YOB: #6. Visit The Narnia Exhibit At The Franklin Institute (Part 2)

By Beth

As previous posts may have let on, Lara and I enjoy going to museums. There was the International Spy Museum, Geppe's Entertainment Museum and, what both of us were looking forward to, the Franklin Institute and the Chronicles of Narnia exhibit. It had been advertised as "interactive" so we were extremely excited. Both of us spent our childhood (and adulthood) wandering the woods, shores and castles of Narnia. We had our favorite books, characters and scenes. Sadly, the movies that have been made thus far have left us sorely disappointed. They have their good moments but really, it could've been done a lot better. We have hope for the third installment, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but not much.

My mother and two children are also Narnia fans so they joined us on our trip into Philly and the Franklin Institute. I admit, I had an ulterior motive for bringing them along, mom especially. I don't like driving in the city. (I should clarify that this is not the ONLY reason mom came, I love my mom and wanted to share the "interactive" experience with her). So down to Philly we went, sitting on the edge of our seats, poor Lara in the back of my car with my two kids. I believe they tried to tickle her.

Before we arrived at the museum I had done some research as to whether pictures were allowed in the exhibit. They were not. In most of the rest of the museum pictures are allowed, but not in the Narnia exhibit. Bummer. What would we put in the scrapbook? In the elevator on the way up from the parking garage there was a poster advertising the exhibit. We took a picture of that. Then, in the lobby there was a large cardboard cut-out advertisement. We asked permission before taking a picture of that. Then, cameras stowed, we proceeded to the exhibit room, excitement mounting with each step. The "waiting area" was made to look like the room the wardrobe was found in. There was an audio recording of rain falling and the part of the movie when Lucy hides in the wardrobe. The doors of the wardrobe opened, we stepped through a "snowstorm" into Narnia….and that was the coolest part of the whole exhibit.

Lara and I were extremely disappointed. It was a long, winding hall of movie props with museum guards lurking in the shadows, making sure no one touched anything. There was an "ice" throne you could sit on and an ice wall and that about sums up the interactive portion of the exhibit. Clips of movies played, museum guards lurked and no photos were allowed. Not worth the extra money for the special ticket. Lara and I could have totally made a better, more interactive exhibit, and we would've allowed pictures.

So the exhibit wasn't really worth it but in true Lara-N-Beth fashion, we made our own fun. We kinda, sorta did some sightseeing from the car, saw where my mom taught on Saturdays for a while, Kara made sure the car doors were locked and Ben tried to tickle Aunt Lara. I believe he was unsuccessful.

[Editor's Note: Be sure to visit Lara's account of YOB #6. Visit the Narnia Exhibit at the Franklin Institute.]

Comments

[Lara]

It's a pretty safe bet that Ben tried to tickle me. He usually does.