From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know! The biggest heart in the City of Brotherly Love beats anew. The Franklin Institute’s giant walk-through heart has been closed as the science museum developed a new, permanent exhibition around it.
“Body Odyssey” opens this weekend with state-of-the-art museum technology showcasing the human body, from gut microbiomes to bionic prosthetics. As it has been for the past 70 years, the heart is the centerpiece. In 1954, it opened as an exhibit constructed from four tons of paper mache and resin that demonstrate how blood moves through ventricles and lungs.
At the time the organ, built like an educational treehouse, was temporary but has since become one of the most beloved exhibits for generations. “The heart is the most iconic thing about the Franklin Institute ,” said Abby Bysshe, chief experience and strategy officer. “It’s probably one of the most iconic experiences in the museum industry.
So we don’t touch that. That is something that we try and emulate.” Built for children — with tight tunnels and stairs only small bodies can comfortably squeeze through — the old fiberglass resin still gives it a slightly funky smell, but it has been upgraded with a new feature that’s truly heartwarming: A kiosk with heartbeat sensors can take the pulse of a visitor and transfer it to the big heart, making it almost like walking through your own organ.
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