Mütter Museum

The Mütter Museum is a medical museum located in the Center City area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It contains a collection of medical oddities, anatomical and pathological specimens, wax models, and antique medical equipment.

The museum is part of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. The original purpose of the collection, donated by Dr. Thomas Dent Mütter in 1858, was medical research and education.

The Mütter Museum is best known for the Hyrtl Skull Collection and other anatomical specimens including a wax model of a woman with a horn growing out of her forehead along with several wax molds of untreated conditions of the head; the tallest skeleton currently on display in North America; a nine-foot-long human colon that contained over 40 pounds of fecal matter which originally came from a sideshow act called the human Balloon; and the body of the Soap Lady, whose corpse turned itself into a soapy substance called adipocere better known as grave wax.

Street address19 South 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19103.

Hours of operationMonday-Friday, 10am-5pm
Saturday & Sunday, 10am-5pm

The Museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day, December 25th, and January 1st.

AdmissionGeneral Admission (Ages 18-64): $14
Children (Ages 6-17): $10
Senior Citizens (Age 65+): $10
Students with valid ID: $10
Military with valid ID: $10
Fellows of the College: FREE
Children under 6: FREE

Taste of Philadelphia: Reading Terminal Market Tours

Every Wednesday & Saturday Learn the story behind cheese steaks, hoagies, pretzels and other Philly food favorites, and the 114-year history of the vibrant Reading Terminal Market where they’re sold during this 75-minute, food-writer-led walking tour.

The tour leaves from the Market information desk at 12th and Filbert streets in the heart of downtown Philadelphia at 10 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday. Reservations Required.

Cost is $15.95 for adults and $8.95 for children ages 7 to 11. Private tours also available.

Call 215-545-8007×3 or visit http://www.tasteofphillyfoodtour.com/ for information and to make reservations.

FREE Philadelphia Attractions

Christ Church - This is "the nation's church" where George Washington, Betsy Ross, and Benjamin Franklin worshipped. 2nd and Market Streets, 215-922-1695, oldchristchurch.org

Edgar Allen Poe National Historic Site - Some of the author's most famous works were written here. 532 N. 7th Street, 215-597-8780, nps.gov/edal

Elfreth's Alley - Step back into the 1700's on the oldest continuously occupied residential street in the United States. 2nd Street, between Arch and Race Streets, 215-574-0560, Elfreth's Alley

Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church - The oldest piece of property continuously owned by African Americans. A small museum is located on the lower level, which contains the tomb of Richard Allen. 419 Richard Allen Avenue, 215-925-0616, motherbethel.org

Rodin Museum - This museum houses the largest collection of Rodin scultures and drawings outside Paris. 22nd Street and Ben Franklin Parkway, 215-568-6026, rodinmuseum.org

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - The only tomb in the United States built in memory of unknown Revolutionary War soldiers. Washington Sqaure, between 6th and 7th streets on Walnut Street

Chinatown's Friendship Gate - Experience the four-story symbol of the cultural exchange and friendship between Philadelphia and its sister city, Tianjin, China. The recently renovated Friendship Gate is the first authentic Chinese gate built in America by artisans from China. 10th and Arch Streets

Masonic Temple - The birthplace of freemasonry in America, the towering temple is the home of The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania. Ths majestic temple attracts thousands of visitors each year with its bronze sphinxes, grand foyer, and Tennessee-marble staircase. Tours are available. 1 N. Broad Street, 215-988-1900, Masonic Temple

5 Things to do in Philadelphia

A look at five things you've gotta check out if visiting Philadelphia.

Can you guess what they are?

Mural Tours @ Philadelphia's Magic Gardens

"Art is the center of the Real World"

Isaiah Zagar is an award-winning mosaic mural artist whose work can be found on over 100 public walls throughout the city of Philadelphia and around the world.

Zagar's artwork is heavily influenced by his travels and the personal connections he has made with international folk and visionary artists.

Zagar's work is included in the permanent collections of numerous art institutions, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, and the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., and has been featured in solo exhibitions throughout the Philadelphia area.

Learn more at Philadelphia Magic Gardens

History of Elfreth's Alley

Elfreth's Alley — popularly known as "Our nation’s oldest residential street" – dates back to the first days of the eighteenth century. Twenty years after William Penn founded Pennsylvania and established Philadelphia as its capital, the town had grown into a thriving, prosperous mercantile center on the banks of the Delaware River.

