The Franklin Institute

Philadelphia, PA · 1 hour 17 minutes from Reading · $20 to $50 a person

fi.edu|Day trips from Berks County

Plan the day

Drive1 hour 17 minutes from Reading, 61 miles1 hour 8 minutes from Boyertown · 1 hour 37 minutes from Hamburg · 1 hour 1 minute from Morgantown

Where222 North 20th Street, Philadelphia, PAOpen in maps →

OpenDaily year-round; closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, December 24 and 25Daily, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

AdmissionAdults 18+ $29, teens 13 to 17 $25, children 3 to 12 $23, 2 and under free; special exhibitions add $15 to $20 per ticket; parking $25 per vehicle (posted October 2026)

Plan onUp to 3 to 4 hours if you take in all the exhibitions and experiences, per the site

Good forlittle kids, big kids, teens, adults

The Franklin Institute is a science museum at 20th Street in Philadelphia, PA, with three floors of hands-on exhibits, the Fels Planetarium and daily live science shows.

General admission covers three floors of exhibits, Fels Planetarium shows, live science demonstrations and the Holt & Miller Observatory with its 10-inch Carl Zeiss refracting telescope. See the Giant Heart in Body Odyssey, the two-story Wondrous Space, SportsZone and Your Brain. The site says a full visit runs 3 to 4 hours, and STAR WARS: The Experience opens February 13, 2027.

Before you go

Buy tickets ahead. Weekday group visits peak before 2 p.m., so the site suggests weekday afternoons. The garage at 271 North 21st Street is $25 and fills often. You can bring your own food for Science Park, The Eatery and the front lawn. Lockers take small bags; strollers are welcome.

Coming up

Spooktacular Science Day is October 24, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and a Halloween Sensory Friendly Day is October 25, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., both free with admission. Science After Hours: Fright Nite, 21 and up, is October 16, 7:30 to 11:30 p.m.

Official site →Tickets →

Checked October 8, 2026 on the official site. Hours, prices and seasons change, so confirm there before a long drive.

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