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Celebrate Your Love By Crawling Inside a Human Heart

February 14, 2009 at 12:55 PM | by | Comments (2)

It's Valentine's Day. How will you show your special one the depth of your love? If you're near Philadelphia and appreciate a hyper-literal interpretation of symbolism, we suggest taking a journey into a human heart. The Franklin Institute's Giant Walk-Through Heart provides visitors with an inside look at the "engine of life," with narrow passages that follow the flow of blood through veins, arteries, valves, and chambers to the ever-present cadence of a heartbeat.

The heart has been a fixture of the institute since 1954, when a plaster and papier-mache version was created for what was supposed to be a temporary exhibit. It proved so popular that the heart lived on, undergoing several renovations over the years, including a complete overhaul in 2004. Today, it's the centerpiece of an exhibit entitled The Giant Heart: A Healthy Interactive Experience - a 5,000-square-foot exhibit hall consisting of four zones: blood, heart anatomy and physiology, health and wellness, and diagnostics and treatment - and it's the best place in the world to learn about what makes your ticker tick.

So in addition to seeing how the heart works, you and your sweetheart can find out how to keep your own hearts healthy for a long life of love and snuggling. But set aside the diet restrictions until tomorrow and enjoy your heart-shaped box of chocolates, because a life without the occasional indulgence is hardly worth living.

[Photo: The Franklin Institute]

Related Stories:
· The Giant Heart: A Healthy Interactive Experience [The Franklin Institute]
· Valentine's Day Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

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when i was little

I went on a retreat with my Brownie troop and slept in the museum. Lucky for me, my sleeping bag ended up parked right next to that heart, and it beat loudly throughout the night. There's nothing romantic or fun about recurring nightmares.
marikm1222 on February 15, 2009 at 4:16 PM #Permalink

heart

My friend is getting married at The Franklin in October, and the heart will make a funky photo opp.
CaroPhila on February 17, 2009 at 10:18 AM #Permalink

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