Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Borneo orangutan
Malaysia • 12 days, 11 nights
Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest
from
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The wall commemorating 11,908 Jewish victims of the Shoah from Frankfurt.
Börneplatz Memorial
Entrance to the munitions area of the lower part of the bunker
Simserhof
Carlos Calderón Yruegas calls the villa his personal playground.
Villa Tabaiba
Apples and pears, Spitalfields Market.
Brick Lane Roundels
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
about 16 hours ago
Places like Forest Grove linger on the edge of wilderness and civilization.
Listening for Echoes of the Forest Grove Sound
about 18 hours ago
Longwood House, where Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final years.
The Longwood House: Napoleon Bonaparte’s Beautiful Prison
1 day ago
 Fenway Park at night
How Was Your First Trip With Your Significant Other?
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Pennsylvania Philadelphia Benjamin Franklin Museum and Court
AO Edited

Benjamin Franklin Museum and Court

This overlooked courtyard and museum celebrate Benjamin Franklin's life and achievements.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Added By
Denver Applehans
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Sign outside the tunnel leading from Market Street to Franklin Court   DenverApplehans / Atlas Obscura User
Sign outside the tunnel leading from Market Street to Franklin Court   DenverApplehans / Atlas Obscura User
B. Free Franklin U.S. Postal Service Branch on Market Street   DenverApplehans / Atlas Obscura User
Franklin Court Print Shop   DenverApplehans / Atlas Obscura User
Franklin Court Interior   DenverApplehans / Atlas Obscura User
Franklin Court Ice Pit   DenverApplehans / Atlas Obscura User
Scientific Device in the Museum   DenverApplehans / Atlas Obscura User
Replica of Ben Franklin’s Chess Set   DenverApplehans / Atlas Obscura User
Franklin Court - Ghost Structures   National Park Service/ Public Domain
Franklin Court 1980   National Park Service/ Public Domain
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia is home to many important artifacts from American history. Many visitors come to see Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, overlooking lesser known sights including the Benjamin Franklin Museum and Franklin Court.

Franklin Court is bordered by brick houses on Market Street and contains a printing office exhibit, the Fragments of Franklin Court exhibit, and a the a working branch of the United States Postal Service known as the B. Free Franklin branch. The USPS post office is located in one of the buildings on Market Street. While it is a working post office, its services are limited. The clerk will hand-cancel, or stamp, a postcard or letter with Postmaster Franklin’s cancellation “B. Free Franklin.”

These buildings were owned by Franklin, who was appointed postmaster of Philadelphia in 1737 and co-Postmaster General of the North American colonies for the British Crown until 1774. He then served as Postmaster General from 1775-1776 under the authority of the Continental Congress. The printing office contains two reproductions of 18th century printing presses like those that Ben Franklin and his family would have printed on. There is also a typesetting area, bindery, and Ben Franklin grandson's newspaper office for The Philadelphia Aurora, which he founded in 1790.

Two large white steel frame structures provide a visual representation of the outline of Benjamin Franklin’s home and his grandson’s printing business. The buildings were later demolished to make way for commercial development, though the foundation of the house is still visible through observation windows.

The grounds also include several informational plaques on the walls of the interior of the Court and markers where four privy pits, a well, and an ice pit were located in the 18th century.

The Court also houses the Benjamin Franklin Museum, which is almost entirely under Franklin Court. The museum highlights Ben Franklin’s life and times and his impact on the development of the United States.

Related Tags

Postal History Museums Benjamin Franklin

Know Before You Go

The working USPS post office is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m., provided staff are available. The Benjamin Franklin Museum is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with an entry fee of $5 for adults and $2 for children ages 4 to 16, and children under 3 are free. Franklin Court is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is accessible through a brick tunnel on Market Street, between 3rd and 4th Streets, or through a gate on Chestnut Street which runs parallel to Market Street a block south.

Community Contributors

Added By

DenverApplehans

Edited By

Xavixavir

  • Xavixavir

Published

April 1, 2025

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.nps.gov/inde/planyourvisit/benjaminfranklinmuseum.htm
  • https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery-item.htm?pg=0&id=3E35B149-155D-451F-67F18B88A86A9A5B&gid=3CFB1BE1-155D-451F-6700CAB497CC630F
Benjamin Franklin Museum and Court
143 S. 3rd Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19106
United States
39.949626, -75.14683
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Science History Institute

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

First Bank of the United States

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

Shane Confectionery

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Places 75
Stories 40

Nearby Places

Science History Institute

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

First Bank of the United States

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

Shane Confectionery

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Places 75
Stories 40

Related Places

  • Toronto, Ontario

    First Toronto Post Office

    The first post office in Toronto still operates today, complete with quill pens and ink for writing letters.

  • Webster, Massachusetts

    Samuel Slater Experience

    This interactive museum is dedicated to the “Father of the American Industrial Revolution” and founder of one of the nation’s earliest boomtowns.

  • Martinsburg, West Virginia

    Belle Boyd House

    Once the home of a noted Civil War spy, the two-story brick house now serves as a museum.

  • One of the galleries in the modern section of the Manchester Jewish Museum.

    Manchester, England

    Manchester Jewish Museum

    A Victorian synagogue-turned-museum chronicles centuries of Jewish life.

  • Henry VIII’s Wine Cellar.

    London, England

    Henry VIII’s Wine Cellar

    Once part of a magnificent Tudor palace, this wine cellar is a time capsule underneath the Ministry of Defence.

  • Interior of the historic roundhouse.

    Baltimore, Maryland

    The B&O Railroad Museum

    At the birthplace of American railroading, a world-class collection of historic trains.

    Sponsored by Visit Maryland
  • Portumna, Ireland

    Irish Workhouse Centre

    A well-preserved, 19th-century Irish workhouse recounts a grim time in the country’s history.

  • Old Town State Historic Park

    San Diego, California

    Old Town State Historic Park

    A blast from the past in central San Diego.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.