Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia

From his beginnings as a young printer to becoming one of the most extraordinary innovators and statesmen in our history

The descriptions below have been adapted from:

• Public Art in Philadelphia by Penny Balkin Bach
  
• Sculpture of a City by the Fairmount Park Art Association

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Tour Information:

Benjamin Franklin called Philadelphia home and his achievements here were many: he founded public societies and institutions; co-founded the nation’s first hospital; established the first lending library; reformed the postal system – the list goes on.

Accordingly, there is perhaps no other city where Benjamin Franklin’s life and legacy is so greatly remembered as in Philadelphia. On a stroll throughout the city, one is likely to run into public artworks honoring Franklin, as well as institutions, roads, businesses and parks that bear his name (The Franklin Institute, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Franklin Square, etc.). To give a sense of the scope of his influence in Philadelphia, the following is a glimpse at some of the many ways Franklin is represented throughout the city.

See full tour at: Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia

About:

The Association for Public Art (aPA, formerly the Fairmount Park Art Association) is the nation's first private, nonprofit organization dedicated to integrating public art and urban planning. Founded in 1872, the Association commissions, preserves, promotes and interprets public art in Philadelphia.