Philadelphians had abandoned Penn’s plan for a "greene countrie towne" and instead created a cityscape similar to what they remembered in England. Wharves stretched out into the river, welcoming ships from around the world. Shops, taverns, and homes crowded the area along the river. Philadelphians made and sold items essential to life in the New World and to the trade that was a part of their daily lives.

Two of these colonial craftsmen, blacksmiths John Gilbert and Arthur Wells, owned the land where Elfreth’s Alley now sits. In 1702, each man gave up a portion of his land to create an alleyway along their property line that connected their smithies near the river with Second Street, one block away. By that date, Second was a major north-south road, connecting Philadelphia with towns north and west of the city and the frontier beyond.

In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, numerous artisans and craftsmen resided on Elfreth’s Alley, often living and working in the same building. Even at that early date, Elfreth’s Alley had a diverse population. English colonists who worshipped at nearby Chris Church lived next door to Moses Mordecai, a Jewish merchant who was a leader of Mikveh Israel Synagogue. Cophie Douglass, a former slave, began his life as a free man in post-revolutionary Philadelphia while living on Elfreth’s Alley. During the Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century, the Alley became a neighborhood of immigrants from Germany, Ireland, and other parts of Europe who sought new opportunities in America.

By the early twentieth century, the Alley had become a run-down, impoverished area and faced numerous demolition threats. In 1934, Alley resident Dorothy Ottey organized a group of men and women to save several colonial houses from demolition by absentee landlords. They called themselves the Elfreth's Alley Association and helped to rescue the street from additional threats, including construction of I-95 in the late 1950s.

Since 1702, Elfreth's Alley has been home to more than 3,000 people. Today thirty-two houses, built between 1728 and 1836, line the alley. They form one of the last intact early American streetscapes in the nation. Elfreth's Alley is a National Historic Landmark District, one of the first districts that celebrates the lives of everyday Americans.

Edgar Allen Poe National Historic Site

Known to most Poe lovers, Edgar Allen Poe lived in Philadelphia for about six years (1838-1844).

The Edgar Allen Poe House is the only surving residence in Philadelphia where Poe wrote and published some of his greatest tales.

Step back in time, visit the new exhibits and celebrate Poe's 200th Birthday.

Locations:
532 North Seventh Street
(near. 7th & Spring Garden Streets)

Entrance Fee:
Admission is free.

Hours:
Wednesday - Sunday, 9am - 5pm

First Friday: The Old City Experience

It's First Friday. See you in Old City.

First Friday is a unique cultural event in Philadelphia and one of the city’s most popular evening escapes.

Held the first Friday night of each month, this arts community “open house” brings together city dwellers and suburbanites, contemporary arts and antique collectors, aficionados of classical and contemporary design, and theater and performance buffs.

When: The first Friday evening of each month, rain or shine, year-round.

Hours: 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM

* Photo: Former home of MTV's Real World Philadelphia

The Mütter Museum - Collection of Medical Oddities

Philadelphia has long been a center for medical research and education. Even today, over a quarter of all doctors in the United States receive part of their education in the city of brotherly love.

The College of Physicians, the oldest professional medical organization in the U.S., is home to the most unique of all Philadelphia attractions: the Mütter Museum.

The museum is best known for its large collection of skulls and anatomical specimens including a wax model of a woman with a human horn growing out of her forehead, the tallest skeleton on display in North America, a nine-foot-long human colon[1] that contained over 40 pounds of fecal matter, and the petrified body of the mysterious Soap Lady, whose corpse was turned into a soapy substance called adipocere.

If you're looking for things to do in Philadelphia and want a break from the usual historic tourist sites, the Mütter Museum is the place to go.

VISITING THE MUSEUM

Street address
19 South 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19103.

Hours of operation
Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm
Saturday & Sunday, 10am-5pm

Click for Virtual Tour

Masonic Temple

A showcase of grand, almost mythical, architecture and design

The Masonic Temple in Philadelphia was constructed in 1873. It has been called one of the great "wonders" of the Masonic world. Adorned with some of the finest artifacts of Freemasonry and magnificent Lodge rooms based on themes of the ancient architectural world, the Masonic Temple connects us with our past by outwardly displaying our Masonic traditions and values.

