The Minnesota History Center is one of our favorite Twin Cities places to visit; while all of its exhibits are interactive, the perennial favorite of my children is the Grainland area where they can climb and play.

Our last visit to the History Center had been in March for Global Hotdish, so we were delighted to be invited for the media/blogger preview of the new Benjamin Franklin exhibit.  After visiting Philadelphia and seeing Franklin Court last winter, we had an introduction to Ben Franklin and his life, and it was exciting to see a special Franklin exhibit at our own history museum.

We’d hardly gotten in the door to the exhibit when the kids were busily working on a touch-screen computer, trying to make it from Boston to Philadelphia without running out of money or being thrown in jail.  One of the exhibit developers explained that these screens are large so that groups of people can work together with them, just as Ben Franklin was a very social person.

While there are approximately 100 artifacts from Franklin’s life and times in the exhibit, there’s a huge interactive portion as well, making it very family-friendly.  In addition to the touch screen animations and interactions, there are electrical experiments (developed in conjunction with the Bakken Museum) like those that Franklin used to entertain his party guests.

Through the exhibit, visitors learn of the contributions Benjamin Franklin made not only to American history, but to other areas as well.  Franklin was a scientist, a printer, and postmaster in addition to his work as a statesman.

Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World opens Friday, November 27, 2009, and will be at the Minnesota History Center through July 4, 2010.  Admission to the exhibit is included with regular Minnesota History Center admission.  During the opening weekend, special family events will be occurring in conjunction with the exhibit.

The entire Minnesota History Center is family-friendly, and the Benjamin Franklin exhibit is no exception.

Disclosure: We were given complimentary admission and parking to attend this exhibit preview.

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