The Franklin Institute is a science museum and the center of science education and research in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is named after the American scientist and statesman Benjamin Franklin. It houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial. Founded in 1824, the Franklin Institute is one of the oldest centers of science education and development in the United States. Its chief astronomer is Derrick Pitts.
History
On February 5, 1824, Samuel Vaughan Merrick and William H. Keating founded the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts.
With a view further to developing the resources of the union, increasing the national independence, calling forth the ingenuity and industry of the people, and thereby increasing the comforts of the community at large.
Begun in 1825, the institute was a vital force in the professionalization of American science and technology through the nineteenth century, beginning with early investigations into steam engines and water power. In addition to conducting the scientific inquiry, it fostered research and education by running schools, publishing the influential Journal of The Franklin Institute, sponsoring exhibitions, and recognizing scientific advancement and invention with medals and awards. Pest Control Kings
In the late twentieth century, the institute’s research roles gave way to educating the general public through its museum. The Bartol Research Foundation of the Franklin Institute, founded in 1924 to conduct research in the physical sciences, is now part of the University of Delaware and named Bartol Research Institute. The Franklin Institute Laboratories for Research and Development operated from the Second World War into the 1980s.
The Science Center
The most recognizable part of the Franklin Institute’s Science Center is the Franklin Institute Science Museum. In the spirit of inquiry and discovery embodied by Benjamin Franklin, the Franklin Institute Science Museum’s of Philadelphia mission is to inspire an understanding of and passion for science and technology learning. Among other exhibits, the Science Museum holds the most extensive collection of artifacts from the Wright brothers’ workshop.
Benjamin Franklin National Museum
The Benjamin Franklin National Memorial features a 20-foot (6.1 m) high marble statue sculpted by James Earle Fraser. Initially opened in 1938, the Memorial was designed by architect John T. Windrim and modeled after the Pantheon in Rome. The Hall is 82 ft (25 m) in length, width, and height. The domed ceiling is self-supporting and weighs 1600 tons. The floors, walls, columns, pilasters, and cornices are made of marble imported from Portugal, Italy, and France. The United States Congress designated the Hall and statue as the official Benjamin Franklin National Memorial on October 25, 1972. Vice President Nelson Rockefeller dedicated the Memorial in 1976.
Address: 222 N 20th St, Philadelphia, PA
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