A cordial gathering of diverse minds

The Franklin Inn Club is a cozy urban oasis where lovers of arts and culture have gathered for meals and camaraderie for more than a century to discuss current events and explore new ideas.

A Short History

The Franklin Inn Club

The Franklin Inn Club was founded in 1902 at 1218 Chancellor Street when nine Philadelphia cultural leaders met at the University Club to create a permanent city setting for the pleasures of dining and conversation. The Inn moved to its present location in 1907, when it bought and combined seven small row houses dating from the early 19th century at 205 S. Camac Street,

a charming narrow cartway that housed several quaint Philadelphia institutions and was paved (until recently) with the wooden blocks that were once ubiquitous in Philadelphia as a means of reducing the clip-clop noise from horses’ hooves.

About the Club

The club promotes conversation among its members and guests about local, national and international events, and cultural matters.

The Clubhouse

The 1907 design by the club’s architect, Francis G. Caldwell, reproduced the appearance and ambiance of an inn in Ben Franklin’s time.

Reciprocal Clubs

The Franklin Inn Club maintains reciprocal relationships with clubs in other cities that prize the art of conversation.

Interested in joining The Franklin Inn Club?

The Inn originally limited membership to published authors and illustrators, but today, anyone interested in Philadelphia’s literary, artistic or intellectual life is welcome to apply.

Without Freedom of Thought, there can be no such Thing as Wisdom; and no such Thing as publick Liberty, without Freedom of Speech.

– Benjamin Franklin