Franklin Court050

Like so many historical buildings, the original Franklin Court house was demolished long ago, in 1812, before people realized how interesting it would be to future generations. Not even enough information remained to construct a recreation. Instead, a "ghost structure," built for the 1976 bicentennial, offers an outline of the building where it once stood. You can look through portals to see into Franklin's privy pits, wells, and foundation. The underground museum is the real draw here. Paintings, objects, and inventions abound, and kids are especially drawn to the Franklin Phone Exchange, where they can listen to actors read testimonies from famous people, past and present, about Franklin's contributions to the world. A Discovery Cart gives kids a chance to check out demonstrations of some of Franklin's inventions, and a short film quickly gives an excellent overview of the inventor and his family.