Fact Sheet

Benjamin Franklin's 300th Birthday Weekend Events, January 13-17, 2006

PHILADELPHIA, November 4, 2005

The eyes and ears of the world will be on Philadelphia on January 17, 2006 as the region celebrates the 300th birthday of Benjamin Franklin, the first founding father to reach this milestone. A once-in-a-lifetime event like this one calls for five full days of revelry, with the party starting on January 13 and running through to the official birthday bash at the National Constitution Center on January 17. For more information on events scheduled throughout 2006 and to book a Ben's Birthday Hotel Package, visit www.gophila.com/ben.

Here's a look at some of the 300 celebrations being held in Ben's honor:

Friday, January 13, 2006:

• Ben’s Birthday Pajama Party, 7:00-10:00 p.m.
  Pajamas are what the well-dressed will be wearing to the National Constitution Center for this birthday party, featuring music, games, food, movies and, of course, admission to the Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World exhibition. Entry into the Center’s permanent exhibition, including Signers’ Hall and the Freedom Rising theater show, is also included. Tickets are $40 adults, $25 children; advance orders only. (215) 409-6700, www.constitutioncenter.org
• Philadelphia Orchestra Concert: Enchanting Baroque, 8:00 p.m.
  At The Kimmel Center, Bernard Labadie of Quebec's Violons du Roy will lead a baroque ensemble from the Philadelphia Orchestra in the music of Bach, Metropolitan Opera star David Daniels in Handel arias and a rapturous work by Vivaldi, featured in the film The Talented Mr. Ripley. All works are from Franklin's time. (215) 893-1999, www.philorch.org

Saturday, January 14, 2006:

• Benjamin Franklin’s 300th Birthday Bash, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
  The Franklin Institute’s annual birthday bash for Ben takes place each year on the closest Saturday to the actual date. This year’s festivities feature cake, a birthday card signing, reenactments of Ben’s most famous experiments and an appearance by Franklin. The party kicks off with the debut of Sparks!, a new high-voltage electricity show. (215) 448-1200, www.fi.edu
• PECO Franklin Family Fun Day: Ben’s History Sleuth, 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
  At the National Constitution Center, children can go back in time to learn what it was like to live in Philadelphia during Ben’s time. They’ll see artifacts from the Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World exhibition and find out how these pieces from Franklin’s life were restored. Kids will also have the chance to make birthday cards for Ben, which will be delivered to him at his official party at the Constitution Center on January 17. (215) 409-6693, www.constitutioncenter.org
• Self-Guided Tour: Finding Franklin
  This special discovery tour at the Mercer Museum will feature artifacts representative of the scientific, technological and social innovations and achievements of Franklin. Objects on view include an electrostatic generator, lightning rod, the only surviving original Franklin stove and more. (215) 345-0210, ext. 123, www.mercermuseum.com/calendar01_jan.htm

Sunday, January 15, 2006:

• Ben’s Birthday Breakfast, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
  Join Ben Franklin for breakfast and family fun at the National Constitution Center. Tickets are $20 adults, $16 children. (215) 409-6700, www.constitutioncenter.org
• Family Drop-In Art Making: Drawing Together, American Art, 12:00-2:30 p.m.
  Families can draw from works in the Philadelphia Museum of Art's collection of American art, including objects made in Franklin's time. An artist will be on hand to provide materials and assistance. (215) 763-8100, www.philamuseum.org
• Ben Franklin's Colonial Kitchen, 1:00-4:00 p.m.
  Noted food historian Susan Plaisted will prepare several of Benjamin Franklin’s own recipes in the Mercer Museum's Log House. Visitors of all ages may learn about Franklin's early years as a vegetarian, the kinds of foods he preferred, the culinary advice that he promoted in Poor Richard's Almanack and his food requests while abroad. (215) 345-0210, ext. 123, www.mercermuseum.org/calendar01_jan.htm
• Armonica Recital, 3:00 p.m.
  The armonica was invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1761, and despite its early popularity, Cecilia Gniewek is one of the few active performers on the instrument today. Gniewek and students from The Curtis Institute of Music will perform songs about Franklin by Ross Lee Finney and Norman Luboff at Field Concert Hall. (215) 893-7902

Monday, January 16-Sunday, January 22:

• Colonial Fare at Pennsylvania Hospital, lunchtime
  During the week of Franklin's birthday, lunch patrons at Pennsylvania Hospital, founded by Ben, can experience the colonial fare that Ben enjoyed. Birthday cake will be available on January 17. (215) 829-5434, www.uphs.upenn.edu/paharc/

Tuesday, January 17, 2006:

