Benjamin Franklin’s Grave — Philadelphia
1790 · Christ Church Burial Ground, Philadelphia
Photo: Nandaro / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), cropped, the photo used in the Street Art Utopia post.
A marble ledger tablet marks Benjamin Franklin’s resting place in Christ Church Burial Ground, Philadelphia. Visitors have left pennies on the stone, a practice that helped wear its surface. Source Checked
Seen May 2017 — WHYY reported the restored grave’s unveiling on May 23, 2017; we found no later dated report we could open. Source Reported
💡 4 things to know
- A simple markerChrist Church says a simple marble ledger tablet has marked Franklin’s resting place since his death in 1790. Source Checked
- Pennies and wearVisitors toss pennies onto the tablet in homage to the adage “a penny saved is a penny earned”; the church says the practice pitted the marble. Source Checked
- Funding a repairIn November 2016 Penn Today reported that the University of Pennsylvania donated $7,500 to the grave marker’s restoration. Source Reported
- Improving drainageWHYY reported that the marker was elevated and moved slightly to separate it from the stone of Sarah and Richard Bache, to improve drainage. Source Reported
📍 Where it is
Christ Church Burial Ground, N 5th and Arch Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Source Checked
Opens a map search for the cemetery or place; the exact spot is not mapped.
🗓️ Sightings
- 200811 Nov
Franklin grave photographed · 4net
- 201115 Aug
Franklin grave photographed · Nandaro
- 201618 Nov
Penn reports $7,500 restoration gift · Penn Today
- 201723 May
Restored grave unveiled · WHYY
Green stamps mark dated photographs; amber stamps mark records or reports; red stamps mark loss. Publication dates are not camera dates.
✅ The facts
- Restoration unveiled
- April 2017 per Christ Church; WHYY (May 23, 2017) reported the unveiling “Tuesday evening” Source Source Conflicting
🔗 Related
All sources & image credits
- Christ Church Philadelphia — Burial Grounds — undated (accessed Nov 2026)
- Penn Today — Penn Contributes to Restoration of Founder Ben Franklin’s Grave Marker — Nov 18, 2016
- WHYY — Franklin will rest easier without the penny cascade — May 23, 2017
- Wikimedia Commons — Benjamin Franklin’s grave (photo by 4net, CC BY 3.0) — Nov 11, 2008
- Wikimedia Commons — Benjamin Franklin grave (photo by Nandaro, CC BY-SA 3.0) — Aug 15, 2011
- Hero image: Nandaro / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), cropped, the photo used in the Street Art Utopia post; the 16:9 share image is made from it.
Last checked: November 13, 2026 · How we verify art