Abbott Elementary goes to the Franklin Institute in this week’s season finale

Abbott Elementary, the hit ABC show about a Philly school with a lot of heart, is headed to the Giant Heart and the Franklin Institute this week for its Season 2 finale.

The episode, titled “Franklin Institute,” was the first to be shot in Philadelphia, the show’s creator and star, Quinta Brunson, said during an interview last week on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

“We shot at a very famous museum to us Philadelphians called the Franklin Institute,” Brunson told Kimmel. “It’s like our Smithsonian, and that’s where you go on your field trips. And I was just over the moon that they let us come film there.”

Larry Dubinski, president and CEO of the Franklin, said he was thrilled when Abbott Elementary producers reached out last fall about featuring the museum on the show.

“We’re very excited,” he said. “For us, we’re such a believer in education and to have it centered around a school in Philly that’s working hard to engage kids, it’s awesome.”

The show’s producers and scouts toured the museum in advance of filming, which took place over a single day in February, Dubinski said. The museum remained opened to guests with rolling closures taking place at exhibits where the cast and crew were filming.

“There was no doubt some people were wondering what was going on there,” Dubinski said. “We tried to keep it confidential, but there’s no doubt some folks and staff got a little peek.”

According to a news release from the Franklin, the episode is about a field trip to the museum and the relationship between will-they-won’t-they coworkers Janine Teagues, played by Brunson, and Gregory Eddie, played by Tyler James Williams. Notable amazing Philadelphian Sheryl Lee Ralph, who plays teacher Barbara Howard, and Lisa Ann Walter, who plays teacher Melissa Schemmenti, are also featured in the episode, which airs Wednesday, April 19.

“Additionally, Ava, played by Janelle James, teaches the students about aliens, leading to chaos when someone spots an extraterrestrial in the museum,” the release said.

Comedy, romance, Philly, and aliens? Count us in.

This isn’t the first time the Franklin has been mentioned on the show. Earlier this season, in episode 13, “Fundraiser,” the students at Abbott held a candy fundraiser to go on a field trip to the Franklin. It appears the season finale is the culmination of that fundraiser.

According to Dubinski, the cast and crew shot scenes in the Train Factory, which houses a 350-ton Baldwin 60000 steam locomotive; at the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial hall; and, of course, at the Giant Heart. Climbing through the 28-by-18-foot heart has been a rite of passage for Philly kids on field trips for nearly seven decades.

Previews for the episode show the students and staff sleeping over at the museum, something Brunson told Kimmel she’d dreamed of but never did.

“Part of the reason I wanted to do that episode is because I wanted to live vicariously through my show, ‘cause I always thought it’d be cool,” she said. “It was so exciting to actually go there and have that experience.”

Brunson, a West Philly native, said her family visited the set and seven of her nieces and nephews and a few of her friends’ children play students in the episode.

She told Kimmel the cast and crew of the show landed in Philly for filming in the middle of the Eagles NFC Championship game at home against the San Francisco 49ers.

“The Eagles wound up winning. We arrive at our hotel, people have already started climbing the poles in the city because that’s what Philadelphians do,” she said. “And my crew was like ‘So this is the city that we’re making the show about?’”

Brunson said her crew, many of whom used to work on Survivor and “different wilderness shows like Naked and Afraid,” loved the Philly vibe.

“So they really like to go out into the mix, so they went out into the streets of Philadelphia and also climbed poles and also became one with the people,” she said.

Dubinski said he, the Franklin’s chief astronomer, Derrick Pitts, and Darryl Williams, the museum’s senior vice president of science and education, were able to meet with Brunson and Williams while they were filming.

“Philly is such a special place in her heart, and she loved coming to the Franklin Institute as well, she shared some memories along those lines,” Dubinski said. “One of the things we’ve seen from the show is really highlighting iconic landmarks but also organizations and their impact in the city. Clearly, we made an impression on her growing up in Philadelphia.”

Dubinski said he hasn’t yet seen the episode, which airs 9 p.m. Wednesday.

“I’m very excited about it, but we have no idea what all will happen as Wednesday unfolds,” he said.