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

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

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

Philadelphia Museums

We've compiled a list of great museums to visit in Philadelphia.

Academy of Natural Sciences
19th St. & Ben Franklin Parkway | Philadelphia, PA | 215-299-1000
www.ansp.org
The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia's natural history museum, has been operating since 1812.

African American Museum in Philadelphia
701 Arch Street | Philadelphia, PA | (215) 574-0380
www.aampmuseum.org
Founded in 1976 in celebration of the U.S. Bicentennial, The African American Museum in Philadelphia is dedicated to collecting, preserving and interpreting the material and intellectual culture of African Americans in Philadelphia

Atwater Kent Museum
15 South 7th Street | Philadelphia, PA | 215.685.4830
www.philadelphiahistory.org
The Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia, located just around the corner from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, is the gateway to Philadelphia history.

Barnes Foundation
300 North Latch's Lane | Merion, PA | 610.667.0290
www.barnesfoundation.org
The Barnes Foundation is home to one of the world's largest collections of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and early Modern paintings, with extensive holdings by Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne, Renoir and Modigliani, as well as important examples of African sculpture.

Franklin Institute Science Museum
222 N. 20th Street | Philadelphia, PA | 215.448.1200
www2.fi.edu
This 300,000 square foot museum is an outstanding resource for visitors who want to see historical and scientific artifacts.

Mummers Museum
1100 South 2nd Street | Philadelphia, PA | 215.336.3050
www.mummersmuseum.com
Opened in 1976 and is dedicated to the Philadelphia celebration of New Years. The Museum houses a rich collection of Mummer's paraphernalia and memorabilia, from which the museum draws, to demomstrate the tradition of Philadelphia Mummery.

Mütter Museum
19 South Twenty-Second Street | Philadelphia, PA | 215-563-3737
www.collphyphil.org
The Mütter Museum serves as a valuable resource for educating and enlightening the public about our medical past and telling important stories about what it means to be human.

National Constitution Center
Independence Mall, 525 Arch Street | Philadelphia, PA | 215-409-6600
www.constitutioncenter.org
The National Constitution Center tells the story of the U.S. Constitution through more than 100 multimedia exhibits, photographs, sculpture, text, film and artifacts.

National Museum of American Jewish History
210 N. 21st Street | Philadelphia, PA | 215.963.0667
www.nmajh.org
The National Museum of American Jewish History is dedicated to preserving the history and culture of the Jewish people in America.

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Broad & Cherry Streets | Philadelphia, PA | 215.972.7600
www.pafa.org
Learn about our country's artistic heritage and the achievements of its greatest artists, past and present.

Philadelphia Museum of Art
Benjamin Franklin Parkway | Philadelphia, PA | 215.923.3811
www.philamuseum.org
As one of the largest museums in the United States, the Philadelphia Museum of Art invites visitors from around the world to explore its renowned collections, acclaimed special exhibitions, and enriching programs, both in person and online.

Rodin Musuem
22nd Street & Ben Franklin Parkway | Philadelphia, PA | 215.763.8100
www.rodinmuseum.org
The Rodin Museum was the gift of movie theater magnate Jules Mastbaum (American, 1872–1926) to the city of Philadelphia. Over the years, Philadelphia has assembled an amazing collection of Rodin's works, including bronze castings, plaster studies, drawings, prints, letters, and books.

University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
33rd & Spruce Streets | Philadelphia, PA | 215.898.4000
www.upenn.edu/museum
Established in 1887, this world-renowned museum has sent more than 400 archaeological and anthropological expeditions all over the globe, and its researchers continue to make international headlines with discoveries.