Franklin Court, Philadelphia, Besucherguide & was in der Nähe unternehmen

Franklin Court is the site of Benjamin Franklin's Philadelphia home, just off Market Street in the heart of the city's historic district. The house is long gone, but a steel "ghost structure" now outlines where it stood, and a museum next to it tells the story of Franklin's life.

The story behind it

Franklin's house was built in the mid 1760s while he was away in London, so his wife Deborah oversaw the work, with instructions arriving by post. He later lived here while serving in the Continental Congress and at the Constitutional Convention, and he died in the house in 1790. The house was torn down 22 years later.

When the National Park Service came to commemorate the site, it had letters describing the rooms and an inventory of the contents, but no record of what the front of the house looked like. The architect Robert Venturi's answer was to build the house's outline in white steel, all frame and no surface, with openings cut into the paving so you can look down at the real foundations below. Franklin is also tied to the city's early fire insurance. He founded the Philadelphia Contributionship in 1752, and the company would not insure houses with trees in front of them. In 1784 a rival, the Mutual Assurance Company, formed to take those customers and chose a green tree as its emblem.

What to look for

• The white steel frame that outlines the three-dimensional shape of Franklin's house, which makes it easy to picture how large it was.
• The viewing openings in the paving, where you can look down at the original foundations of the house.
• The Benjamin Franklin Museum, which explores his life and character through artifacts, animations and hands-on displays.
• Fire marks on old building facades in the surrounding streets, a reminder of the insurance companies of Franklin's day.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about 20 minutes to walk the courtyard and see the ghost structure, and more if you plan to go into the museum.
• The courtyard is outdoors and easy to pass through, but check current opening hours and entry details for the museum before you go.
• Franklin Court sits in the middle of Philadelphia's historic area, so it pairs naturally with the other sites within a short walk.
• Go earlier in the day for a quieter courtyard and softer light on the steel frame.

See it on a quest

Ben Franklin's Murder Mystery Tour. - Philadelphia is a good fit for this stop, since Franklin is the theme. You reach Franklin Court on foot as one stop on a longer route through the old city, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.

Philadelphia Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society. passes the site as part of a detective-style walk through the historic streets. You move from place to place at your own pace, hear the background at each one, and work out a puzzle from what is in front of you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.

The Oz Escape in Philadelphia, PA offers a lighter, story-led way to cover the same neighborhood. Franklin Court is one stop along the route, with the app telling you about the place and setting a puzzle there. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.