BEN FRANKLIN ARRIVES at the

BOWERS MUSEUM

We all think of Ben Franklin as the man who invented electricity. Who can forget the image of him flying the kite with the key in a thunderstorm?! But besides being a scientist and inventor, did you know he was also a diplomat, humorist, philanthropist and entrepreneur? You would be amazed to know all the remarkable ideas, philosophies and things Benjamin Franklin made a part of our lives. Now, thanks to the Bowers Museum, you can learn about all of them at a brand new exhibit, the first Western U.S. showing: “Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World,” open through March 13, 2011.

Featuring seventy-five rare and important artifacts from Franklin’s life, this exhibition is an immersive experience for all ages. Not only will your kids love the 40 interactive opportunities, you will too! The exhibition presents stories of Franklin’s life through his personal belongings used during his years in Boston as a rebellious teenager, during his life as a printer and during his years of service to the American colonies and the newly formed United States. Franklin further comes to life for visitors through hands-on activities and animations geared toward a school-aged audience.

Franklin exemplified the emerging American nation, earning the title of "The First American" for his early and tireless campaigning for colonial unity. His economic ideas helped to form the U.S. economy. His noble ideas became the soul of the "American Dream." As a scientist, inventor, author, printer, diplomat, humorist, philanthropist, soldier, entrepreneur, politician and civic activist, he helped shape the world electronically, scientifically and philosophically.

Franklin’s incomparable contributions to our country are vast. Virtually everyone knows about his legendary experiment with a kite, a key and lightning, but how many people realize that Franklin:

              Founded the nation's first hospital, police department, fire department, fire insurance company, and first circulating library;

              Founded the University of Pennsylvania and received honorary degrees from Harvard, Yale, Oxford and University of St. Andrews (Scotland);

              Used his printing skills to print paper money, helping to establish America’s paper currency system -- and he also originated the idea of matching contributions fund-raising;

              Invented the lightning rod, bifocals, urinary catheter and stove;

              Became a printer at the age of 12 and was the first to illustrate news stories with cartoons and images, and was America's first writer of humor;

              Started The Society to Abolish Slavery;

              Played the violin, harp, and guitar, and invented the glass armonica, an instrument played by touching the edge of a spinning glass with dampened fingers, creating beautiful tones that appealed to Mozart and Beethoven;

              Designed the phonetic alphabet;

              Discovered that storms travel in an opposite direction to their winds, and correctly predicted that a storm's course could be plotted;

              Is the only person to sign all four documents that helped create the U.S.: the Declaration of Independence (1776), the Treaty of Alliance, Amity, and Commerce with France (1778), the Treaty of Peace between England, France, and the United States (1782), and the Constitution (1787);  

               Coined electrical terms such as battery, charge, and discharge;

              Introduced the idea of Daylight Savings Time;

Developed the system of delivering the mail by measuring routes and keeping track of the distances, leading to his invention of the odometer; he also mapped the Gulf Stream for ocean travel;

              Published Boston’s first newspaper, the New England Courant, as well as Poor Richard's Almanac and the Pennsylvania Gazette;

              Pioneered wind surfing and invented swim fins.Additional exhibit highlights include Franklin’s personal objects, many of which have been in the hands of Franklin's descendants and rarely seen by the public, such as books, a chess set, china, furniture, and coins, among others. Visitors can also see original scientific instruments, correspondence about his electrical experiments, and his favorite brainteasers.

Step back in time and look at an original of the 1776 "Pennsylvania Constitution," a model for the U.S. Constitution with notations in Franklin's own hand. View fascinating artifacts related to Franklin’s inventions, including bifocals, the Franklin stove, the armonica (glass harmonica), and microscope.

40 hands-on opportunities include games, experiments, demonstrations, animations, maps and other interactives, and each is inspired by Franklin's charming blend of curiosity, wit and wisdom. Be sure to check out "The Electricity Party," one of the most fascinating, which features a "please-touch" generator and activities where visitors can create static electricity to make hair stand up, confetti dance and sparks fly. Stop at the print shop setting, featuring 18th-century equipment, and learn how to set type.

“Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World” will be on view through March 13, 2011.

Admission is adults $16 weekdays, $18 weekends; seniors and college students $14 weekdays, $16 weekends. Free for children under 6. For further information, visit www.discoverycube.org.