STORY STARTERS
BEN FRANKLIN 300 PHILADELPHIA
Brief Morsels On The Exhibition, The Celebration, The Man And
The Marketing
The
Exhibition:
The Makings Of A Blockbuster Exhibition
How do you create a comprehensive blockbuster exhibition
about historical icon Benjamin Franklin-a show that must be worthy
of his genius, wit and openness to all people? The Benjamin
Franklin Tercentenary, responsible for the development of the
Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World exhibition,
can explain how admiration, passion and curiosity drove the
creation of this international traveling exhibition, which makes
its world debut in Philadelphia in December 2005. www.benfranklin300.org
National Constitution Center Is The Perfect Place For
Benjamin Franklin Exhibition
The National Constitution Center in
Philadelphia is the perfect place for the world premiere of the
Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World exhibition,
on view from December 15, 2005, through April 30, 2006. After
seeing the exhibit, visitors can further their knowledge of
Franklin and the events that shaped the creation of the
Constitution by watching the Center's multimedia
presentation, Freedom Rising, and enjoying its permanent
exhibits and Signer's Hall, featuring life-size statues of
the Constitution's signers and dissenters. www.constitutioncenter.org
The Celebration:
Philadelphia Is Party Central For Ben Franklin's 300th
Birthday Bash
When Benjamin Franklin turns 300 on January 17, 2006, the
entire world will be celebrating the life of America's favorite
overachiever, but no one will be feting Franklin quite like
Philadelphia, his adopted hometown. Historic sites, cultural
attractions, restaurants, shops and hotels throughout the region
will honor Franklin with special exhibits, programs, events, tours,
menus and hotel packages. Ben Franklin 300 Philadelphia
festivities will kick off in fall 2005 and run through summer 2006.
www.gophila.com/ben
Follow Franklin's Footsteps In
Philadelphia
Visitors to Philadelphia can walk in Franklin's
footsteps-literally-thanks to a brand new walking tour created
specifically for the founding father's 300th birthday in 2006.
Entitled Walking in Franklin's Footsteps, the hour-long
experience guides tour takers through the same streets Benjamin
Franklin himself walked (Elfreth's Alley) and to
the places he worked
(IndependenceHall), prayed
(Christ Church), played (American
Philosophical Society), lived (Franklin
Court) and founded (Pennsylvania
Hospital). www.gophila.com/itineraries
Philadelphia Arts And Cultural Institutions Collaborate
In A Region-Wide Bash For Ben
Arts and cultural institutions throughout the Philadelphia
region are honoring the ultimate Renaissance man during his 300th
birthday year with a series of Franklin-related events and
programs. A sampling includes the Philadelphia
Orchestra's specially commissioned orchestral piece; the
Pennsylvania Ballet's Ben-inspired revival of
Franklin Court; and Ben Franklin: Unplugged, a
hilarious monologue to debut at the Plays and Players
Theater. www.benfranklin300.org
Ben's Birthday Hotel Package Celebrates Franklin 300th
Birthday
Visitors to Philadelphia can't sleep where Franklin slept
(none of the 14 houses he lived in now exist), but they'll have
plenty of choices of where to stay while in town for the
Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World exhibition.
Dozens of hotels are offering the Ben's Birthday Hotel
Package, from December 15, 2005, through April 30, 2006. The
package includes accommodations, a coupon booklet and two tickets
to the exhibit. It will be bookable at www.gophila.com/accommodations
or through participating hotels beginning in October.
Franklin Was Inventive In The Kitchen Too
Ben Franklin made a lasting impact on the culinary life of
America by introducing the colonists to Scotch kale, Swiss barley
and Chinese rhubarb. To celebrate Ben's birthday and his culinary
interests, many Philadelphia restaurants, including London
Grill and the Spirit of Philadelphia,
will offer "A Penny Saved" menu. In addition, bars such as
McGillin's Old Ale House will serve up
Ben-inspired drinks, including the "Printer's Pickle Martini,"
garnished with one of Franklin's favorite treats. www.benfranklin300.org
The
Man:
What Good Shall I Do Today?
Sure, Ben Franklin liked to buy fine things, ate to excess
on occasion and was a master flirt, but he always wanted to improve
himself. Good works, he believed, were the key to a good life. Each
morning, he said to himself, "What good shall I do today?"
Franklin's belief that society's many challenges required mutual
action, collaboration and generosity is brought to life in the
Civic Visions,
1731-1751
section of the Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better
World exhibition.
Franklin's Friends And Foes
A man as successful as Franklin couldn't rise to the top without
stirring it up a little along the way. Visitors to the Benjamin
Franklin: In Search of a Better World exhibition will learn
about his clashes with statesman John Adams. Franklin also had
enemies: he is known to have sold cheaper ink to rival printers,
and he spread a rumor that the author of the competing almanac had
died in order to give Franklin's sales a boost. Franklin had no
shortage of friends, though. He socialized with many famous
Philadelphians and world leaders, including Princess Dashkova of
Russia.
Franklin Goes Pop! Ben Franklin Is A Pop Culture
Icon
Flip through Time or Newsweek, tune into
The Simpsons or bid for a bobble-head on E-Bay, and you'll
see that America's bespectacled founding father exists far beyond
the annals of history. Although Ben's discoveries, inventions and
innovations are centuries old, they impact life every day in the
21st century. It's impossible to walk down the street in
Philadelphia today without running into a modern manifestation of
the man-from the Benjamin Franklin Bridge to the
room that bears his name at popular bar Finnegan's
Wake.
The
Marketing:
Marketing Consortium Forms To Promote Ben
In the true spirit of collaboration, several organizations
have joined in a marketing partnership to celebrate Ben
Franklin 300 Philadelphia. The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
is charged with creating the official national celebration for
Franklin's 300th birthday. The National Constitution
Center is the Philadelphia host of the Benjamin
Franklin: In Search of a Better World exhibition. The Greater
Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation is the official
marketing agency for Ben Franklin 300 Philadelphia, and
the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau is responsible
for promoting the celebration to groups and international visitors.
CBS 3 is the official media partner.
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Ben Franklin 300 Philadelphia is a year-long
celebration of Benjamin Franklin's 300th birthday, coordinated and
marketed by the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, the Greater
Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, the National
Constitution Center and CBS 3. Festivities will run from fall 2005
through 2006 and will focus on the world premiere of the
international traveling exhibition, Benjamin Franklin: In
Search of a Better World at the National Constitution Center.
The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, a non-profit organization, is
supported by a lead grant of $4 million from The Pew Charitable
Trusts and established to reaffirm Franklin's enduring legacy in
his 300th birthday year. The Tercentenary was founded in 2000 by
the American Philosophical Society, The Franklin Institute, the
Library Company of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and
the University of Pennsylvania. For more information about the
exhibition, related programs and traveling to Philadelphia, visit
www.gophila.com/ben.
Note to Editors: For photos of Greater
Philadelphia, visit our Photo
Gallery.
CONTACT:
Cara Schneider, GPTMC
(215) 599-0789, cara@gptmc.com
Cheri LaSpada, Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
(215) 790-7825, cheri@alta247.com