Franklin Institute Plans 320th Birthday Party for Ben Franklin

Come to The Franklin Institute's Ben's Birthday Bash and celebrate the 320th birthday of Ben Franklin. The birthday bash will be held Saturday, Jan. 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Franklin Institute will host a day of hands-on science activities, live demos, and interactive experiences spread across the museum and inside the Ben Franklin National Memorial for the namesake's birthday.

Highlights of the celebration include a live performance of Happy Birthday on Franklin's glass armonica, a 10:45 a.m. ball-pit explosion finale, electricity demonstrations, party games, and opportunities for attendees to design their own birthday hats. Guests can also participate in Poor Richard's Pursuit, a scavenger-hunt challenge where participants solve puzzles to win Franklin's Fortune, a deck-building game.

A new immersive multimedia show, Franklin's Spark, will debut and run hourly inside the memorial during the celebration. In addition, the Hamilton Collections Gallery will showcase Franklin's inventions, and representatives from the National Park Service will host a pop-up display focused on 18th‑century printing.

All attendees are encouraged to wear Franklin-inspired outfits to the event.

Ben's Birthday Bash is included with admission to The Franklin Institute, located at 222 N. 20th St. in Philadelphia.