Experience the magic of the Masonic Temple. You will not be disappointed.

Slideshow
Experience the beauty of the Masonic Temple. - Virtual tour on Flickr

Location
Across from City Hall
One North Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Hours of Operation
Open Tue - Fri with tours 11 a.m. and 2 and 3 p.m.
Open Sat (except July and August) with tours at 10 and 11 a.m.

Where do all the hippies meet...

South Street, South Street.

The birth place of Larry Fine from the Three Stoogies, South Street is known for its "bohemian" atmosphere and its diverse and urban mix of shops, bars, and eateries.

I lived near South Street for 7 years and would consider myself a survivor:)

To learn more, visit SouthStreet.com

YouTube Video on South Street

Reading Terminal Market

Today, Reading Terminal Market is once again the gastronomic bazaar that its original planners had envisioned. Many of the historic Market stands survived the reconstruction and are once again filled with local produce, fresh eggs, milk, meats, poultry, seafood, handmade crafts, jewelry, and clothing.

The Market is home to more than 80 merchants, two of whom are descendants of the original standholders from a century before. On any given day one can find an eclectic array of fresh baked Amish goods, produce direct from the field, unusual spices, free range meats and poultry, flowers, ethnic foods, and much more.

One hundred thousand Philadelphians and tourists pass through the Reading Terminal Market every week enjoying its exceptional products, history, and people.

Location
Reading Terminal Market
51 North 12th Street

Hours of Operation
Monday through Saturday: 8:00 am–6:00 pm

Note: Some of the Market’s restaurants close after 4:00pm.

Sunday : 9:00 am–5:00 pm

NOTE: Not all merchants are open on Sundays. In general, about two-thirds of Market vendors open on Sundays, representing a good cross-section of merchandise categories. Pennsylvania Dutch vendors are not open on Sundays.

Ghost Tours of Philadelphia

Date: 3/22/2008 - 11/15/2008

In the mood for something truly spooky? Try one of Philadelphia’s candlelit walking tours of America’s most historic and haunted cities, where enchanting tour guides will lead you through Independence Hall and Washington Square to show you the haunted spots of Philadelphia.

Hear chilling tales of Benedict Arnold and other Founding Fathers that may have you looking over your shoulder as you cruise through Society Hill. Discover what may be lurking behind the shadows of America’s most haunted city!

The 90 minute tour is offered evenings at 7:30 pm March through November. October tours are also offered at 9:30 on Fridays, Saturdays and Halloween. Reservations are required.

An "electric" presence

Benjamin Franklin, who recently turned 300, is said to still roam the streets of Old City. The Ghost Tour will visit several of his old haunts, as well as St. Peter's Cemetery, known to be the most haunted site in the city.

Location
The Ghost Tour of Philadelphia departs from the Signers Garden at
5th and Chestnut Streets, and lasts approximately 90 minutes.

TICKETS & RESERVATIONS
To Purchase Tickets in Advance

Call 215.413.1997 to purchase with a credit card.

Or purchase at the Omni Hotel Gift Shop (401 Chestnut St., 19106,
on Chestnut Street between 4th and 5th Streets), with cash only, until
tour time.

Or purchase at the Independence Visitor Center, 6th and Market
Streets, during their regular hours.

Eastern State Penitentiary - World's First True Penitentiary

Known for its grand architecture and strict discipline, Eastern State was the world’s first true penitentiary, a prison designed to inspire penitence in the hearts of criminals. The original seven cellblocks spread like the spokes of a wheel, and had running water and central heat before the White House. Its vaulted, sky-lit cells held many of America’s most notorious criminals, including bank robber “Slick Willie” Sutton and “Scarface” Al Capone. The prison stands today in ruin, a haunting world of crumbling cellblocks and a surprising, eerie beauty. Tours today include the cellblocks, solitary punishment cells, Al Capone’s Cell, and Death Row.

Location
Eastern State Penitentiary
2124 Fairmount Ave Philadelphia, PA 19130

Hours of Operation
Daily: 10:00am – 5:00pm (Last Entry: 4:00pm)

Special Summer Twilight Hours: Wednesday evenings June - August until 8:00pm (Last Entry: 7:00pm)

Closed: Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.