• 300 Years and Still Current: America Celebrates Franklin’s 300th Birthday, 10:00 a.m.
  Today’s “Franklins” – scientists, entrepreneurs, firefighters, postal workers and civic leaders – will gather for Ben’s official birthday celebration. The party at the National Constitution Center will feature a birthday cake topped with 300 candles that will be “lit” by 300 representatives who bring Franklin’s legacy to life in the 21st century. This once-in-a-lifetime national event will celebrate the Franklin inside everyone: a curious spirit, open mind and positively charged influence on the world. (215) 409-6700, www.benfranklin300.org
• Still Celebrating! Franklin at 300, 11:00 a.m.
  This annual procession begins at the American Philosophical Society and ends at Christ Church Burial Ground, where participants lay a wreath on Franklin’s grave. The day continues with the Franklin Founder award ceremony at The Down Town Club. (856) 429-8331
• Ben Franklin's Birthday Celebration, time to be determined
  Visitors to the Please Touch Museum can write with quills, wear powder wigs and enjoy a special story before everyone gathers around the giant cupcake to sing "Happy Birthday" to Ben. (215) 963-0667, www.pleasetouchmuseum.org
• 7-Up on Ben, 6:00 p.m.
  Seven representatives from The Kelly Writers House, the University of Pennsylvania (site of the event) and Philadelphia neighborhoods will speak, read, dance or sing for seven minutes each, conveying what Franklin represents for them. A reception to celebrate Penn’s newly founded "Franklin Press" will follow. (215) 573-9748, www.writing.upenn.edu
• Ben in the News
  The nation’s newest portrait of Franklin will appear on the cover of the January 17 edition of the Philadelphia Daily News. Staff artist Amy Raudenbush’s portrait of the first founding father to turn 300 was inspired by his joyful sense of discovery. The paper sells for $.60 at newsstands throughout the region. www.philly.com

Ongoing:

• Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World, December 15, 2005-April 30, 2006
  This international traveling exhibition at the National Constitution Center is the centerpiece of Franklin's 300th birthday celebration and will immerse visitors in Ben’s world, leaving them inspired by his example. Highlights include five of America’s key founding documents, all signed by Franklin; a 25-foot model ship that visitors can climb aboard to recreate Ben's method of charting the Gulf Stream; and a video animation of a young Franklin swimming with a kite to save energy. (215) 409-6700, www.constitutioncenter.org
• Josh Kornbluth's Ben Franklin Unplugged, January 10-22, 2006
  In this funny and moving show at the Plays & Players Theatre, Kornbluth discovers he looks like Benjamin Franklin and sets off on a wild journey to uncover the mystery of the relationship between Franklin and his son. Based on actual historical findings with plenty of laughs along the way, Kornbluth's quest offers him poignant closure and reconciliation with his own father. (215) 985-0420, www.phillytheatreco.com
• 300 Birthday Parties for Ben, January 13-15, 17, 2006 Throughout birthday weekend, 300 mini parties will celebrate Ben’s big day. Taking place at various attractions, restaurants and public spaces in the region, the free roving bashes will feature singing, giveaways and appearances by the man of the hour. www.gophila.com/ben
• Institute of Contemporary Art/University of Pennsylvania Project Space: Brian Tolle, January 17-March 26, 2006
  New York artist Brian Tolle will unveil his new work, commissioned in conjunction with the 300th anniversary of Franklin's birth. This work will explore Franklin's recurring use of the snake motif as a provocative symbol. Tolle's sculptures and installations come to fruition after detailed research with area historical archives and fabricators. (215) 573-9975, www.icaphila.org
• Educating the Youth of Pennsylvania: Schooling and Society in Colonial Philadelphia: An Exhibition of Books, Manuscripts and Contemporary Artifacts, January 17-May 31, 2006
  This exhibition at the Rosenwald Gallery on the University of Pennsylvania campus draws on collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and other area repositories to survey schooling in Franklin's day. Who received an education? Who were the teachers? What did students learn? The exhibition also addresses the originality and relevance of Franklin's 1749 educational manifesto, Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pensilvania. (215) 898-7552, http://benjaminfranklin300.library.upenn.edu
• Independence National Historical Park Through Ben Franklin’s Eyes, January 17- December 31, 2006 This exhibition at the Independence Visitor Center is a quick introduction to Franklin and the places he knew in Independence National Historical Park. Visitors can find out what he did in Carpenter's Hall and see a portrait of the founding father who didn't like him. Then, they'll pick up a self-guided tour or kids activity sheet to continue the exploration. (215) 597-1586

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Ben Franklin 300 Philadelphia is a year-long celebration of Benjamin Franklin's 300th birthday, coordinated and marketed by the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, the National Constitution Center and CBS 3. Festivities will run from fall 2005 through 2006 and will focus on the world premiere of the international traveling exhibition, Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World at the National Constitution Center. The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, a non-profit organization, is supported by a lead grant of $4 million from The Pew Charitable Trusts and established to reaffirm Franklin's enduring legacy in his 300th birthday year. The Tercentenary was founded in 2000 by the American Philosophical Society, The Franklin Institute, the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the University of Pennsylvania. For more information about the exhibition, related programs and traveling to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com/ben.

Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit our Photo Gallery.

CONTACT:

Cara Schneider, GPTMC
(215) 599-0789, cara@gptmc.com

Kim Rothwell, Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
(215) 790-7837, c: (215) 850-4642, kim@alta247.com