I don't think we would have seen it had we not been on an Old City walking tour. It's through a passageway between the B. Free Franklin Post Office and the Franklin Court Printing Office. The Benjamin Franklin Museum is also in the courtyard. There's really a lot of Benjamin Franklin history in this area since his house was at this location. It was torn down in 1812 because his descendents could no longer maintain it. It wasn't until 1950 that the National Park Service took on the excavation project that would eventually expose the foundation of his house and uncover many artifacts. The "Ghost Structures" that you see today were created as a way to preserve what was found. It was so cool to see the floor plan of the house, and to walk over the various rooms of what was once the Franklin home. His grandson's print shop was also uncovered. I must say that Independence National Historical Park, as a whole, really surprised me. There so much to see and learn. It's a lot to cover in such a short time. I think another visit is needed in the future. read more

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I must say it is such an honor to be able to visit something so significant to our nation's history. And Ben Franklin was such a wonderful wordsmith! I'm amazed, how many of her things come from his witty mind. I am a big fan of the printing press and post office too. It's complementary to visit the printing press and the grounds are so wonderfully maintained . It's very special place and I'm a big fan . read more

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Really cool hidden gem in Philly! I would had this to the top things to do in Philly. For free, you can see how Ben Franklin's house was set up and really get a picture for what things were like for the family and neighbors at the time. The square has been preserved so well and has great quotes and information on plaques and tiles in the ground. You don't even have to go inside the museum to get the full experience. Super cool stop. read more

Franklin Court - Franklin court - Public Services & Government Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We got a great demonstration of how the role of the printed word played in the American Revolution and how the nation was founded. The park ranger demonstrated how intricate type settings were used. Ben Franklin only used one type of scribe but on various typeset sizes. They shared printing prices back in the 1700's. Great piece of history shared here. read more

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I brought my little nephews here during our 2 day long Philadelphia tour. We had an awesome demonstration of how an old fashion printing press works w wonderful staff members really helping us understand how this process worked so many years ago. It was so interesting and we really enjoyed learning. The workers here also have the history cards for kids to collect - I didn't know about this before we started touring the sites - but if you go to a worker or a park ranger they will ask you a question and if you get it right you get a history card!! how cute is that! Something small but the kids loved collecting them so much. read more

Franklin Court - Public Services & Government Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We almost missed this! This site, with the museum, is just great. Don't miss the unique US post office! (Just ignore the sullen postal clerk with her headphones on who hates her life and her job). read more

This is located in the area where several museums in the neighborhood. You can tour the old post office. The volunteers there are knowledgeable and informative. It is interesting to see this historic architecture. read more

Franklin Court - Public Services & Government Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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This is a fun free activity for tourists staffed by the National Parks Service. The staff puts on a great demonstration, in fun costumes, with an old-fashioned printing press. Overall, I highly recommend it for any tourists in Philadelphia. read more

Franklin Court - Public Services & Government Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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(This is just for the printing office) I suppose at times this place can get mobbed with school groups and scout troops but each time that I've come (all in the winter and normally on a Saturday) things have been blissfully deserted. It was just the three of us and a fourth person who was in town from Minnesota for the flower show. That's was it for over twenty plus minutes while the ranger on duty went through the entire printing process while having a nice little Q&A with each of us. Worth noting is that if you want to take a souvenir of the print shop home with you they do sell various sized documents that can be purchased (cash only) for a few dollars which on the bottom has the year plus where it came from. I paid a dollar for my favorite from Franklin about what you need to do to keep a secret amongst three people. Overall while not a lengthy diversion this is a great place to see 18th century technology at it's finest and to see the trade that Franklin most loved and wanted to be remembered for. read more

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"all information about city at one place" - stop by... get refreshed... they have reception where you can all information about city/tours/guides/hotels. you can buy the tickets, book hotels, rent a bike. They have a gift shop and they keep some really fascinating item and yes, they have rocky balboa. ;) read more

