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Family Event: Thanksgiving!

Join us on Wednesday 22nd November 4:30pm-6:00pm as we celebrate the traditional American holiday of Thanksgiving. You will learn all about this popular event and also learn how to decorate your house to celebrate it!

BOOK NOW

Uncover the origins of this North American holiday. You will learn all about how Thanksgiving was celebrated through the ages including Benjamin Franklin’s time and find out why turkeys are most commonly associated with it.

Decorate Benjamin Franklin House with your very own hand-crafted Thanksgiving displays for all to see! Together we will create all kinds of Thanksgiving-themed decorations from colourful hand turkeys to hand-made cornucopias and a gratitude tree that visitors to the house will be able to enjoy!

This event is designed primarily for families with children age 5-10. However, all are welcome to take part in the festivities! This is a FREE event, but donations are always warmly welcome.

BOOK NOW

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Franklin’s Young Scientists: Electricity

Franklin’s Young Scientists is our FREE science club for aspiring scientists in Key Stage 2/3 (ages 10-14). Participants learn all about the experiments carried out by Benjamin Franklin and his British friends as well as trying their hand at practical investigations. A range of core topics from the science curriculum are covered including electricity, forces, sound and the human body.

BOOK HERE

In this session, we will carry out some exciting experiments with static electricity in our Student Science Centre and learn all about Franklin’s Key and Kite.

The Young Scientists will create sparks with our Wimshurst Machine, see their hair stand on end with our Van Der Graff Generator and watch 250,000 volts of electricity strike our miniature key and kite with out Tesla Coil!

This is a FREE after-school workshop most suitable for Year 6-9 pupils and anyone else with a keen interest in Science and History! These workshops will run monthly until May 2024, with a different topic each month.

Please note: Parents are welcome to attend, however there is a cap of one adult per child during busier sessions.

BOOK HERE

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Christmas at Benjamin Franklin House

Details TBC

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Dr Tristram Hunt: ‘The Radical Potter: Josiah Wedgwood and the Transformation of Britain’

Join Benjamin Franklin House and Dr Tristram Hunt on 16th November @ 17.30, 36 Craven Street

An entrepreneur, abolitionist and beacon of the Industrial Revolution, Josiah Wedgwood was perhaps the greatest English potter. From his kilns in Stoke-on-Trent he changed the production of ceramics in Georgian England. Tristram Hunt, Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, and author of the acclaimed new biography of Wedgwood, The Radical Potter, calls him the ‘Steve Jobs of the 18th century’ for the way he changed consumer culture, and the impact and extraordinary contribution he has had globally.  In this talk, Hunt will also explore Wedgwood’s life beyond the pottery and looks at his radical politics, including his friendship and admiration for Benjamin Franklin, who he regarded as an enlightened thinker, fellow patriot, and loyal customer.

Limited tickets available, £15 –> Book now

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After Dark at Craven Street

Thursday 26 and Monday 30th October 2022, 2pm-7pm.

Are you ready to explore the darker side of Benjamin Franklin House?!  Join us for an after-hours experience this Halloween to hear of haunted happenings at our Historic House.

  • See Benjamin Franklin House transformed for the occasion and experience a eerie evening in an original Georgian home
  • Hear the spine-chilling stories of the cadavers that were found in our basement
  • Immerse yourself in our small and spooky candle-lit rooms
  • Listen to the haunting tones of Franklin’s Glass Armonica

There might even be some tasty treats (or tricks) along the way…

Your history-lovers Halloween starts here!

Limited capacity with timed entry. Book Thursday 26th or Monday 30th to secure the tour time of your choice.

£10 per person (plus booking fee), refreshments included.

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Family Event: Halloween!

Trick or treat! Join us at Benjamin Franklin House for a FREE fun-filled day as we explore the history of America’s spookiest holiday and craft some terrifyingly good decorations to take home!

Discover where Halloween comes from and why we celebrate it! Ever wonder why we carve pumpkins, dress up in scary costumes, and eat lots of candy? You’ll learn the answers to these questions and more as we uncover the mysteries behind this frightfully fun festival!

Create your very own Halloween-themed decorations to take home and decoration your coffins with. Glue sticks at the ready! There will be lots of arts and crafts happening throughout the session. Make your very own Halloween card, a garland of ghosts to hang from your rafters, and a wickedly wonderful witch ornament for your window.

