Planet Word

{{short description|Language arts museum in Washington DC, United States}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}

{{Infobox museum

| name = Planet Word

| image = Franklin School 2023.jpg

| caption = Franklin School in 2023

| coordinates = {{coord|38.90103|-77.03001|type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-DC|display=inline,title}}

| established = October 21, 2020

| location = 925 13th St, NW Washington, DC, US

| type = Language museum

| executive_director = Patty Isacson Sabee

| website = https://planetwordmuseum.org/

}}

Planet Word is a language arts museum that opened in Washington, DC, in October 2020.{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://planetwordmuseum.org/ |access-date=November 1, 2020 |website=Planet Word Museum |language=en-US}} The museum is described as "The museum where language comes to life" and features interactive exhibits dedicated to topics such as the history of the English Language, how children learn words, languages around the world, humor, poetry, and how music and advertising use words. It is located in the historic Franklin School building, designed by Adolf Cluss, located on Franklin Square at 13th and K Street.{{cite news |last1=O'Connell |first1=Jonathan |date=January 25, 2017 |title=Philanthropist Ann Friedman picked to turn D.C.'s Franklin School into 'Planet Word.' |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/digger/wp/2017/01/25/philanthropist-ann-friedman-picked-to-turn-d-c-s-franklin-school-into-planet-word/ |access-date=March 4, 2019}}

The museum was created by Ann B. Friedman, a philanthropist and former reading teacher who is married to New York Times opinion columnist Tom Friedman.{{Cite news |first=Kriston |last=Capps |date=January 26, 2017 |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-26/d-c-s-franklin-school-will-be-a-museum-of-linguistics |title=Word Up! D.C. Will Get a Museum of Linguistics |work=CityLab |language=en-US}}

Initial building renovation began in 2017. In 2018, work on the project was stopped after it was discovered that DC and US federal preservation rules were violated in the demolition of the building's interior.{{cite news |first=Reis |last=Thebault |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/construction-has-damaged-interior-of-historic-franklin-school-preservationists-say/2018/08/30/28bde1de-ab96-11e8-a8d7-0f63ab8b1370_story.html |title=Construction has damaged interior of historic Franklin School, preservationists say |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=August 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830163958/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/construction-has-damaged-interior-of-historic-franklin-school-preservationists-say/2018/08/30/28bde1de-ab96-11e8-a8d7-0f63ab8b1370_story.html |archive-date=August 30, 2018}} A "minimal" fine was paid, work on the project continued, and the museum opened on October 22, 2020.{{cite news |first=Philip |last=Kennicott |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/planet-word-museum-washington-dc/2020/10/20/86889c2e-0fcf-11eb-b1e8-16b59b92b36d_story.html |title=Planet Word, a new museum devoted to language, is a high-tech, feel-good experience |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=October 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022175456/https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/planet-word-museum-washington-dc/2020/10/20/86889c2e-0fcf-11eb-b1e8-16b59b92b36d_story.html |archive-date=October 22, 2020}}{{Cite press release |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dcs-newest-museum-planet-word-opens-to-the-public-301157565.html |title=D.C.'s Newest Museum, Planet Word, Opens To The Public |website=PR Newswire |publisher=Planet Word Museum |access-date=November 21, 2021}}{{cite news |first=Peggy |last=McGlone |date=October 21, 2020 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/museums/planet-word-opens-in-downtown-washington/2020/10/19/afe7d722-0f59-11eb-8a35-237ef1eb2ef7_story.html |title=Planet Word, a high-tech museum dedicated to the love of language, opens in D.C. |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=November 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022091758/https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/museums/planet-word-opens-in-downtown-washington/2020/10/19/afe7d722-0f59-11eb-8a35-237ef1eb2ef7_story.html |archive-date=October 22, 2020}}

