The Franklin Institute551

The Franklin Institute is the kind of interactive museum where kids are expected to touch. And jump, run, ride, balance, climb, wonder, and, just when they least suspect it, learn.

The the main hub of the The Franklin Institute features three floors of hands-on exhibits, like the for-the-young-crowd KidScience featuring a storybook attraction that takes children ages five to eight on a journey across The Island of the Elements. Or the out-of-this-world Space Command where kids can locate their houses using a satellite home-tracking device. Or there's the recently renovated and hugely popular Giant Heart, giving kids and parents alike the opportunity to climb through an aorta since 1954.

Other big attractions include the SkyBike, balanced on a one-inch cable, 28 feet above the Atrium floor (tickets for a SkyBike ride available separate from museum admission: $2 non-members, and members ride for free), the Fels Planetarium (the second planetarium constructed in the US), and the IMAX films in the Tuttleman Theater (buy timed tickets when entering the museum or via the website). The Mandell Center, which houses temporary exhibits, is open Sun-Thu from 9:30am-5pm; Fri-Sat 9:30am-9pm.

Naturally, The Franklin Institute's namesake, Ben, is a featured player as well, with exhibits about electricity, weather, and a memorial statue in the rotunda.

The Franklin Institute's summer Discovery Camp offers children (ages six to 13) the opportunity to experience up to 10 weeks of hands-on science adventures! Campers make scientific discoveries through workshops, science presentations, field trips, and exploring the interactive exhibits at the museum. Extended day programs are availiable and a limited number of scholarships are offered. Applications are available on the website only.

Birthday parties at The Franklin Institute ($300-$675) include museum admission for all guests, a show in the Tuttleman IMAX Theater or Fels Planetarium, two parking vouchers (good for four hours each in the garage), a party host and an hour in a party room, a craft activity, a special gift for the birthday child, and more. Call the Group Sales department at 215.448.1302 for details and party bookings.

Basic Family Memberships to the museum begin at $85. CityPass: The Franklin Institute is a participant in CityPass, a convenient way to visit five city attractions. Tickets are combined in an easy booklet for one low price, with no waiting in ticket lines. (IMAX sold separately.)