PHILADELPHIA — When "Abbott Elementary" calls, Philadelphia's beloved institutions answer. For the Please Touch Museum — where last week's Season 4 finale was filmed — that meant pausing the renovation of its marble floor that dates to 1876, shutting down for a weekend, and getting staffers to work 16-hour days to accommodate hundreds on set.

It was totally worth it.

"We knew that it was a huge opportunity for the museum, and we didn't want to pass it up," chief operating officer Tracy Curvan said. "'Abbott Elementary' is a love letter to Philadelphia, and Please Touch Museum is such an emotional and essential part of growing up in Philly. [We thought] if that opportunity comes around, we would love to be a part of it and support the show and support Quinta [Brunson] in sharing the amazing vibrancy of Philadelphia."

Curvan said Brunson, the Philly-raised showrunner and star, has fond memories of visiting as a kid the Please Touch Museum's former location on 21st Street, where she played in the grocery store and drove the (stationary) bus.

The "Abbott" team first floated a finale field trip to the museum in November 2023. They decided to hold off until Season 4, which proved serendipitous as it coincided with the Eagles' winning the Super Bowl.

When the cast and crew showed up at the end of February, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker stopped by, as did some of the Eagles, who brought along the Lombardi Trophy. Brunson and her mom, former Philly schoolteacher Norma Jean Brunson, who inspired "Abbott," snapped photos with the trophy and offensive lineman Jordan Mailata in the Rocket Room.

(Eagle-eyed viewers might spot Mailata making a cameo in the episode, sitting in the background while kids play in the River Adventures exhibit.)

This was only the second time the Philly-set sitcom has filmed in the city; the first was for the Season 2 finale in 2023 at the Franklin Institute. Last year's finale had the students take a field trip to Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse — but that episode was filmed in Los Angeles' Griffith Park and on a backlot at Warner Bros. in Burbank, California, complete with a replica of Smith's Giant Wooden Slide.

This finale, like the one at the Franklin Institute, featured local actors playing extras. At Please Touch, 340 kid and adult actors participated after a casting call received more than 3,000 headshots in less than a day. "Abbott's" production crew filmed all over the museum in nine exhibits, including Hamilton Hall, Roadside Attractions, Alice in Wonderland, Adventure Camp, Fairytale Garden, and the Playhouse Theatre.

The episode started with Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) getting the younger kids excited: "I am telling you guys, outside of an Eagles, Phillies, Flyers, Sixers game, or any other live sporting event, this is the most exciting place to go in all of Philadelphia," she says.

But Jacob (Chris Perfetti) gets resistance from his class of unimpressed eighth graders, including RJ (Logan Carter), who wishes they were visiting an aquarium instead, because "the Please Touch Museum's for babies." He's not wrong. The museum is geared toward toddlers to kids up to age 8.

When the class arrives, the greeter (Heath Khan), in an authentic staff uniform, reinforces RJ's conviction and uses language that Curvan says is customary for staff: "To have fun and stay safe today, remember, walking feet, listening ears, and if you need to go to the potty, raise your hand and an adult will take you."

Among the chaperones joining the field trip are Gregory's (Tyler James Williams) dad Martin (Orlando James) and Ava's (Janelle James) boyfriend O'Shon (Matthew Law). The super-serious Martin meets Janine (Brunson) for the first time as she's trying very hard to make a good impression by matching his no-nonsense attitude. Janine tamps down her energizer bunny personality until she disappoints her second graders as they play in the Adventure Camp room.

That's when she tells Martin that playing is part of her job, and proceeds to quiz the kids on tree creatures. Martin rises to the occasion and responds through a talk tube in the tree with a high-pitched voice, pretending to be a squirrel who's lived there his whole life. "But I'm thinking of moving because the cost of living is through the roots!" he jokes, to Gregory's shock.

That scene was particularly notable for museum staff because they made modifications to extend the PVC pipe and better accommodate various camera angles so that viewers can see Janine on one end, Martin on the other, and Gregory watching the action from another spot above. Later, the father and son bond as Martin compares Janine to Gregory's mom, a fun-loving spirit who balanced out his stern parenting.

The bored eighth graders finally find an activity in the Playhouse Theatre, where they write and stage a play called "The Final Bell: An Abbott Elementary Masterpiece." They wrangle the teachers into playing one another — Jacob dons pearls to play Barbara, Melissa wears a curly wig to play Jacob, and Barbara waves mini Italian flags to play Melissa — and hold up cue cards for them to read.

Amid the jabs and jokes, they write a heartwarming moment fit for a finale.

"We love the kids more than a Sicilian loves saying they're Sicilian! Goobie goobie goo," says Barbara-as-Melissa. Jacob-as-Barbara replies, "We love the kids, and despite our many flaws, the kids love us — aw!"

Everyone heads to the carousel afterward to ride the goats, bunnies, and horses. That's when it's clear the museum isn't as fun for some older adults either — they're all smiles on the ride, but nauseous afterward.

"Am I crazy? Or is that way faster than it looks?" Gregory says.

Janine, of course, doesn't feel a thing. Somehow she gets her hands on a hot dog with cream cheese, and then she's ready for another spin.

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