Grim Philly Twilight Tours

04/08/2026

Grab your free tickets for Warner Brother's, "The Mummy" and enjoy!

Get more from Grim Philly Podcast on Patreon

01/17/2026

The power of compound interest.

And, the reality that Boston is 500 times better with their money than we here in Philadelphia are. Historically speaking.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D5wxiq1MK/

In 1790, Benjamin Franklin left behind more than just inventions and witty quotes, he left a financial time bomb. In his will, he gave $2,000 each to Boston and Philadelphia, but with strict instructions: the cities couldn’t touch the full amount for 200 years.

The money was to be loaned out to young tradesmen at low interest, reinvested, and allowed to grow. Franklin, who started as a teenage apprentice, wanted future generations to have the same shot he did but with compound interest on their side.

Boston took the challenge seriously. Its trustees reinvested wisely, avoided political meddling, and let the fund snowball. Philadelphia… not so much. The fund was mismanaged, raided for unrelated projects, and grew far more slowly.

Still, when the 200-year timer went off in 1990, the results were staggering: Franklin’s original $4,000 had grown to over $6.5 million. Boston’s share alone was nearly $5 million. The cities used the windfall to fund scholarships, vocational programs, and civic projects, exactly what Franklin had envisioned.

But here’s the kicker: Franklin didn’t just predict the power of compound interest, he weaponized it. He knew that time, patience, and smart investing could turn pocket change into a fortune. His bequest wasn’t just generous; it was a 200-year trust fall into the future. And it worked.

Today, economists still cite it as one of the most successful long-term philanthropic experiments in history, a quiet revolution in public finance, launched by a man who once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” Turns out, he meant it literally.

12/01/2025

Check out this kool Krampusnacht event from our friends at Fort Mifflin.

09/14/2025

Our Full-Length Prohibition Philadelphia Recording, Part I is out on the Patreon now. Link is in the comments below. Hope you'll enjoy listening!

08/31/2025

Stephen King - Free Screening - The Long Walk. We've been given about 75 seats between the both theaters and dates in West Philly and Olde City both. Grab your free screening passes over at the Patreon page, bring whom ever you like along, and enjoy!

Get more from Grim Philly Podcast on Patreon

07/24/2025

Grim Philly will be on Channel 12 tomorrow night at 7:30pm (and 11pm), on "You Outta Know." Hope you can tune in!

07/14/2025

Free Screening Passes for, "I know What You did Last Summer." Hit us up on the patreon for your unlimited supply of free tickets for the screening this Wednesday! Link in comments below.

06/25/2025

Free Tickets for Beetlejuice The Musical and True Crime Philadelphia Tour!
We’re on the search for your best most interesting local Philadelphia story; something not already on our radar. Think obscure. This may be a slight challenge as there may not be a lot in the area of the grim and bizarre that has escaped our notice locally. But do DM us your best coolest local story for possible inclusion on Grim Philly Podcast and if selected for something very cool we may have missed free Beetlejuice the Musical or True Crime tickets are yours to have! Not to mention – we’ll of course credit you for the topic if covered on Grim Philly Podcast too! May the freakiest stories reign!

12/25/2024

Peace on Earth mf'rs from all your friends here at Grim. :)

12/16/2024

We've got 15 advanced screening passes for Nosferatu to give away for the Bourse for our Patrons this Wednesday at 7pm. Inbox if you would like to come and and we hope to see some of you there!

12/09/2024

Bedlam Asylum III - Full Interview on location in London, 3 of 3.

Professor Joe interviews Curator David Luck inside Bedlam Asylum in London on location from the original archives back in 2019. Complete with original introduction and additional British Isle interview teasers. Part III of III. Available on Patreon. Link in Comments.