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Bottom Line: The best place to learn about Ben Franklin and his family. Yes, the Franklin Fountain might have awesome ice cream and Franklin Square might have fun activities, but it is Franklin Court where you can learn about the namesake of those other places. Franklin Court consists of the following sites run by the National Park Service: - The Benjamin Franklin museum - The Franklin Court Printing Office - The "Fragments of Franklin Court" exhibit - B. Free Franklin Post Office - A steel structure that outlines Benjamin Franklin's house and shop, and - Neat windows in the ground that reveal the foundation of his house and even his "privy pit" (because who doesn't love circa 1770s poo?) Initially I did feel very sad that Franklin's family demolished the family home in the early 1800s but the innovative steel structure showing where it once stood is really cool. Also, I enjoyed getting to know the real Franklin by visiting the on site museum which is underground alongside the existing foundation of his house. I love that you can still see his privy pit and I love even more that you can't see what is at the bottom of it. When I visited the Post Office, Fragments exhibit and Printing Office were closed but I still enjoyed my trip to the Court, and particularly the museum. read more

(Review for the Print Shop) After visiting the Ben Franklin Museum and seeing some of the printing artifacts there, it was cool to see a live demonstration of how it was actually done back in the day. The volunteer was very informative and very engaging, especially to the kids in attendance. You can even purchase one of the prints as a souvenir. read more

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Technically, this place has no street address. It's at Chestnut St. between 3rd and 4th sts., with another entrance at 316-322 Market St. It is the site where Ben Franklin's house used to stand. Visit the outline of the structure, then visit the free underground museum dedicated to Franklin's life and pursuits. Great for kids. Nearby you can visit the Post Office Museum, the printer and bindery, and the office used by Franklin's grandson to publish his newspaper. http://www.ushistory.org/tour/tour_fcourt.htm read more

Yay Ben! This museum highlights just some of the innovations that Benjamin Franklin was known for. My favorite parts were the demonstration of the printing press, the glass armonica (we heard a recording of the song "The Parting Glass" being played on it -- think people playing music on the rims of crystal wineglasses, but a much grander scale; it's very haunting), and the post office (which is still a real post office! I loved the inclusion of the dolls dressed to represent the look of mail carriers throughout American history). Ben's house is a bit weird, basically because it's not there. It was torn down somewhere along the way, but you see the outline of where it was, and there are some sections where you can look down into the foundations, but it's a shame that people did not have the foresight to preserve his home. read more

So this was a fun little free activity for tourists. It's a printing press shop making reproductions of such items like the declaration of independence. There are pieces on sale, and we bought some while we were here. It was also very informative for the exhibit on book binding. This is staffed by National Parks Service. They're very informative and passionate about history and the topics they present, and have a great knowledge base to answer questions. It's a short activity, and considering this was Benjamin Franklin's grandson's newspaper office, it was worth the visit (I know it didn't sound terribly impressive, but a cool connection to history). read more

There is not much to see here. It's getting 2 stars for convenience on the way to other more interesting historic sites. Basically nothing but crumbling foundation remains of Franklin's house--his grandkids had it torn down to build rental apartments. funny. This attraction is best used as a pass-through from Market street to Chestnut if you're too lazy to walk down to the corner. read more

Ben Franklin was one BAMF... There was so much attributed to him that mere words cannot begin to say enough. I admit that by the time I visited this site, I was already beginning to get "museumed-out" so this review will be a bit terse in details. What was at one time Ben Franklin's house is merely a frame which represents where it once stood. There is an excavation site which is covered over with see-through plexiglass that shows some of the details of the actual house's foundation and structure. This 'courtyard" is fronted on the street side by a post office, which was closed on the day of our visit, and a printing shop where you can go inside and watch volunteers print copies of the declaration of independence using the same techniques of that time. There is a museum underground which shows some of Ben Franklin's inventions and artifacts. I remember and particularly enjoyed seeing Ben Franklin's cartography work. There was also a theater, but we somehow missed the cutoff for entry by a few minutes and didn't want to wait for the next showing. It was mentioned by other reviews that most of this seems dated and that a more modern museum is in the works for 2012... I don't remember paying for entry so this must have been a freebie like everyone reviewing says. I also found this to be a more interesting place to visit than the nearby Betsy Ross house... read more

