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BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: OPENING WEEKEND AND RELATED PROGRAMS

Opening Weekend, Minnesota History Center (St. Paul)
Franklin Family Days, Nov. 27-29
Tour the new exhibit "Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World" and discover hands-on activities, music and performances all about Franklin's electrifying past.

• Craft Activities, daily, noon to 4 p.m.: Make a 2010 "Almanack" using a replica Franklin common press, a set of pipe-cleaner spectacles and a printer's cap from folded newspaper.
  
• Exhibit Activities, daily, noon to 4 p.m.: Participate in "circle shocks," a static shock transferred around a ring of joined hands; and learn about lightning with "Franklin’s Bells" and the "Thunder House."
  
• Dance Party, daily, 12:30 and 1:30 p.m.: Join costumed instructors Jane Peck and Judith Eisner of "Dance Revels Moving History" for a dance party and lesson in colonial-era dance moves.
  
• Meet Ben Franklin, Friday, 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; Saturday, 1 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.: Meet Ben Franklin as portrayed by actors Christopher Lowell and Shawn Hoffman. Ask Franklin about his life and what made him tick.
  
• Ben Franklin: 'Still, Healthy Wealthy and Wise,' Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m.: Head to the History Center's 3M Auditorium as actor Christopher Lowell performs a special theatrical presentation complete with audience Q & A.
  
• Musical Experiments with Douglas R. Ewart and the Inventions, Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m.:  Douglas R. Ewart and the Inventions use a variety of objects including skis, tennis rackets, vinyl records and CDs to create music for this unique performance.
  
• Colonial Music Jam, Sunday, 2 p.m.: Join musician Judith Eisner as she leads the "Moving History Ensemble" in a classical music performance using instruments from Franklin’s day.

Related Exhibit, Minnesota History Center (St. Paul)
"Inventive Women: Portraits of Scientists and Engineers from the University of Minnesota," Nov. 27 – July 4, 2010

View photographs of women faculty at the University of Minnesota's Institute of Technology, taken by Nancy G. Johnson, a fine-art photographer who works at the Institute. Johnson, who has exhibited at galleries around Minnesota, notes "In a college that houses 395 faculty, only 39 are women. There are so many problems to solve, so many things that need to be invented. Benjamin Franklin said, 'Energy and persistence conquer all things.' It will take all of us—men and women—to come up with the ideas and solutions to help our world flourish." Join Johnson and some of the featured scientists for an Opening Reception, Dec. 1, 5 to 8 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. Free.

Public Programs, Minnesota History Center (St. Paul)

• Seniors in Mind: The Amazing Dr. Franklin with Shawn Hoffman
  Nov. 10. 10:30 a.m.
  Actor Shawn Hoffman will portray Franklin as he demonstrates the general principles of static electricity and expounds on his inventions, theories and his commitment to public service. Dr. David J. Rhees, Executive Director of The Bakken Museum, will provide a special introduction.  Fee: Free. Does not include $8 senior admission to museum galleries.
  
• History Lounge: The Inventive Mr. Jones
  Dec. 8, 7 p.m.
  Explore the complex life and mind of Minnesota inventor Frederick McKinley Jones, a self-taught engineer who made innovations in communications, medical imaging and mobile refrigeration, among other areas. Join Society historian and educator Dwight Scott as he discusses how Jones faced racial prejudice and his own demons to become one of the most accomplished inventors of the 20th century. Fee: Free

Public Programs, Bakken Museum (Minneapolis)

• Bakken Evening Out: Electricity Party
  Jan. 12, 5 to 8 p.m.
  Electrifying fun for grown-ups at The Bakken Museum on Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. Static electricity is what the best-dressed wear at the celebration of Ben Franklin's birthday. Meet Ben Franklin and see reenactments of his most famous experiments. Explore the museum's exhibits on electricity and magnetism. Sample complimentary appetizers, cake and electrically charged wine. Fee: $7 for adults; Free for members and a guest.
  
• Super Science Saturdays: Ben Franklin Month
  Saturdays in January, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  Kids of all ages meet Ben Franklin and see his coolest experiments with interactives and demonstrations every Saturday at The Bakken Museum in Minneapolis. Visitors learn how lightning was detected in the 18th century with "Franklin’s Bells," how lightning rods conducted electricity with the "Thunder House" and how Franklin created beautiful music with the glass armonica using wine glasses and water. Fee: $7 for adults; $5 for seniors and students; Free for members and children under 4.

The Bakken Museum is located in a 1930s mansion on the west shore of Lake Calhoun, on the corner of West Calhoun Parkway and 36th Street. For more information, visit TheBakken.org or call 612-926-3878.

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