every few months, as well as some old favorites. The museum is great for kids, families and people of all ages, you can spend a few solid hours looking around and playing with various interactive exibits. Great for those the love science! The admission is reasonable and the building is beautiful to walk around.
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I went here while visiting Philly to check out UPenn. I was torn between going to the Franklin Institute or touring the historical district -- and boy was I glad to have chosen the first! They... More

I went here while visiting Philly to check out UPenn. I was torn between going to the Franklin Institute or touring the historical district -- and boy was I glad to have chosen the first! They have great hands-on exhibits that teach about electricity, bloodflow, etc. What TRULY amazed me was the limited time Body Worlds exhibit. (It's there till April 23rd, 2006, so catch it if you can!)
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Although many parts of this museum are oriented towards children, it's a huge amount of fun for adults as well. In fact, it's resposible for one of my most enjoyable days this year. Particularly... More

Although many parts of this museum are oriented towards children, it's a huge amount of fun for adults as well. In fact, it's resposible for one of my most enjoyable days this year. Particularly fun is a thing where you can build a Mars Rover from KNEX and test it out on a simulation of the Martian surface.
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I love the IMAX theater and the various traveling exhibits they have (though Body Worlds wasn't that great). Their gift shop is fabulous. They're right down the parkway from the Art Museum, and... More

I love the IMAX theater and the various traveling exhibits they have (though Body Worlds wasn't that great). Their gift shop is fabulous. They're right down the parkway from the Art Museum, and across the street from the Academy of Natural Sciences. All the touristy stuff together. FI is a little pricey, but worth it if you go to a unique exhibit--and almost all of them are.
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...what you'll find here! Growing up in the Philadelphia area meant that the Franklin Institute was a staple of my childhood weekends. Particularly since there are rotating exhibits (the (in)famous... More

...what you'll find here! Growing up in the Philadelphia area meant that the Franklin Institute was a staple of my childhood weekends. Particularly since there are rotating exhibits (the (in)famous Body Worlds at present) all but constantly changing, I can vouch that there's always something for everyone. Even adults can have fun, indulging their inner child. A wonderful place on a rainy day - or any day, for that matter! Look out of IMAX releases of movies - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire have showed here.
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The Franklin Institute is a fabulous museum. It is truly fun for the entire family. They have some child oriented exhibits, as well as those geared towards adults. The exhibits are well done and... More

The Franklin Institute is a fabulous museum. It is truly fun for the entire family. They have some child oriented exhibits, as well as those geared towards adults. The exhibits are well done and intriguing to a wide variety of people. The IMAX always has a wide variety of shows. One of my favorite places in Philly!
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The Franklin Museum in Philadelphia is one of the best scientifc museums in the country. Its got a lot of the earlier scientfic breakthroughs exhibited in a very detailed and well thought out... More

The Franklin Museum in Philadelphia is one of the best scientifc museums in the country. Its got a lot of the earlier scientfic breakthroughs exhibited in a very detailed and well thought out manner. kids are encouraged to interact with a lot of exhibits and its a great way to educate your kids about the sciences. they offer tours on certain days and have a bunch of classes organized for the little ones.
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I've been here a ton of times from childhood on up and it's always good. The Franklin Institute is all about hands-on learning. There are things to walk through, buttons to push and exhibits to... More

I've been here a ton of times from childhood on up and it's always good. The Franklin Institute is all about hands-on learning. There are things to walk through, buttons to push and exhibits to interact with. An easy way to spend the whole day doing something fun as a family. Everything is about science, but it's not work to learn about it. There is also the option of watching a movie on the imax screen there. If you are there with older kids, this is a great option. Younger kids? Probably not, it can be a little intense.
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Great place to take the kids, as this place has lots of things for kidsn to do, while learning. It is very much a hands on museum, as kids can play with a penduleum, floating beach ball and... More

Great place to take the kids, as this place has lots of things for kidsn to do, while learning. It is very much a hands on museum, as kids can play with a penduleum, floating beach ball and irrigation in the sand. They also have special exhibits that pass through, which are usually very fun. They also have an omniverse theater with a few different shows optimizing the effects of the theater.
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My family of 4 has been a member of the Franklin Institute for almost 5 years now. The science museum I remember as a kid had 1 or 2 exciting exhibits, however, this place has been totally revamped... More

My family of 4 has been a member of the Franklin Institute for almost 5 years now. The science museum I remember as a kid had 1 or 2 exciting exhibits, however, this place has been totally revamped in the last 4 years. The planitarium has now been brought into the 21st century, the Train and Air exhibits have been updated and kids really love them. The most recent addition of the sports exhibit keeps my kids wanting to go back again and again. I feel lucky this great place is in our city! Be prepared to pay for parking and skip the cafeteria's overpriced bad food.
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