Word To The Planet

Museum Inspires and Renews A Love of Words for Youth and Adults

By Tiffany Young

Almost completely interactive, the Planet Word Museum may be aimed at teaching your kids the power of words but it’s got enough Jetsons tech and magic to keep adults guessing and gaming for hours.

Secret passages and musical extravaganzas are coupled with super-charged lighting systems to create an amusement park experience designed to boggle the mind – and celebrate the power of words.

The museum where language comes to life and features sign language and poetry exhibits can be found at what was once the Franklin School in Washington, DC. Planet Word Museum is occupying the building that was first built in 1869 and completely rehabilitated last year. The 50,000-square- foot, five-story historic icon welcomed Planet Word, “The museum where language comes to life,” in October 2020, is dedicated to topics such as the history of the English Language, how children learn words, and how music and advertising use words.

Planet Word Museum was created to inspire and renew a love of words, language, and reading in people of all ages. Through unique, immersive learning experiences, we provide a space to explore words and language that is grounded in a solid understanding of language arts and science. The museum’s founder, Ann B. Friedman was brought onboard to rehabilitate and restore the Franklin School to its original “Modern Renaissance” glory.

Originally designed as the flagship of eight modern urban public school buildings in DC by renowned architect Adolf Cluss, the Franklin School served as a model for the modern public school system and offered free education to students in the 1800s.

The museum is open Thursdays-Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Located at: 925 13th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20005. Visitor’s entrance is located on K Street. General admission is free, with a suggested $15 donation to support the museum’s mission-driven programs, exhibits, and educational outreach.

For more information, visit: https://planetwordmuseum.org/