Friday: My Offbeat Offering for Your Weekend

Okay, so this one’s a “gimme,” because although offbeat, this post will tell you nothing new if you’ve ever a) lived in Philadelphia, or b) watched either “The History Channel” or “Bio” or “A & E.” But for those who are unfamiliar with it, the Mutter Museum is a truly unique national treasure not for the faint of heart.

I am swiping this directly from Wikipedia (mostly because I don’t know how to put an “umlaut” over the “u” in Mutter.):

                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,[1] whose corpse turned itself into a soapy substance called adipocere better known as grave wax. Many wax models from the early 19th century are on display as are numerous preserved organs and body parts. The museum also hosts a collection of teratological specimens (preserved human fetal specimens) all of which were donated to science; a malignant tumor removed from President Grover Cleveland's hard palate; the conjoined liver from the famous Siamese twins Chang and Eng Bunker; a piece of tissue removed from the thorax of Abraham Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth; and a section of the brain of Charles J. Guiteau who assassinated U.S. President James A. Garfield.

Anyway, with vacation season just around the corner, I must insist that anyone heading to Philly this summer should definitely add a visit to this museum to the itinerary. Kids love this stuff! And if you weren’t so squeamish as to avoid a “Bodyworlds” exhibit (or a “Jim Rose Circus Sideshow”, for that matter [do you remember Lalapalooza?]) you’ll be glad you did. Lots of cocktail party/water cooler tidbits for months to come!

Roadside America (one of my favorite sites!) has a good link if you’re considering a stop at this museum. Anyone living in Philly is invited to add a comment to this post. Perhaps you know a fitting place to eat lunch in the vicinity of the museum, after the tour. (Maybe breakfast before a visit is not a good idea.)

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2207