New Franklin Institute Exhibit Blends Sports And Science
By Mike Dougherty, Alexandria Hoff
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Calling all sports fans! The interactive sports exhibit upstairs at the Franklin Institute has been overhauled.
The new state of the art features will be on full display starting Saturday.
"You'll be able to compete in everything from running to softball to biking," Franklin institute President and CEO Larry Dubinski tells CBS 3 Eyewitness News. "It's all fun."
Visitors can race video versions Eagles wideout Jordan Matthews or The Phillie Phanatic in a 40 foot dash. They can also test their vertical leaping and pitching abilities. there's even a helmet exhibit stressing the importance of safety.
"There's so much new technology that's come out in the last ten to 15 years that's revolutionizing sports," says Frederick Bertley -- lead scientist behind the exhibit. "So we said, 'we gotta upgrade it.' We brought in some 21st century stuff to support the really cool interactions you see."
Linda and her two-year-old son were having a blast trying all the new features.
"I think this is great," she tells KYW Newsradio. "It's super interactive and it's also really educational."
Franklin Institute officials say they wanted to make an exhibit to match the city's enthusiasm for sports.
"You can learn about sports, you can play sports, you can see how sports science and equipment all come together," says Dubinski.
The exhibit has been in the works since 2013. Dubinski says the first 500 visitors on Saturday enter for free.