Our Halloween event will be running twice a day on both 25th and 26th October so BOOK NOW to secure your free ticket.

BOOK TICKETS

Wednesday 25th October – 11:00am-12:30pm

Wednesday 25th October – 1:30pm-3:00pm

Thursday 26th October – 11:00am-12:30pm

Thursday 26th October – 1:30pm-3:00pm

This event is most suitable for families with kids ages 5-12. However, everyone is welcome dead or alive! This a FREE event, but donations are most welcome.

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Halloween Walking Tour

Discover the sights, sounds and smells of Benjamin Franklin’s 18th Century London with us on our walking tour with a Halloween spin!

From famous thoroughfares to hidden streets, you’ll uncover a layer of London history and learn about its transformation over the last 200 years.

Starting at our doorstep, our spooky guide will lead you around our local area to follow the steps Franklin and share some haunting (fun!) facts about London’s past.

Duration: 1.5 hours (approximate)

Location: Please meet outside 36 Craven Street, WC2N 5NF

Book your tickets here! –> https://bitly.ws/VQ3w

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Volunteers Needed!

Would you like to volunteer at Benjamin Franklin House? We have a variety of fantastic volunteering opportunities open at the House and want to hear from you!

Our volunteer team is essential to the daily running of the House. By volunteering with us you can meet new people and gain valuable heritage experience, we are currently looking for support in:

  • Front of House 
  • Social Media 
  • Education

If you are interested then keep reading!

Front of House Volunteers

As a front-of-house volunteer on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays you will be a vital aspect of our visitor experience. You will provide a warm welcome to visitors, introduce our main offering the Historical Experience and conduct Q&A sessions, process ticket bookings/sales, and more.

Autumn 2023: We are currently looking for more Front of House volunteers to assist with the running of our public offerings. Contact the Front of House Supervisor to apply or find out more about volunteering with Benjamin Franklin House.

Social Media Volunteers

As a social media volunteer you are a vital part of our community engagement.

You will create content for our TikTok and Instagram posts to help encourage visitors to Benjamin Franklin House and to promote our events!

Autumn 2023: We are currently looking for more Social Media volunteers to assist with the running of our online platforms. Contact the Front of House Supervisor to apply or find out more about volunteering with Benjamin Franklin House.

Education Volunteers

Our education volunteers support our Education Manager with workshops for KS2 pupils on Tuesdays in term time. This will involve leading engaging history and science workshops for pupils visiting the House. You will also be on hand to support our numerous Family Days which celebrate seasonal occasions such as Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  If you are an aspiring teacher or would like to gain experience working with young people then this is a great opportunity that covers all Key Stages.

We are currently looking for more Education Volunteers to help support our School Visits and Family Days at Benjamin Franklin House. Please email our Education Manager at education@benjaminfranklinhouse.org to apply or find out more about volunteering.

We would like Education Volunteers to start from October/November so get in touch soon!

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Virtual Talk: A Day in the Life of Benjamin Franklin

Our Education Manager, Henry Wilkinson, will be delivering a FREE virtual talk chronicling Benjamin Franklin’s life in London. Using the wealth of information that we can pluck from Franklin’s papers, the talk will explore his life in 18th century Britain.

REGISTER FOR THE ZOOM WEBINAR HERE

From his morning routine, to what he would have ate for breakfast, the talk will look into the day to day living of a person living in London over 250 years ago. What food did Franklin eat? What entertainment did the city offer? Who did he dine with? What past times would he have engaged in? What did he get up to in the historic rooms of 36 Craven Street? All these questions and more will be answered from the man himself allowing us to create a day in the life of Benjamin Franklin.

The talk will last roughly 1 hour and is FREE. There will also be a Q&A session after the talk for all those wishing to uncover more about Franklin.

REGISTER FOR THE ZOOM WEBINAR HERE

PLEASE NOTE: The Zoom webinar will begin at 5pm UK time.

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OPEN HOUSE @ Benjamin Franklin House 2023

We’re taking part in Open House 2023!

We’ll be free to enter and open on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th; Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th September.

Visitors will be able to walk around at their own leisure

This is a drop-in open day, so there is no need to pre-book. To prepare and save time upon arrival, please download our guide on Bloomberg Connects. The app offers a ‘Self-guided Tour’ which we recommend visitors follow, as well as behind the scenes content and exclusive talks.

10am – 4pm – entry times on the hour.

Plan your day here!