19 South 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19103
The Mütter Museum is part of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and the experience is hard to summarize. This collection of medical rarities and historic forensic specimens is awe-inspiring and engrossing (emphasis on the gross, at times.)
Skull, Mütter Museum
From their website: “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.”
We couldn’t take any photos of the stuff inside, but you can see some of this bizarre and touching collection of medical specimens from days gone by on the Mütter Museum website.
It’s probably too much to tour the whole museum–though fairly small, it gets a bit overwhelming–but highlights include a collection of antique specimens showing different dermatological disorders (some real, others made of wax but exhibited in jars of alcohol to simulate actual tissue samples), a rare saponified mummy (a body that has turned to soap), human horns, autopsy materials from famous and not-so-famous murders, and–for those truly interested in the grotesque–a teratology exhibit (abnormal fetuses and infants.)
The museum maintains an air of dignity and respect for those who are exhibited there, but it is not entirely without a sense of humor–the gift shop offers souvenirs like smiling plushy microbes, anatomically-correct chocolate hearts, and silk ties with skull or virus patterns for those of the ghastly/Gothy persuasion.
I found the section on war medicine from the Civil War very moving, and Samuel and I walked out of there feeling very glad to enjoy good health in the time of antibiotics and advanced surgical technologies. We recommend it highly, but eat lunch well beforehand–you can visit the sweet and calming Medicinal Herb Garden afterwards if you get a little green.