Inspire Science

When The Franklin Institute's current building was envisioned, planners designed a facility that filled an entire city block with four distinct wings enclosing a central courtyard. However fundraising for the project coincided with the onset of the Great Depression, and only generated resources to complete two wings.

In 1989, The Franklin Institute began construction on a major addition to the original building. The Futures Center campaign funded the creation of new exhibit spaces and renovations to the existing building. Highlights of the project included the addition of the Tuttleman IMAX® Theater and the Mandell Center.

Building on its legacy of innovation and progress, in 1998 The Franklin Institute began a campaign to completely revitalize its building, creating an environment that would not only be engaging but also optimally safe and comfortable for all visitors. More than 50 percent of the Institute's 1933 building was renovated thanks to the contribution of more than $61 million from 386 donors.

Now, to fulfill the goals laid out in the 2006 Strategic Plan, The Franklin Institute endeavors to raise $64.7 million through the Inspire Science campaign to construct a new building addition, unveil three new state-of-the-art exhibits, and revitalize existing facility systems to ensure the Institute's continued role as an educational and cultural gem in the Philadelphia region and a world-class center for informal science learning.

Renovation of the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial

In October 2008, a full restoration of the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial was completed. The restoration revealed the original pristine marble surfaces, and added dramatic lighting and an educational multi-media presentation of Benjamin Franklin's life and work. The project received several awards, including:

- 2009 Illuminating Engineering Society of North America's Award of Merit
- 2009 General Building Construction Association of America's Best Historic Preservation Project
- 2010 Preservation Achievement Grand Jury Award

Changing Earth Exhibit

The Earth is always changing. Powerful forces shape our air, water, and land, and will continue to transform our planet. In this exhibition, which opened in March 2010, visitors explore how our response to Earth's changes will impact our future on the planet. Changing Earth was created with generous support from Sunoco and the Hamilton Family Foundation.

Electricity Exhibit

Visitors experience the force of electricity by manipulating electrical phenomena, exploring authentic artifacts, and tackling questions of sustainable electricity generation and use. Electricity, opened in March 2010, sparks visitors' curiosity about the power of this phenomenon and what it holds for our future, while recalling the legacy of the Institute's namesake, Benjamin Franklin. Electricity was created with the generous support of PECO.

Your Brain Exhibit

This state-of-the-art exhibit will introduce visitors to one of the frontiers of science: the study and understanding of the human brain. Visitors will marvel at the capacities of their brain, wonder at its potential, and ponder its mysteries yet to be solved. Your Brain will be located in the Frank Baldino, Jr. Gallery, named in memory of a longtime friend and former Trustee of The Franklin Institute.

Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion

A new 53,000 square foot building addition, adjacent to Franklin Hall, will create much needed space for the Institute's cutting-edge exhibit on the brain, expanded climate-controlled traveling exhibition gallery, and educational program area. The new building will be LEED certified at the Silver level, ensuring that The Franklin Institute remains a responsible steward of the environment. LEED certified buildings reduce energy, saving operational costs each year.

The Franklin Institute's Vision

To meet the needs of today's 24/7 learners, the Institute has an ambitious vision for enhancing and integrating programming throughout Greater Philadelphia and beyond. Activities include:

• Developing engaging, one-of-a-kind educational resources for self-directed learning
• Designing engaging classroom activities and school curricula that make formal education more fun and effective
• Providing multi-media resources to engage children, adults, and their families in learning online
• Celebrating science and engaging diverse audiences wherever they live, work, and play in discovering the science issues that are of the greatest interest and have the most potential to change the way we live and understand the world around us
• Providing a world-class museum experience to children, families, educators, and visitors from around the world

The Franklin Institute is grateful for the generous support of donors to the Inspire Science campaign and is pleased to recognize their contributions below. These individuals, corporations, foundations, and public agencies are helping to further the Institute's mission by enabling an even wider and more diverse audience to experience the Institute's unique brand of informal science education through the engaging, hands-on exhibits and programs made possible by the campaign.

As of July 15, 2013

LEAD INDIVIDUAL DONOR
Nicholas and Athena Karabots
   The Karabots Foundation

CORNERSTONE DONORS
Anonymous
Cephalon, Inc.
Estate of John Swope Collins
   in Memory of John Swope Samuel S. Fels Fund
Otto Haas Charitable Trust
The Hamilton Family Foundation
Mrs. Samuel M.V. Hamilton
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Gerry Lenfest
Ira Lubert and Pamela Estadt
Samuel P. Mandell Foundation
National Park Service,
   U.S. Department of the Interior
PECO
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Marsha and Jeffrey Perelman
The Pew Charitable Trusts
City of Philadelphia
William H. Shea, Jr. and Susan M. Shea
   The Shea Family Foundation
Andrea and James Stewart
The Sunoco Foundation
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
Mrs. Edna S. Tuttleman
William Penn Foundation

