I haven’t been there since the 1960s. Back then, there was a dinosaur skeleton in the main entrance hall. I remember it was supposed to be a herbivore and I remember some sort of crest on the top of it’s skull. It was posed standing upright on it’s legs and tail.
Does anyone remember what sort of dinosaur it was?
Never been there. However, if you look up an image of Lambeosaurus you might find what you’re looking for.
Sorry, I’m on my phone and can’t post a link.
I went several times while growing up in the 80s. I don’t specifically remember a dinosaur in the main entrance hall.
It’s difficult to search for because “Franklin Institute Dinosaur” searches bring up pages of results for a special dinosaur exhibit in 2012.
For me, the very distinct Franklin Institute memory is of the Giant Heart Exhibit.
They haven’t had a dinosaur on display since at least the early 90’s; we went regularly when I was a kid.
According to Wikipedia, the nearby Academy of Natural Sciences had a Corythosaurus as a centerpiece display in one of their halls (I assume before they acquired their magnificent T-Rex). Is it possible you’re remembering that instead? What I’d call the main entrance hall of the Franklin is in fact the Benjamin Franklin National memorial, featuring an enormous statue of Dr. Franklin.
And the train! It’s the only museum I’ve ever been to offering indoor train rides.
I used to go all the time as a kid, as did Pepper Mill. I last visited six years ago, taking MilliCal toi see it.
There was no dinosaur there, either when I was a kid, or more recently. I suspect it was either a traveling exhibit, or you’re mistaking your museums.
To me, the most memorable thing was the Giant Walk-Through Heart, as mentioned above. I’m delighted to say that it’s still there. One thing I hadn’t realized they had was an original Wright Brothers plane, which the museum bought from the Wright Brothers. They also have the locomotive, the Fels Planetarium, a wonderful exhibit on early electricity, and the Statue of Benjamin Franklin.
Should you go, don’t forget that the Mutter Museum 9often referred to o this Board) is not far away.
As was stated above I think he was combining memories. The Academy of Natural Sciences is right next door (To the left as you are looking at the front of the Franklin Institute). That has plenty of dinosaurs.
Didn’t they used to have an 800-number, for selling Elvis Presley commemorative plates on late night TV?
Though I grew up in Virginia, we made frequent trips to Philly to visit the grandparents. So, I got to see the FI a lot. I don’t remember any dinosaur. I agree with the above posters that you are probably thinking of the Academy Of Natural Sciences.
The FI has changed a lot since I was a kid. I preferred the old one- huge soma cube and other wooden puzzles, exhibit on the impossibility of perpetual motion etc. About the only exhibits that are still the same are the giant heart, and the huge lightning machine (I forget the technical name of this device). BUT, the museum still fulfills its mission of educating kids and making science fun.
I was never a big fan of the Academy. I was a big fan of the huge fulgurite (Fulgurite is what happens when lightning strikes sand. The Academy’s specimen was about three feet by three feet) specimen in the front window. They moved the specimen and I don’t know where it is.
That’s funny, my problem is that it hasn’t changed enough. A lot of the exhibits are old and many no longer work right. I still go there to catch the occasional special exhibit. The last time we went and saw the Pompeii exhibit.
That’s the Institute’s idiot brother who they keep locked in the basement.
After we got married and moved to Princeton, my wife dragged me there first thing. I remember the heart but no dinosaur.
Excepting special exhibits, such as the Jurrasic Park travelling exhibit the Franklin Institute has never had dinosaurs. They are primarily a physical sciences museum. The Academy had the Dinosaurs and the resources to maintain fossils.
The Franklin Mint, which made the Elvis plates, is long gone.
Philly girl, here. Just about every year there would be a class trip to the Franklin Institute, so I was there dozens of times (in the 60s). I remember locomotives on tracks, airplanes you coukd climb into, a giant heart you could walk through, a planetarium, a ball that made your hair stand on end, but no dinosaur bones.
Title edited to better indicate subject.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
Thanks, Colibri.
And thank you, NinjaChick! That’s what it was. And if the Academy Of Natural Sciences was next door, of course, I just forgot it. It makes sense to me; if you’re organizing a trip to the Franklin Institute for a class of grade schoolers or a pack of Cub Scouts, why not include the Academy or Fels in the same trip?
Everyone whose ever been there must remember the heart. I also remember a huge pendulum that knocked over wooden pegs. I remember the locomotive and there was a P-51 that was later replaced by a 2 seater P-80 (I think) and I’ve been on both. And there was a area on the third floor, I think, where kids could touch and do stuff. There was a pendulum that was a funnel that you’d shovel sand into, set swinging, and you could watch the patterns the sand would make on the tray underneath it.
The only thing about my trips there I didn’t like was I never had enough money to buy all the things I liked at the gift shop.
They still have the Foucault pendulum (I’d link to the Wiki but I’m on my phone…) and I’m pretty sure they’ve still got the sand table things. It’s definitely a great place for kids, find of interactive stuff.
Hopefully, I’m not mixing up my museums, but the big “lightning ball” (kids would put hands on it and your hair would stand on end, right?) is called a Van de Graaff generator. I remember a display with the Cape Kennedy launch complex laid out; there were background noises of a rocket launch and a little rocket would take off at the conclusion. And yes, the giant heart.
Now if you remember “Aquarama” down the block from FI, you’re really dating yourself.
I remember Aquarama. I’ve been there more than once on class trips.
You’re right about the Van de Graaf generator. The Museum of Science here in Boston has one with a double sphere on top. In fact, it’s one of Van de Graaf’s own Van de Graaf generators. They use it daily for lightning demonstrations.
(I used to use a Van de Graaf in my grad school days. believe it or not, the things have a practical purpose beyond making people’s hair stand on end and making big sparks. Van de Graaf built it as a particle accelerator. I used to use it for bombarding crystal samples.)
The Franklin Institue was revamped by, I dunno…vampires? Yes, only vampires or zombies of the 1990s totally trashed the place…in the name of…? Becuase we can? This fine institute for learning and experimenting with science in a playful environment has been forever ruined. it is a total disgrace! Worse than those who revamped the Smithsonian’s American History museum. I don’t understand these morons! I have emailed my complaints, and they do not respond. It is terrible my kids will NEVER enjoy all this museum had to offer. Benjamin Franklin himself must be dizzy from perpetually turning over in his grave. 
Jinx Why, specifically, do you feel the FI was trashed?
I’d like to know that as well.
To my knowledge the late 80’s brought the ‘Futures Center’ which was mostly done for the Omniverse theater. In the late 90’s they turned the Future Center over to traveling exhibits. They also have removed and replaced a lot of the permanent exhibits over the years but that is what is going to happen in any museum.