BEN’S ADDITION
A dazzling new wing at the Franklin Institute
will expand science learning
An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest,” Ben Franklin said. By that wisdom, the Franklin Institute is about to reap a windfall. The institute, dedicated to furthering the pursuit of science and technology education in the spirit of the
great Revolutionary-era renaissance man himself,
has made a major investment in expansion, and in
June, it is set to open the new, three-story Nicholas
and Athena Karabots Pavilion, which expands and
updates the building and dramatically enhances the
mission of inspiring inquiring minds of all ages.
The centerpiece of the new wing, “Your Brain,”
is a permanent interactive exhibit that, at more
than 8,500 square feet and the first of its kind in
the country, is more than twice the size of other
such exhibits in the institute. “Your Brain” features
75 interactive experiences to lead visitors through the
structure and functions of the human brain, from
the chaotic neurons at the cellular level to cogni-
tive functions at the higher level. Visitors see actual
specimens of preserved brain tissue and try their
own brains with memory tests and the distracted-
driving simulator. The brain is always changing, and
this exhibit helps in the discovery of how current
research may someday change our lives.
This summer sees the arrival of two new traveling exhibitions in the pavilion, as well, and both
are included in the price of general admission.
“Circus! Science Under the Big Top” explores the
fantastical world of the circus. Visitors may test
their balance with a walk on a high wire, watch as a
contortion becomes unraveled, and try on a circus-themed wardrobe in the creative costume area.
222 N. 20th St.
Philadelphia
215-448-1200;
fi.edu
COURTESY OF THE FRANKLIN INS TI TUTE
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