Each exhibit focuses on a different aspect of spoken and/or signed language, with an emphasis on allowing visitors to speak or sign, manipulate, and interact with concepts.{{Cite news |last=Hallett |first=Vicky |title=Planet Word, a new D.C. museum, explores the landscape of language |language=en-US |work=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/kids-planet-word/2020/10/21/5cd62dd6-0e5a-11eb-8a35-237ef1eb2ef7_story.html |date=October 21, 2020 |access-date=July 27, 2022 |issn=0190-8286}} This ranges from an elaborate interactive room-sized globe to playful poetry written on bathroom walls.{{Cite web |date=July 25, 2019 |title=The Spoken World — Gallery Preview! |url=https://planetwordmuseum.org/the-spoken-world-gallery-preview/ |access-date=July 27, 2022 |website=Planet Word Museum |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |date=September 21, 2021 |title=Restrooms at Planet Word in DC ranked among America's finest |url=https://www.fox5dc.com/news/restrooms-at-planet-word-in-dc-ranked-among-americas-finest |access-date=November 21, 2021 |work=WTTG}}

Speaking Willow, an interactive, motion-detecting tree sculpture, is an exhibit created by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer that whispers to visitors in hundreds of different languages as they enter the museum.{{cite news |last1=Dingfelder |first1=Sadie |title=A giant, whispering 'tree' is coming to downtown D.C. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/2019/03/13/planet-word-museum-announces-permanent-installation-by-rafael-lozano-hemmer/ |access-date=March 14, 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=March 13, 2019}} This interactive sculpture was delivered by Public Art Fund in collaboration of art foundry, UAP.{{Cite web |title=Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Speaking Willow |url=https://www.publicartfund.org/exhibitions/view/rafael-lozano-hemmer-speaking-willow/ |access-date=January 27, 2021 |website=Public Art Fund}}

Other notable exhibits within the museum include First Words, Where Do Words Come From?, and The Spoken Word.{{Cite web |title=Exhibits |url=https://planetwordmuseum.org/exhibits/ |access-date=November 1, 2020 |website=Planet Word Museum |language=en-US}} In March 2022, Planet Word opened Lexicon Lane, a permanent exhibit where visitors can solve language-related “cases”.{{Cite news |last=Amlen |first=Deb |date=March 29, 2022 |title=Planet Word Survived the Pandemic to Inspire a Love of Language |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/29/crosswords/language-planetword-museum.html |access-date=July 27, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}} Located on the third floor of the museum, the exhibit is set up to look like a small village, within which visitors have an hour to solve a mystery by figuring out the answers to language-related puzzles and riddles.{{Cite web |title=Lexicon Lane |url=https://planetwordmuseum.org/lexicon-lane/ |access-date=July 27, 2022 |website=Planet Word Museum |language=en-US}}

Cintas Corporation selected Planet Word as a finalist for the 2021 America’s Best Restroom Contest.{{cite web |title=Cintas Selects the 2021 America’s Best Restroom® Contest Finalists |url=https://www.bestrestroom.com/cintas-selects-the-2021-americas-best-restroom-contest-finalists/ |website=Cintas Best Restroom |access-date=June 1, 2022 |date=July 19, 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Vogt |first1=Bailey |title=Planet Word Bathrooms Nominated for America's Best Restroom |url=https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/527380/planet-word-bathrooms-nominated-for-americas-best-restroom/ |access-date=June 1, 2022 |work=Washington City Paper |date=August 6, 2021}}

In May 2022, the North American School Scrabble Championship was held live at Planet Word. Walden Giezentanner, a seventh grader, and sixth grader Nathaniel Campos were winners.{{cite news |last1=Mowers |first1=Jaime |title=SCRABBLE |url=https://www.timesnewspapers.com/webster-kirkwoodtimes/scrabble/article_0eeb6544-dcfa-11ec-991d-378491d547a0.html |access-date=June 1, 2022 |work=WKTimes LLC |date=May 30, 2022 |language=en}}

File:Planet Word Museum Entrance Washington DC.jpg|Sign at entrance