PRINCIPAL AND LEADERSHIP DONORS
Anonymous
6ABC
The Arcadia Foundation
William J. and Sharon L. Avery
Victor M. Bearg
Mr. and Mrs. David J. Berkman
The Boeing Company
Mr. and Mrs. Jon A. Boscia
Mr.* and Mrs. J. Mahlon Buck, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. William C. Buck
The Callaghan Family Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Michael F. Camardo
Sally W. Castle
Ruth M. and Tristram C. Colket, Jr. and
   The Ethel D. Colket Foundation
Debra and Michael Coslov
Day & Zimmermann
Delaware River Port Authority
Kevin and Betsy Donohoe
The Dow Chemical Company
Michael C. Forman and Jennifer S. Rice
Mr. and Mrs. John T. Fries
Chris Gali, in Honor of Philomena Gali
Ed and Patsy Garno
Toni and Bob Garrison
Jane and Joseph Goldblum
Martyn D. Greenacre and Grete Greenacre
Rich and Peggy Greenawalt
Phoebe W. Haas Charitable Trust "B"
Harry and Kay Halloran
I.B.E.W. Local Union #98
Joan and Herb Kelleher Charitable Foundation
The Mill Spring Foundation
Mr. Stephen Modzelewski and Mrs. Deborah Y. Sze
Lauren and Don Morel
Mr. Richard T. Nalle, Jr.*
National Institutes of Health
National Science Foundation
In Memory of Stanley and Bertha Rogasner
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph W. Rogers, Jr.
Roberta and Ernest Scheller, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold A. Sorgenti
US Airways Community Foundation
The United States Mint
Mr. Richard W. Vague
West
Robert G. and Rosalind White Williams
Estate of G. Raymond Ziegler, Jr.

MAJOR DONORS
Anonymous
The Abramson Family Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel F. Amoroso
Catherine V. Beath
Estate of George E. Beggs, Jr.
Mr. Richard P. Brown, Jr.*
Gretchen and Stephen Burke
Dr. and Mrs. Arthur L. Caplan
The CHG Charitable Trust
D. Walter Cohen
Patricia and Gerard Cuddy
Richard and Judith Dilsheimer
Stephen Esser and Dana L. Dortone
Ms. Elizabeth H. Gemmill
Julie and Mitch Gerstein
Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Glaberson
Eric Hafler
Robert P. and Barbara S. Hauptfuhrer
Mr. and Mrs. Paul C. Heintz
Dr. S. Jay and Gail Turley Hirsh
Joan and Irwin Jacobs
Helen M. and Henry K. Justi
Josephine Klein
Barbara and John Kowalczyk
Chris and Lori Kuebler
Sandra and David Marshall
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. McCarthy
The McLean Contributionship
Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. McMenamin
Donna and William Oliver
Louise and Alan Reed
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Romano
Dr. and Mrs. Donald J. Rosato
Bruce and Elizabeth Rubin
Karl F. and Patsy Rugart
Andrew and Bryna Scott
Mr. and Mrs. William J. Stallkamp
Joan N. Stern
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth S. Sweet, Jr.
Jay H. Tolson
Kathleen Troncelliti
UGI Corporation
Mr. and Mrs. James A. Unruh
Tina Wells
David and Evelyn White
Gordon and Diana Wilder
Paul and Marcia Woodruff
Mr. Joseph Zoll and Dr. Kathy Zoll

PATRONS
Anonymous
Mr. George J. Ahern
Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Allen
Estate of Charles E. Balleisen
Scott A. Battersby
Peter A. Benoliel and Willo Carey
Lawrence H. and Julie C. Berger
Suzanne F. Boda
Mr. and Mrs. William J. Bonner, Jr.
   in Honor of Nicholas and Athena Karabots
Renee B. Booth
Estate of Warren F. Busse
Carol S. Caswell
Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Chappelear
Drs. Melvin and Gloria Chisum
Estate of Raymond Czarnica
Mr. Joseph I. Daily, Jr.
Estate of William K. Dickey
Dr. Jack Dickstein
Mr. Larry Dubinski and Ms. Vicki J. Markovitz
Jack E. Feinberg
Dr.* and Mrs. Donald L. Felley
Mr. and Mrs. A. Carter Fergusson
Mr. and Mrs. William J. Friel, Jr.
Michael J. and Jeanette M. Gale
Marci and Gary Generose
Estate of Carol K. Gerstley
Dr. and Mrs. Allan M. Greenspan
Mrs. Dorothea K. Harris
High Swartz LLP
Joseph J. Hochreiter and Eileen G. Wachtman
Estate of Helen M. Humphreville
Karen Nagel Kamp
Malcolm Kates, M.D.
Walter and Marian* Kinzinger
Kenneth D. Kleinman and Debra J. Fein
Dr. William Krieger
The Krone Foundation
William Kronenberg III
Reinhard and Sue D. Kruse
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald A. Landon
Mary and Richard Lau
Thomas Leist, M.D., Ph.D.
Drs. Mary and Don Levick
Charisse R. Lillie
Wallace S. Martindale, 3rd
Peter, Susan, and Cameron McClung
Amir and Nawal Metry
James J. Moskowitz
Mr. and Mrs. Randy H. Needles
Mr. and Mrs. John Nugent
Mr. and Mrs. Denis P. O'Brien
Mr. and Mrs. Edward O'Connor
Drs. Bonnie and Paul Offit
Dr. Camille Paglia and Mr. Vernon L. Francis
Dr. and Mrs. Homayoon Pasdar
Provincial Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Mark D. Rainville
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas E. Ress
Elizabeth and Hershel Richman
Jay and Gretchen Riley
The Rittenhouse Foundation
Lucy B. Rorke-Adams, M.D.
Leonard M. Rosenfeld, Ph.D.
Judith Quigley Ruse
Michael L. Sanyour
Buck and Mary Scott
Norman Silbertrust
Mr. and Dr. R. Greg Surovcik
Eric W. Tappert
Terri and Bob Teti
Estate of Marjorie Upson
Thomas and Patricia Vernon
Marisa Wigglesworth and Edmund B. Bayruns
Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Winston
Dennis M. Wint, Ph.D. and Ann Meredith
Mr. Rhett D. Workman
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Zeleny

* deceased

Watch a timelapse video of the construction of the Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion.