Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:19 S 22nd St.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Tel:
(215) 563-3737
Come explore anatomical and human medical anomalies! From skull collections to conjoined livers, the Mutter Museum is a Mecca for the medically curious, and definitely not for the squeamish!
In 1858, Thomas Dent Mütter, a retired Professor of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College, presented his personal collection of unique anatomic and pathological materials to The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Today the museum's collection boasts over 20,000 cool medical objects. These include fluid-preserved anatomical and pathological specimens, skeletal and dried specimens, and medical instruments and apparati. There are also anatomical and pathological models in plaster, wax, papier-mâché, and plastic. Popular items include the plaster cast of the torso of world-famous Siamese Twins, Chang & Eng, and their conjoined livers and Joseph Hyrtl's collection of skulls. There's also the preserved body of the "Soap Lady," and the tallest skeleton on display in North America.
The Mutter Museum also has a medicinal garden, named in honor of Benjamin Rush, who helped to found The College of Physicians of Philadelphia in 1787 and urged members to use herbs as a natural and cooperative way to replenish their medicine chests. The garden contains more than fifty different kinds of herbs and illustrates their medicinal uses and contemporary value in medical therapy. The Mutter museum also hosts open houses, film viewings, presentations, and lectures on medical topics for the public.
There is a Green Line (subway-surface trolley) stop located at 22nd and Market Streets. From the stop, walk down 22nd Street against traffic and the College is halfway down the block, on your left. Eastbound bus routes 21 and 42 stop at 22nd and Chestnut, while westbound routes 21, 42, and 12 stop at 22nd and Walnut. A trip to the Mutter Museum will answer questions you never even dreamed of asking and will leave you with memories for years to come!
From Mutter Museum - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:
The Mütter Museum was founded to educate future doctors about anatomy and human medical anomalies. Today, it 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. The Mütter Museum embodies The College of Physicians of Philadelphia 's mission to advance the cause of health, and uphold the ideals and heritage of medicine.