Embark on an immersive journey through the intricacies of the human body at Body Odyssey. 

As a kid, I remember climbing through the Giant Heart and loving it, but as an adult I found myself standing around waiting for my children to tire of climbing the enormous structure. To be honest, I'd even try to avoid the exhibit whenever possible. But now, with the addition of the three room Body Odyssey exhibit around the heart, it's my favorite area in the whole museum. If the Giant Heart wasn't already the heart of the Franklin Insitute, it certainly is now! Even as an adult, I found so many things to discover, interact with, and enjoy at the brand new Body Odyssey exhibit at the Franklin Institute. 

Everywhere you look in the exhibit there are interactive features.

Enter near the Wondrous Space exhibit into a room where visitors can learn more about the brain, and there's plenty to stimulate your brain in this room! The bright open space features lots of interactive stations, including one of my kids' favorites-- a creativity station where you make your own music. This station demonstrates how creativity can unlock interactions between brain networks that don't typically work together. Walk around the room to find even more ways to understand your brain. Find out if you're getting enough sleep, see how different emotions stimulate your brain activity on a giant screen, learn about how your diet and nutrition can affect your brain's functionality, and so much more.

In the next room, get firsthand experience with the latest sports and medical technologies. This room had some of the coolest interactive features. My favorite was the robotic surgery simulation, where you test your skills at controlling a robot arm to remove pegs from a board (much less pressure than performing actual surgery). I couldn't believe how incredibly difficult it was to control. It certainly gave me a new appreciation for surgeons! You'll also get the opportunity to test out a prosthetic arm, and use a motion analysis device to improve your basketball shot-- I got nothing but net!

Museum scientists dissect hearts and eyes using models, preserved animal hearts, and real eyeballs!

Finally, enter the room that features the star of the show-- the Giant Heart, with a brand new feature that lets you see your own heartbeat in lights. Grab the sensors and allow them to read your pulse, then look up above the Giant Heart to see the lights pulsate in rhythm with your heart. There's also a dissection station, where one of the museum's scientists will teach you more about the heart and eyes using models, preserved animal hearts, and real eyeballs, which they'll then disect right in front of your eyes! My family loved competing against eachother in the multiplayer white blood cell vs virus game, but there were so many interactive features in this room, it's truly hard to decide which was the most fun. You can see your skeletal, muscular, and nervous system reflected on screen in real-time, test your hearing, and see what happens when your eye is exposed to bright light.

In addition to the Body Odyssey exhibit, the Hamilton Gallery (AKA the train room) has been reopened. Featuring over 500 artifacts, there's a lot to explore. Plus you can still climb aboard the 350-ton Baldwin 60000 Locomotive. 

The Franklin Institute's brand new Body Odyssey exhibit and the Hamilton Gallery will be open to the public again beginning November 23rd, 2024. If I had to choose a target demographic, I'd say the exhibit is ideal for ages 7-12. My 7 and 9 year old homeschoolers had a blast and learned a ton! That said, anyone can find something to enjoy here. This exhibit is so much fun for adults and kids alike, so do not wait to check it out.