Whoever designed the Benjamin Franklin Museum has a great sense of humor and playful creativity not commonly found in history museums. It’s a fun place for all ages to visit and well worth the five bucks it costs to enter.
Franklin was a Renassiance Man through and through. He was a scientist, printer, writer, publisher, statesman, diplomat and political philosopher. He was curious about the world in ways that seem almost boundless and his contributions to society continue to be felt today. I read something describing him as an American polymath, a word I did not know. That’s Greek for someone who has learned much on different subjects.
They tell the story of his life and work through the lens of his character attributes and use an assortment of artifacts, computer animations and hands-on exhibits to do so. There’s a little squirrel named Skuggs who helps to tell the stories. You see, Franklin was fond of small creatures like squirrels, or skuggs, as they were called.
It’s a fun museum with plenty to keep the kids engaged and lots of big ideas and some quality artifacts to keep the grownups interested too. Rather than try to recreate his home, the courtyard features a ghost house where his home once stood. There are markers on the ground for his well, ice house and privy. There are pretty flowers, trees and some images too. Plus, you can go in a print shop and witness pages being set and printed.
Franklin owned slaves early in life but eventually became an abolitionist. He studied electricity and invented all kinds of things we still use today including the lightning rod, flexible catheters, and drumroll please….. bifocals – a creation I don’t enjoy needing but will be forever indebted to him for giving us!
Franklin lived his life by Thirteen Virtues which you can read about here.
He was the only person to sign the Declaration of Independence, Treaty of Paris, peace with Britan and the U.S. Constitution. He also founded Philadelphia’s first fire brigade. At the time, there were no fire hydrants so volunteers owned buckets and would stand in a line to relay buckets of water drawn from a neighborhood well to fill the tank of the fire engine. Look how far we have come since then!
I’m especially fond of these virtues and can’t help but think we would be better off as a nation if more people (including myself) made even the teeniest effort to embrace them.
He became a vegetarian as a young man for reasons based on health, ethics and economy. This resounds with me as I’m pescatarian, trying to mostly eat vegetarian wiith only a few fish meals a week. He was a musician and composer too, doing his part to bring beauty to the world.
Franklin believed in doing what he could to improve the world around him. In fact, he began each day by reflecting on a single question: “What good shall I do this day?” At the end of the day, he would return to this question by asking himself: “What good have I done today?” He thought about how he spent his time, whether he had done any good deeds or found ways to leave the world in better shape than he found it.
What a better world we would have if we all went about looking for ways to to help.
Meanwhile, if you’re in Philadelphia, I suggest you find your way to Old City to visit this museum. Learn all about that here.
While you’re there, stop by his grave at the Christ Church Cemetery. You can go inside for a small fee during their open hours. This fee helps with the massive responsibility of maintaining and preserving the history that lies at rest here. If you’re like me and couldn’t get there during hours, you can view Franklin’s grave from the sidewalk outside. They say leaving a penny on his grave will bring you good luck.
All of this is within easy walking distance of the LIberty Bell and loads of other historic sites.