Ahead of its 200th anniversary, Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute is getting a major infusion of cash that will help the science museum reimagine spaces ahead of its bicentennial.
The Franklin Institute is preparing a slate of capital improvement projects to update the science museum ahead of its bicentennial anniversary in 2024, reports NBC10's newsgathering partner the Philadelphia Business Journal.
The Franklin Institute recently received a $1 million gift from Bank of America to help fund the projects. The museum said the gift would fund “bold capital initiatives,” including six new exhibition spaces and a “reimagination” of the building and visitor experience.
“By the time we're done, every area of the museum will be touched,” CEO Larry Dubinski told the Philadelphia Business Journal.
The museum will develop new exhibitions focused on bioscience, space, environmental sciences and more, Dubinski said, using the building's existing space. He declined to share the estimated total cost of the project or the dates that the exhibitions will open due to the continuing impact of COVID-19 on the museum.
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The Franklin Institute started preparing for its bicentennial celebration before the pandemic as part of its long-term planning, Dubinski said.
PBJ.com talks to Dubinski about how philanthropy from entities like Bank of America has been a “saving grace” for the museum during the COVID pandemic.
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