There are many fantastic places to visit in Philly’s Old City, but one of my favorite hidden gems is the Money in Motion Exhibit inside the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
The Money in Motion Exhibit does a fantastic job discussing the history of money and banking in the United States. I was surprised by how engaged my young kids were by the exhibits here, but there was also enough information for adults to get a lot of out visiting as well.
The first thing to note is that this exhibit is located within the Federal Reserve Bank, so security is rather tight (which isn’t a surprise given that the vault here contains literally billions of dollars in cash). So make sure to save a couple of extra minutes for this process and make sure you don’t bring anything you don’t need with you.
The display area itself is located in the building’s lobby, which is quite impressive. In fact, it’s said the giant mobile hanging from the ceiling is the largest mobile in the world!
Probably the first thing you’ll notice at the Money in Motion Exhibit is the 25-foot-tall tower of shredded money. It is said that there is over $100 million of currency within the tower!
Near the tower, there are small bags of shredded currency that visitors are invited to take home. I know my kids really enjoyed their bag of money! You can also grab a selection of free coloring books and other kids’ activities during your visit if you want to take the learning home with you.
The Money in Motion Exhibit really does a fantastic job telling the story of currency in the US through static signs, interactive exhibits, and some historic items on display (including bills from all 13 colonies and a $100,000 bill). The setup here allows you to get a brief overview quickly or to really dive into the subject and learn a significant amount about the history of money and the workings of the Federal Reserve.
My family and I especially enjoyed the quiz show game near the back of the display area which was fun for kids even if most of the questions were a bit hard.
You can also match wits with Benjamin Franklin, try and tell a counterfeit bill from a real one, and watch videos of the bank’s vault (which holds billions of dollars of cash underground).
My family and I visited the Money in Motion exhibit right after touring the Philadelphia Mint, which sits on the opposite side of Independence Mall. Both of these displays are free and discuss money, but I was happy to see that there wasn’t much overlap in what they covered.
So, while it might be a lot of information on a single subject, you could definitely do both displays on the same day and not have to worry about getting a lot of the same information.
Overall, my family and I enjoyed our visit to the Money in Motion Exhibit at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia more than we thought we would. There is a lot to see here, and the displays are very well done and offer something for both kids and adults, whether it’s a subject that you find overly interesting or not.
So, the next time you are exploring the area around Independence Hall, take a bit of time to explore the Money in Motion Exhibit at the Federal Reserve Bank. It’s definitely one of the best free things to do in Philadelphia.
Note: The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia is a very large building, so finding the right entrance can be a bit challenging. The entrance to the exhibit is located along North 6th Street near Arch Street. You should see signs pointing the way.
Looking for more to do nearby? Check out the Betsy Ross House, the Constitution Center, and Elfreth’s Alley.
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