A sneak peek inside the Franklin Institute’s new Universal theme parks experience

The Franklin Institute welcomes its newest exhibit this weekend with the world premiere of “Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition,” an exhaustive and interactive homage to Universal Destinations and Experiences’ theme parks.

The 18,000-square-foot exhibit — which opens Saturday — takes visitors behind the scenes of the country’s billion-dollar theme-park industry through an expansive collection of costumes, immersive photo opportunities, and park props.

In total, the exhibit includes eight galleries, 20 interactive components, and 100 theme park-related artifacts ranging from actor show props to model roller-coasters.

At a special early showcase Thursday, those behind the exhibit touted it as a “first-of-its-kind look” at Universal’s parks that would “[immerse] guests in the creative process that brings Universal’s most iconic experiences to life.”

“At the institute, I think we are really a leader in bringing exhibitions that educate, but they do it while entertaining,” said Larry Dubinski, president and CEO of the Franklin Institute.

“We wanted to create an exhibit in which we could teach some interesting things about engineering, design, jobs that are in a booming business, like theme parks, and [inspire] that curiosity and creativity.”

Among the goals of the exhibit, according to those behind it, was to package science and technology learning in an accessible way.

“History and science and technology — these things need to be wrapped in a layer of immersion that gets today’s kids excited," said Dan Picard, owner and chief creative officer of the creative design firm MDSX. “Because they don’t want to walk through a place that’s boring. … If you do not have a vibe, you’re not going to sell tickets, you’re not going to connect with kids, and you’re not going to have a shot to create that spark that makes them curious about these topics.”

Created in partnership between the Franklin Institute and Comcast NBCUniversal, the exhibit opens with a video featuring legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg that uses archival footage to take visitors through the history of Universal’s theme parks.

From there, visitors will find an immersive collection of galleries showcasing all aspects of the theme-park universe. There is a station on the science of roller-coasters, including models of real-life coasters, as well as costumes worn by park workers.

Among the most popular stops on Thursday was a station that allowed users to program the movements of an animatronic figure from DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon. (The exhibit features a variety of Universal’s attractions, including Jaws, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and Jurassic World.)

Sprinkled throughout the exhibit, meanwhile, are video interviews with those who make Universal’s theme parks tick — from costume designers to storyboard artists and creative directors.

“There’s so many opportunities for interactivity and creative storytelling,” said Abby Bysshe, chief experience and strategy officer at the Franklin Institute, of the draw to creating a theme park-related exhibit. “It was about kind of curating all these parts and pieces, and talking with their team members and finding ways to really highlight what makes Universal theme parks so special.”

“At the end of the day, our mission is to inspire and educate,” said Dubinski. “And here, people are going to be inspired, they’ll be educated — and they’ll have a great time as they go through.”

“Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition,” runs through Sept. 7, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Daytime tickets range from $41 for children to $47 for adults and include admission to Franklin Institute.

Evening tickets, available from Thursday through Saturday, are $25 and limited to the Universal exhibit. Tickets at fi.edu, (215) 448-1200.