Franklin Court - 051511: print shop... - Public Services & Government Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Anyone who doesn't enjoy Franklin Court must have missed something. The draw is not the silly frame outline of Franklin's house (which was torn down long, long ago), nor is it the little windows that reveal pieces of the original foundation (yawn). Actually, it's not even the underground museum with its antiquated exhibits. Go inside, for crying out loud! There's a real, functioning, 18th-century print shop with working printing presses and a perpetual smell of black soot based ink. The Rangers who do the printing really tell a great story, so ask them about what they're doing (and maybe ask if you can help if there isn't a crowd of children there). Next door is the oldest post office in the colonies, commissioned by the British Crown. In fact, they still don't fly a US flag today - making them the only US Post Office which doesn't. It still operates so definitely send some mail out; they use a cancellation stamp not used anywhere else. Around the corner, look for the 18th-century printing office that was used by Franklin's son or nephew or something. Either way, printing history is just great - and remember that's what Franklin himself wanted to be his legacy: "B. Franklin, printer." I've heard that they are doing substantial renovations to the underground museum. I hope the rest stays open! read more

Does this museum need a major update? Yes. Is it still really cool? Hells, yes. A short hall of artifacts and portraits followed by a seascape image of Philadelphia lead to the main room. In the gallery, there are images, texts, and artifacts detailing Franklin's many lives as an author, inventor, and statesman. A diorama shows three of his major political interventions in a charming but low-tech manner that is reminiscent of Franklin's own experiments with energy and motion. There are phones (mostly not functioning) that can be used to access recordings of other famous folks speaking about Franklin, as well. Finally, a rather large theater shows three different short films that introduce the scope of Franklin's life. The staff was friendly and accommodating, and it took me two visits with different folks to have enough time to satisfy my curiosity about all there was to see. I agree that a renovation will be great, but I also loved the fact that there were few other visitors to interrupt my reading :) read more

Franklin Court is nice - but the museum needs a lot of work. Most everything is out of order. When speaking to one of the National Parks people, they advised that Franklin Museum will be closing this fall for a 3 year renovation. It's much needed. They said that the renovated museum will be much more modern, and will be totally different... So skip this until 2012! :-) read more

The courtyard was nice and the man himself was a true visionary, but the outdated and dark/dank museum is a poor tribute. The outline of the house was mildly interesting and the ice-pit out back was something I'd never really thought about (in the time before freezers and all.) Go see the printing pressess and the ancient post office - it only takes 20 minutes and that part is free. Until the museum undergoes rennovation, skip it. read more

I was glad to have the opportunity to see this place. There are so many places to see in Philadelphia you can't see them all in one trip. I went there on two different days. The first day I saw the printing press demonstration which was interesting. The other day I discovered what was left of Ben Franklin's home which was torn down in 1812. It is a shame they didn't save that treasure. The museum there is only $5, worth it. I enjoyed the displays, especially the ones of his inventions relating to electricity and the Armonica. He was a fascinating figure in US history and quite the inventor. read more

I didn't go into the museum, but I walked around the grounds and went into the printing shop for the demonstration. I was in there while a school group was there, and then stayed while the guide started over with adults. The guide did a great job of adapting for his audience. I also stopped by the post office and got something hand-cancelled with a replica of Ben Franklin's original stamp. :) read more

I consider myself a bit of a Franklin enthusiast (I think we would have been good friends ha), so I'm a bit embarrassed to say I visited Franklin Court for the first time this weekend. The actual Ghost House is moderately amusing. I like that they didn't attempt to recreate his house (it was torn down by his relatives to build tenant housing, what?) and instead allow you to use your imagination, mainly because no one really knows what the house looked like. I ran out of time to enter the underground museum, but it is filled with paintings, objects, and inventions associated with Benjamin Franklin so you know i'll be back to check it out. The real winner of the court though is the old tenant housing that used to be the front of market street. One has been excavated to show Franklin's attempt at fire-resistant buildings, old pottery, and drawings of how these places were utilized. There is also a post office museum and a still working post office that you can go in, which, fun fact, is the only post office in the United States that does not fly a US flag because there wasn't a flag for the US in 1775 when it opened. Lastly, there is a printing office with the equipment on display. I became completely absorbed in all of this stuff and still feel like I didn't get to experience it all. The weirdest part of it though is when you exit onto market street to a loud-busy 21st century city; I almost forgot where I was! read more

