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| Ben Franklin Exhibition Makes Its International Debut in Philly. National Constitution Center To Host Exhibition Marking Ben’s 300th Birthday |
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October 21, 2004
Philadelphia, PA |
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Benjamin Franklin’s walking stick, his signed copy of the Treaty of
Paris, the odometer he invented and pages from his Poor Richard’s
Almanac are among the items collected for the international traveling
exhibition, Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World,
on display at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia from
December 15, 2005 through April 30, 2006. Gathered from institutions
and private lenders (including many Franklin descendants) from around
the world, this unprecedented collection is valued at over $150 million
and includes all five of America’s founding documents, all of which
Franklin signed. The 8000 sq. ft. exhibition, which makes its
international debut in Philadelphia, seamlessly pairs over 250 original
Franklin artifacts with more than 40 interactive kiosks and hands-on
displays and is intended to introduce the inspirational Franklin to a
new generation, as well as paint a new picture for those who thought
they knew Franklin well.
Franklin will be the first Founding Father to turn 300, and the federal
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary Commission has made Benjamin
Franklin: In Search of a Better World the centerpiece of Ben’s official
national birthday celebrations. The exhibition will form the focal point
for a year of special events and programs in Philadelphia and its
countryside, all honoring the city’s most famous historic citizen.
Organizations throughout the region will participate with exhibits,
lectures, debates, reading groups, live theater, workshops, concerts,
parades and numerous other programs, all designed to bring Franklin
alive for a diverse audience. Details of all the special events and
programs will be available online at the Tercentenary’s web site,
www.benfranklin300.org, along with information about restaurants
joining in with Franklin specials, and Franklin-themed tours of the city.
There will also be a wealth of resources for educators, including
downloadable lesson plans at three grade levels.
Through a $1 million grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation is acting as
the Tercentenary’s marketing partner, and is putting together hotel
packages and itineraries to help visitors join in the celebrations.
The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary is an alliance created in 2000 by
five Philadelphia institutions: the American Philosophical Society, The
Franklin Institute Science Museum, the Library Company of
Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the University of
Pennsylvania. Its purpose is to celebrate the 300-year anniversary of
Benjamin Franklin’s birth (1706-2006), and its projects have been
endorsed as the official national celebration by the Benjamin Franklin
Tercentenary Commission, a federal advisory body. For more
information on the Tercentenary’s plans, visit www.benfranklin300.org.
The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC),
Philadelphia’s regional tourism marketing agency, is a private, non-
profit organization dedicated to building the region’s economy and
positive image through tourism and destination marketing. For more
information about travel to Philadelphia, call the new Independence
Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at
(800) 537-7676, or visit www.gophila.com.
Note to Editors: For story angles and photographic images of
Philadelphia and its surrounding countryside, visit pressroom. |
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