Benjamin Franklin Museum & Franklin Court: Secrets of the Ghost House

What can I expect to see at Franklin Court?

Benjamin Franklin Museum

For years, many visitors were unaware of the underground museum beneath their feet, but a $23 million redesign in 2013 created a small entry building that now guides visitors from the courtyard into the modern museum. 

The museum is divided into five individual rooms, each reflecting different aspects of Franklin’s personality and character traits, as he was known to be strategic, rebellious, dutiful, motivated and curious. 

The Benjamin Franklin Museum also showcases how Franklin embodied the spirit of the 18th century and how many of his ideas still resonate today. Visitors can watch informative videos, interact with touch-screen exhibits and see historic artifacts in each room.

Pro tip: Visitors can keep an eye out for small squirrel figures hidden throughout the space, a nod to Franklin’s love of keeping them as pet “skuggs,” as they were called back then.

  — Photo courtesy National Park Service

Franklin Court

In the courtyard outside the museum, visitors can view the iconic “ghost house,” a standing steel structure that traces the outlines of Franklin’s now-vanished house and print shop.

Visitors can also peer down below the ghost house and see the foundation of Franklin’s home still in the ground.

  — Photo by Visit Philadelphia

Franklin Court Printing Office

Located in Franklin Court, visitors to the Printing Office can watch park rangers use a replica 18th-century printing press to demonstrate how colonial printers would set type and then crank the arm of a press to set words to paper. 

The Printing Office also has exhibits showcasing historic presses, a typesetting area, a bindery and more. Park rangers are also available to chat and answer questions. 

  — Photo courtesy National Park Service

What’s the history behind this attraction?

Franklin lived in his house until he died there in 1790, and the structure was demolished 22 years later. Congress established Independence National Historical Park in 1948, giving the park service oversight of the land Franklin once called home. 

The reimagined Franklin Court and Benjamin Franklin Museum opened to the public during the country’s Bicentennial and underwent a modern overhaul in 2013. 

But visitors to Philadelphia are sure to notice Franklin’s name and lasting legacy in all corners of the city. 

  — Photo by Visit Philadelphia

What else do I need to know?

Check the official webpage ahead of your visit to find the Benjamin Franklin Museum’s current hours of operation. Visitors must purchase tickets to the museum at the door on the day of the visit. Note: No federal recreational passes are accepted for entry.

No tickets are required to visit the open-air Franklin Court. Check the official webpage for current hours. 

The Franklin Court Printing Office regularly offers printing demonstrations when open. For hours, check the official page. No tickets are required, and access comes on a first-come, first-served basis. 

For more on the Benjamin Franklin Museum and Franklin Court, visit the official website by clicking the button below.