Get your learn on about Mr. Ben Franklin. I checked out this museum during his birthday weekend so it was free. Normally admission is 5 dollars for adults and cheaper for children. Walk down the stairs and it leads you to interesting exhibits, interactive games, and facts about him. I would say this museum takes an average of 45 minutes to walk through. I enjoyed my time here and hope anyone else would too for such a wonderful man who helped our country. read more

Fun spot! You know you think you know all of the history of this place, and then when you get there you find out all these neat details that just change your perspective on what you thought you knew. read more

Love this! There's so much to see here, but it's all small and close together, so it's easy to see everything. Most of the sites are open at 9 am daily, but some don't open till 10:00 or noon, so just be aware of that. The guy at the post office wasn't very friendly, but make sure to at least go in. =) It's cool to see the outline of where his house was and see the passageway he walked every day while he lived there. Rumor has it Ben still shows up now and again! read more

Well, I'm a sucker for historical stuff and this totally satisfied my craving. Ben Franklin's original house is not standing here anymore (thanks to some descendants who didn't think it was a big deal to keep the house alive) but there are frames of where the house stood and windows on the ground showing some left over rubble from his home. You can also go into his print shop and watch some volunteers print out the Declaration of Independence old school-style. There's a Benjamin Franklin museum, showing off some artifacts and movies about his life. I definitely recommend stopping by here. read more

Pretty Neat! You can visit Ben Franklins row homes which he rented out, making him the first US landlord- pretty cool! The homes have been preserved as well. Unfortunately Franklins own home, which was located behind the row homes, is no longer standing. However the "footprints" of the structure are visable underground, with glass viewing windows showing footprints of the bearing walls along with descriptions of waht rooms once occupied those spaces. Insider Info. During the summer of 2006, Philadelphia conducted an archelogical dig just outside the Liberty Bell exhibit enterance. They had a viewing platform to watch archeologists and workers as they uncovered artifacts from what was one of Washington's homes. During that time we spoke with an archeologist who was answering questions, about how much we enjoyed the Franklin Court exhibit with viewing windows which they had worked on. They expressed to us that the City had actually deamed the Franklin Court project "a failure" due to lack of interest as it wasn't as "exciting" for tourists as walking through physical buildings. Because of this the archeological dig they were currently conducting, which was of one of George Washington's homes, was simply being excavated for artifacts, and not preserved in the manner that Franklin Court was. Unfortunately this plot of land was indeed refilled with soil after the excavation was complete, with no views of the footprints of Washingtons home. read more

Since Ben Franklin is my number one historical crush, I make sure to take all of my visitors to Franklin Court. The underground museum may not live up to modern standards, but it's a heck of a lot more fun than the Liberty Bell. I think it's outdatedness is what I find so endearing about it. You can call different historical figures and hear them talk about Ben; you can see real live replicas of things that may have looked like something Ben owned; if you time it right (or make friends with the staff) you can even watch a floor show re-enactment of Ben's political endeavors. And don't forget to check out the movies, all of which are cheesily genius. The best part of all: it's totally free. read more

What a wonderful experience getting my daughter's wedding invites hand stamped by Tina! She was so careful with each of the 145 invites and took pride that each one should be perfect. Shout out to Tony Q. who also works there and looked up the weather forecast for the wedding date which is 2 months away. It's worth the extra time to get your invitations hand stamped plus Tina and Tony will put a smile on your face! read more

This review is for the printing office only. We arrived at 4:25 pm and the printer was not letting anyone else in because he wanted to start cleaning up. He wanted to be out the door by 5 pm. While he was busy telling a group of kids that they cannot come in we snuck by him and stood with the group waiting for the demonstration. They should not tell people closing time is 5 pm if they refuse to accept people after 4 something pm. While we were inside, he spent a good few minutes obsessing over making sure no one comes in so he can quit by 5 pm. During his demonstration, you can tell by how he spoke that his mind was already at home. He gave such a lackluster, apathetic effort and was quick to get everyone out. He belongs at the DMV not in a place where you are trying to impress tourists and give them a memorable day. Oh wait, maybe this was Benjamin Franklin's Department of Motor Vehicles? read more