A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of spending a few days of vacation visiting Cape May down on the southern tip of New Jersey and then driving to Philadelphia to attend a concert. Since my wife and I arrived in Philly late morning, we had time to spare for some tourist activity. My wife grew up around the city and has seen most all of the historic sites and, likewise, I too have made many a sojourn to the city for the same purpose, so finding something novel to do and see can be a task. Going to the Liberty Bell, the art museum, or Independence Hall again just wasn’t cutting it. Likewise, a visit to the Mint, Betsy Ross’s house, or Elfreth’s Alley was a bit old hat.

What was left? The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. That’s right! The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

Inside was an exhibit called Money in Motion described as a new way to experience money, banking, and the Federal Reserve’s role in the economy. Being mostly educational in nature, the exhibit loosely outlines the necessity of what the “Fed” does and the actions it takes to safeguard our money and financial institutions. There are presentations on the history of money, from its earliest origins to today’s digital assets, along with a display of hundreds of US coins and paper money from throughout the nation’s history.

The coin and paper money offering was remarkable enough, but I scratch my head wondering how the place gets any visitors at all. Aside from me, a financial nerd, there didn’t appear to be lines of people desperate to know just what the dual mandate of the Fed is. Likewise, no unruly hoard demanding the mysterious criteria the Federal Open Market Committee uses to evaluate the US economy. Frankly, it was a bit of a miracle I was able to get my wife to even tag along with me. I can only imagine the whining and complaints the parents of an eight-year-old child must endure by making this place their special family outing of the day. “It’s educational, you’ll learn something” rings hollow when at the end of the exhibit there are no complementary cookies and soda, only the governmental echo of a marble lobby.

For me, despite the fact the exhibit catered to the intellect of your average fifth grader, I found the whole exhibit strangely appealing, and somewhat reassuring that my understanding of the Fed and its duties was pretty much on point. As I left, I had a smile on my face, not from self-satisfaction that education brings, but from knowing that the Yards Brewing Company was just a couple blocks away and a soft pretzel and quenching beer were close at hand.