Benjamin Franklin National Memorial

Why go

Benjamin Franklin National Memorial earns time because it offers a concise civic monument that connects the museum building with Franklin's public legacy. Its central thread is a monumental seated Franklin beneath the Franklin Institute's domed rotunda. James Earle Fraser's marble figure sits at the center of a vast circular room. The surrounding quotations frame Franklin through civic service rather than laboratory objects.

What to look for

• James Earle Fraser's marble figure sits at the center of a vast circular room.
• The surrounding quotations frame Franklin through civic service rather than laboratory objects.

The full story

Benjamin Franklin National Memorial is best understood through a monumental seated Franklin beneath the Franklin Institute's domed rotunda. The Benjamin Franklin National Memorial, located in the rotunda of The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, features a colossal statue of a seated Benjamin Franklin. The 20-foot -tall memorial, sculpted by James Earle Fraser between 1906 and 1911, honors the writer, inventor, and American statesman. With a weight of 30 short tons (27 t), the statue rests on a 92-short-ton (83 t) pedestal of white Seravezza marble. The statue is the focal piece of the memorial hall, designed by John T. Windrim after the Pantheon, dedicated in 1938. Congress designated the national memorial on October 25, 1972 (Public Law 92-551). Unlike most national memorials, the statue is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The national memorial is an affiliated area of the National Park Service, assigned to Independence National Historical Park through a Memorandum of Agreement entered into on November 6, 1973. Under terms of the agreement, the Institute owns and maintains the publicly accessible memorial, and the Park Service includes the memorial in official publications and otherwise cooperates with the Institute in all appropriate and mutually agreeable ways on behalf of the memorial.

Useful to know

• See the rotunda before entering the busier science galleries.
• Access follows The Franklin Institute, so confirm the museum schedule first.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.