Benjamin Franklin's Grave, Philadelphia, Guida per visitatori e cosa fare nei dintorni

Benjamin Franklin's Grave lies inside Christ Church Burial Ground at the corner of 5th and Arch Streets in Philadelphia. Franklin, the printer, scientist and Founding Father, is buried under a plain flat stone beside his wife Deborah, and visitors have long left pennies on it. You can see the grave from the sidewalk through the railings along Arch Street.

The story behind it

Christ Church opened this burial ground in 1719, after the churchyard beside its church near 2nd and Market ran out of room. The site was then on the edge of the colonial town. Today the two-acre plot holds thousands of graves, among them five signers of the Declaration of Independence, including Benjamin Rush and Francis Hopkinson as well as Franklin.

Franklin died in 1790, and the stone that marks him is modest for a man of his fame. It names Benjamin and Deborah Franklin and gives the year 1790. The coins on top are a tradition rather than an official rite. They are usually linked to the saying "a penny saved is a penny earned", a line popularly credited to him. Local ghost tours add their own folklore about shadowy figures and cold spots among the older graves, which is a story to enjoy rather than a documented fact.

What to look for

• The flat stone near the Arch Street wall, where the names of Benjamin and Deborah Franklin and the year 1790 are cut into the slab.
• The scatter of pennies on the marker, which is the easiest way to spot the right grave from the sidewalk.
• The brick wall and iron railings along Arch Street, which frame the view and show how close the grave sits to the street.
• The worn older headstones deeper in the grounds, including the grave of Dr. Benjamin Rush, if you go inside.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about 10 to 15 minutes if you only look from the sidewalk, and longer if you enter and walk among the graves.
• Check current opening hours and admission before you plan to go inside, since access to the grounds can change.
• Morning is usually quieter on the sidewalk, and the pennies are easy to see in daylight.
• Christ Church, Independence Mall and the other Old City sights are a short walk away, so the grave fits easily into a longer stroll.

See it on a quest

Philadelphia Old Town: Solve the Case passes this corner as one stop on a longer walk through Old Town. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you, so you look at the grave and its surroundings more closely. One ticket covers the whole group.

Franklin’s Time Agents: Founding Philly suits anyone who wants to follow Franklin's city on foot. You reach the grave on a route through the area, hear about it on the spot and solve a puzzle there. One ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Old City, Philadelphia takes a darker, mystery-led view of the same neighbourhood. You walk from place to place, the app gives you the background at each stop, and you solve a puzzle as you go. One ticket covers the whole group.