Mutter Museum
| Type | Medical history museum |
|---|---|
| Address | 19 S 22nd Street |
| Map | View on Google Maps |
| Neighborhood | Center City |
| Phone | (215) 563-3737 |
| Website | Official site |
| Established | 1858 |
| Founder | Dr. Thomas Dent Mütter |
| Collection | 37,000+ specimens |
| Visitors | 160,000/year |
| Admission | Check website for current pricing |
| Hours | Daily 10am-5pm |
The Mütter Museum sits at 19 S 22nd Street in Center City, housed within The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. It's famous for what's inside: anatomical specimens, medical oddities, antique surgical instruments, and things that'll make you squirm. Over 160,000 visitors come through annually to see Albert Einstein's brain tissue, the "Soap Lady," and the tallest skeleton ever found in North America.
History
Dr. Thomas Dent Mütter changed everything on December 11, 1858. He donated his personal collection of medical specimens and $30,000 (roughly $800,000 in today's money) to The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. As a pioneering plastic surgeon, he'd built this collection specifically to teach students about anatomical variations and diseases.
Here's what's interesting: the museum wasn't open to just anyone at first. It stayed closed to the general public until the mid-1970s. Medical professionals and invited guests only. Once they opened the doors, it became one of Philadelphia's most talked-about attractions.
Collection
The museum holds over 37,000 specimens. Only about 10% are on display at any given time.
Famous Specimens
- Albert Einstein's Brain — Tissue slides from the physicist himself, acquired from the pathologist who did Einstein's autopsy
- The Soap Lady — A woman's body exhumed in Philadelphia in 1875, her remains transformed into a soap-like substance called adipocere
- Chang and Eng Bunker — Death cast and connected livers of the original "Siamese Twins," whose autopsy was performed right at the College of Physicians
- The American Giant — Skeleton of the tallest known person who ever lived in North America. Height: 7'6".
- Harry Eastlack's Skeleton — The fused bones of a man with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), an extremely rare condition where soft tissue turns to bone
Notable Collections
- Chevalier Jackson Collection — 2,000 objects removed from human throats and airways, collected by the legendary laryngologist Chevalier Jackson. They're displayed in elegant wooden drawers.
- Skull Collection — 139 human skulls from the 19th century, originally used for phrenological studies
- Marie Curie's Electrometer — The scientific instrument itself, used by this pioneering physicist
- Dr. Benjamin Rush's Medicine Chest — Belonged to the "Father of American Psychiatry" and signer of the Declaration of Independence
Medical Instruments
Antique medical equipment fills the displays, showing how medicine evolved. Early surgical tools sit alongside 19th-century prosthetics, each one revealing something about how doctors worked.
Visiting
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Hours | Daily 10am-5pm |
| Admission | Ticketed; check website for current pricing |
| Address | 19 S 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103 |
| Photography | Prohibited |
| Age Policy | Minors must be accompanied by an adult |
| Accessibility | Wheelchair accessible |
Before you go, prepare yourself. The anatomical displays are graphic. They're educational and shown respectfully, but the collection includes human remains, and it's not for everyone.
The College of Physicians
The Mütter Museum is part of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, founded in 1787. It's the oldest private medical society in the United States. The College still pursues its educational mission through the museum, a historical medical library, and public programs focused on health and medical history.
Getting There
The Mütter Museum sits near Rittenhouse Square:
- Walking — You'll find it at 22nd and Ludlow Streets, two blocks west of Rittenhouse Square
- SEPTA Subway — Walnut-Locust Station on the Broad Street Line
- SEPTA Bus — Routes 9, 12, 17, 21, and 42 all stop nearby
- Parking — Street parking available, plus several nearby garages
In Popular Culture
The Mütter Museum shows up constantly. Documentaries, television shows, travel programs, all of them feature it as one of America's most unusual museums. It appears regularly on lists of "must-see" Philadelphia spots and "weirdest museums in America" rankings.
See Also
References