Lighting a Landmark: Starlite Helps Modernize The Franklin Institute for America’s 250th Anniversary
Lighting a Landmark:
Starlite Helps Modernize The Franklin Institute
for America’s 250th Anniversary
Ahead of Philadelphia’s 2026 celebrations, including America’s 250th anniversary, the FIFA World Cup, and MLB All-Star festivities, museums and public institutions across the city prepared for renewed attention on Philadelphia’s landmarks and history.
At The Franklin Institute, that preparation included a major modernization of the interior and exterior lighting surrounding the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial Hall. Starlite partnered with the museum to update fixtures, programming, and control systems while preserving the architectural character of the landmark.
More than simply replacing equipment, the project created a flexible visual environment capable of supporting daily visitors, multimedia presentations, special events, and future programming. The completed system feels integrated into the architecture rather than layered on top of it, giving the museum greater flexibility while helping visitors connect more deeply with the space.
The result is an environment that feels thoughtfully integrated into the architecture rather than layered on top of it, giving the museum greater flexibility while helping visitors engage more deeply with Benjamin Franklin’s story.
Bringing New Life to a Historic Space
The Benjamin Franklin National Memorial Hall is one of the most recognizable spaces inside The Franklin Institute. Anchored by the towering statue of Franklin beneath the memorial rotunda, the room carries both architectural significance and emotional weight.
For generations, the memorial has been associated with scale, stillness, and reflection. Over time, however, portions of the existing lighting had begun to lose impact. Some fixtures no longer provided the consistency or flexibility needed for modern museum programming, while other areas lacked the control required for multimedia presentations and dynamic scene changes.
The goal was never simply to brighten the room. The lighting needed to guide attention while respecting the architecture, visitor sightlines, and atmosphere that define the memorial.
Starlite replaced and reprogrammed systems throughout the space to create a more adaptable visual foundation. Rather than covering the room in uniform brightness, the updated system creates depth, reinforces architectural details, and allows the memorial to transition between daily visitor experiences, educational presentations, special events, and multimedia programming.
Designing an Environment for Storytelling
Lighting plays an important role in shaping where visitors look, how they move through a space, and how multimedia content is experienced.
Inside the memorial, Starlite installed and programmed a new system built around ETC ColorSource Linear, PAR, and Spot profile fixtures. Each fixture type serves a specific purpose within the overall design. Profile fixtures emphasize the Franklin statue and architectural details, PAR fixtures provide broader environmental coverage, and linear fixtures add layered accents that support multimedia content and scene transitions.
New Oculus fixtures were also added within the rotunda, including ETC ColorSource PAR Deep Blue fixtures mounted with white hardware and safety components selected to blend with the surrounding architecture.
Together, the updated fixtures and control infrastructure give museum staff greater flexibility throughout the day. The memorial can maintain a quiet, contemplative atmosphere during regular visitor hours and transition into a more dynamic presentation environment for multimedia programming or special events. Programming adjustments and future integrations can also be managed more efficiently as the museum’s needs evolve.
Extending the Experience Beyond the Memorial
Starlite’s work also extended to The Franklin Institute’s exterior, where upgraded façade lighting created a stronger and more visible presence ahead of Philadelphia’s 2026 celebrations.
Acclaim Flood One EO Color fixtures were installed to provide programmable RGBW façade illumination for everyday presentation, citywide activations, commemorative programming, and large-scale public events.
Because several fixtures along the East stairs sat directly within guest sightlines, Starlite fabricated custom shrouds to keep the technology from becoming the focus. Each shroud was color matched to the building, helping the fixtures blend into the architecture and preserve the clean daytime appearance of the façade.
Starlite also modified programming through an existing ETC Mosaic Show Controller installed during an earlier phase of work. The updated controls allow the museum to manage interior scenes, façade lighting, and multimedia-driven presentations more efficiently across both environments.
At night, the building now has a stronger visual presence along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway while maintaining the architectural identity that has made The Franklin Institute a recognizable part of Philadelphia’s cultural landscape.
Installation and Project Coordination
Completing the installation inside an active museum required careful scheduling and close coordination with The Franklin Institute’s staff. Portions of the work had to be completed before the museum opened to the public, helping Starlite minimize disruption to daily operations and the visitor experience.
Access inside the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial Hall presented one of the project’s biggest challenges. Several installation positions were approximately 40 feet above the floor, including locations along ledges surrounding the memorial. Fixture placement, programming, and equipment integration also had to account for visitor sightlines and the physical limitations of the historic space.
Access to the interior space proved to be the biggest hurdle since the building is constantly in use. We had to consolidate before the venue opened to the public because several installation positions were 40 feet off the ground, often on ledges circling the memorial. That being said, working with the staff at The Franklin Institute was a dream, and they made every accommodation to help push the project along.
A Landmark Ready for Its Next Chapter
The completed lighting upgrade gives The Franklin Institute greater flexibility for daily visitors, multimedia programming, presentations, and special events. Through thoughtful fixture placement, custom programming, updated controls, and discreet integration, the system adds visual depth and focus while preserving the character of the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial Hall.
For visitors, the changes may feel subtle at first. The room feels more immersive, more intentional, and more alive without losing the quiet sense of history that has always made the space so memorable.
Project upgrades like this help ensure the city’s landmarks are ready not only to welcome visitors, but to continue inspiring them for generations to come.
Project Highlights
- Interior Upgrades
ETC ColorSource Linear fixtures
ETC ColorSource PAR fixtures
ETC ColorSource Spot V profile fixtures
New Oculus fixtures in the rotunda area
Custom scene programming
Multimedia integration support
Enhanced flexibility for exhibits and presentations - Exterior Upgrades
Acclaim Flood One EO Color fixtures
Programmable RGBW façade illumination
Enhanced nighttime visibility
Exterior presentation support for public events and activations
Custom color-matched shrouds for East stair fixtures in direct guest sightlines - Controls & Programming
ETC Mosaic Show Controller programming updates
Interior and exterior scene programming
Multimedia presentation support
Long-term flexibility for future programming - Services Provided
Lighting system integration
Lighting programming and commissioning
Control system implementation
Technical consulting
Multimedia coordination
Historic site installation support
Looking to Upgrade Lighting or AV Systems in Your Venue?
Starlite provides AV and lighting integration, programming, control-system updates, and custom solutions for museums, historic sites, public spaces, and performance environments throughout the Philadelphia region. As museums and historic institutions continue investing in immersive technology, projects like The Franklin Institute demonstrate how modern AV and lighting systems can revitalize public spaces while preserving the history that makes them important in the first place.
Planning an AV or lighting upgrade for a museum, historic site, or public space? Talk with Starlite about creating a system that works with the architecture and the way the space is actually used.














