Welcome & Ben's Day

As the cold and darkness of winter fades into forgotten memories, I sneeze several times and watch as the spring breathes new life and fresh beginnings into nature around me. I prop my mortal remains on my worn green chair inside the black gift cart and welcome the early morning tourists who seek to toss a coin onto Ben Franklin’s grave. The trees that surround me are happy to be alive, yet all I can think about is death. Death is my life and my life is good. I rarely smile on the outside, but inside I am grinning from ear to ear. How could I not be happy knowing that my chosen purpose in life is to be the crypt keeper for the Philadelphia graveyard that contains the remains of Ben Franklin and over 4,000 other people? Most of the tombstones that marked the grave sites of many American founders look like rows of broken and missing teeth in need of a dentist. Other than Franklin, others buried here are also famous and were important in the creation of the United States of America.

            For nine springs, I have welcomed the changing seasons and the 540,000 visitors who come to our sacred ground, but who is counting? As a caretaker and friend of this graveyard, it is my duty to preserve, respect and honor the memory of all those who lie in these two acres. It is our mission to care for and maintain the stones for future generations so that they come to see and learn from them. The way we remember and protect this site is to ask for a small admissions fee, offer guided tours, and to sell in our small gift cart anything with Ben Franklin’s face on it. I am so very proud of the work we do. We put every penny of the profits we make back into the grounds and the tours we give are presented by some of the most knowledgeable and respected tour guides in Philadelphia.

In honor of our new season, I have created a holiday called Bens’ Day. On Monday, April 18, 2011, we will celebrate our history and officially kick off the 2011 season. We choose April 18^th because it is the day between the death dates of two of our most famous Bens. Franklin died on April 17, 1790 and Dr. Benjamin Rush passed away on April 19, 1813. A small ceremony at Franklin’s grave is at 11 am followed by special events including costumed guides, prizes and samples of Dr. Physick soda. We will present our brand new tour Revolutionary Americans throughout the day. You will also get a chance to meet the Crypt Keeper. Yes, I will be standing by to answer questions and to talk about grave stones I recently unearthed. All that and Hop’s unique take on history. See you in the graveyard!!