“Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition” opens at The Franklin Institute on Feb. 14, 2026, for its world premiere. The show runs through Sept. 7 in the Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion and the Mandell Center.
Spanning 18,000 square feet, the exhibition features eight themed galleries, 20 interactive experiences and 100 original artifacts from Universal attractions. Franchises highlighted include “Jaws,” Illumination’s “Minions,” “The Secret Life of Pets,” “Sing,” SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, “Jurassic World,” “How to Train Your Dragon” and Universal Monsters.
Visitors can view ride vehicles and props and pose with character costumes from Universal’s parks. Interactive stations allow guests to build roller coasters, design monster masks and program animated figures using tools modeled after those used in theme park development.
The exhibition explores how Universal’s attractions are created, highlighting storyboards, animatronics, robotics, special effects and ride design. It also traces the evolution of Universal’s destinations, from the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood to Universal Epic Universe at Universal Orlando Resort.
Daytime tickets (9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.), which include museum admission, range from $41 to $47, while evening tickets (5 to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday) cost $25 and cover the exhibition only. Members can attend for $16.
“Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition”
Opens Feb. 14
The Franklin Institute
22 N 20th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
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