Mütter Museum

This place is small but mighty. I had seen this on various programs on the TV over the years and didn’t realize it was in Philly!
So on a whim trip I found it while looking for things to do in Philly-​so heck yes I had to go!
The exhibits are captivating, the staff is ready and willing to answer any and all questions and they offer guided tours hourly as well and the guide is knowledgable AND enthusiastic.

The Mutter Museum was recommended to me by several friends as a must see. I enjoyed reading about all of the different items in the collection. There were several exhibits that I found most interesting.
«Broken Bodies, Suffering Spirits: Injury, Death, and Healing in Civil War Philadelphia» learning about how injuries were treated during the civil war definitely makes me thankful for being alive during our current state of medical care!
«La Maladie» are works done in oil paint, wax and gold leaf. They depict medical ailments in an artistic view.
«Vesalius On The Verge: The Book and The Body» was fascinating to see how dissection and research was used to study the human body and that Vesalius was able to get the detail he did during the 1500s.
My only complaints were that you were not allowed to take photos and it was much smaller than the building it is contained in. Was a bit crowded in certain areas, because you really want to read everything to make it worth while. I was glad that the gift shop had a book with the works of La Maladie for sale — it was a reasonable price to remember these artworks.

Always one of my favorites. It’s a collection of medical specimens of many medical «oddities «. My favorite is the drawers of things people swallowed.

Wall of skulls that are up for adoption and a colon full of 40lbs of feces… what more could you ask for from a $ 11happy hour with craft beers. Mutter museum and its oddities are a must see. Great event tonight with new friends.

I’ve seen this museum mentioned on Travel Channel shows and I was excited to check it out. The collection began in 1858 when it was bequeathed by Dr. Mutter. Most of the exhibits demonstrate some type of medical condition with a small explanation typed on a note card. There are fascinating specimens such as brain slides from Albert Einstein, multiple conjoined twins, skeletons, organs and more.
There is an exhibit showing Grimm fairy tales and some of the conditions that characters like Snow White and Alice in Wonderland may have been dealing with. Overall, the museum is fascinating and really made me appreciate my health!
Admission is $ 16 and no photography is allowed. Any large backpacks must be stored in one of the lockers provided. And there is no designated parking so that can be tricky. But, even with all that, this was an experience that I’m glad I was able to explore.

My college roommate said I would like this place, it was a little hard to find and we waited in the «video» room after the video was done because they were doing something to an exhibit. BUT WOW this museum is so unique and there isn’t one like it anywhere! It is a medical museum. I was so sad you can’t take pictures.
There were specimens in jars, wax models, surgical removed tumors, skulls, medical tools, ball of fur removed from a girl’s stomach, slides of Einstein’s brain and even a president’s mole in a jar! It’s so interesting! I think everyone should go visit the Mutter!

Interesting museum, albeit a little contrived and expensive for what it is. I believe it was $ 16 per adult, which in my opinion is a little pricey for a museum with barely two floors. I did enjoy all the weird and wonderful exhibits though, and if you’re a medical person, or just someone who enjoys getting grossed out by medical oddities, this is definitely the museum for you! I would say you don’t need more than an hour and a half to see the whole museum, there’s enough to see and read, but it’s quite small so you can easily get through in less than a couple hours. Definitely a unique addition to Philadelphia’s museum scene.

I had always wanted to go here and on a recent trip to Philly on a Sunday morning with nowhere else to be, we took the plunge, and I recommend others do so. We arrived right around 10am and it was a good time, we were one of the first people in there so were able to see everything without waiting for people to move (except the skull collection area, seemingly everyone wants to gawk at them for a long while).
The building is beautiful, and even though the space is small, there is the perfect amount of things packed in.
Exhibits were extremely informative, and if you are interested in the human body and you are not freaked out or «ugh no I just can’t» about fetuses in jars and tumors and dried bodies — then this museum is for you. Oddities galore, but it isn’t just a freak-​show type of feel. There was a reason these abnormalities were studies and that is evident in the write-​ups.
Dinged one star because they should regulate how many people are let in at once. By the time we left, I would have been mad if I were inside with that many people. Also, many of the lights were out in the museum, around exhibits or otherwise. It added to the creepy, dusty feel but it should feel like a museum, not a serial killer’s attic.

I’ve been dying to visit for the past 4 years and I finally was able to. I was not disappointed! The building is absolutely beautiful, but gives off the perfect eerie feel. The space is small, but there is so much packed into it, I spent 2 hours and had to rush through a bit to pack it all in with the time I had.
If you are in the area, definitely make a stop here if you are into this sort of thing! Very informative and a little creepy.
The only real complaint I had was some of the cases had weird glass that made things look distorted when you moved your head around to read the descriptions.
Will definitely return!

I have been waiting for years to visit this museum. I love oddities and general odd things, so a medical museum of specimens is a dream for me. This is a popular place and the museum was pretty crowded. It is a very small and cramped museum and the ventilation did not seem to be able to compensate for the number of people in the museum. I don’t mind that so much since it added to the creepiness and mystery of the place. It probably would have been better if they regulated the number of patrons they allow in at one time. I like to take my time and investigate things, and there just didn’t seem to be enough space for me to do this. There was a civil war exhibit upstairs which was pretty neat. There were lots of medical instruments on display and stories of war time surgeries and injuries. There was one interactive experiment where you could see what it would have been like to be a solider who lost his arm during the war. Upstairs there was also a display that paralleled specimens & medical instruments with fairy tales. Downstairs is where you find most of the gross and explicit medical specimens. Lots of body parts in jars, lots of skeletons, lots of preserved materials. So many different things, everywhere you looked. Endless fascinating peculiar oddities on display. This is the place to go in order to study and inspect illnesses and diseases at different stages. This was such a special place to visit. If I returned to the Mutter, I would prefer to go on a less crowded day so I would feel more comfortable taking my time and looking at everything.

This place gives me the creeps. I dragged my BF here and then couldn’t even handle it. My goodness … It’s informative but it’s just a bit much. Bones and stretched skin and gangrene hands and fetus and ugh I just had a flashback and I’m feeling disturbed all over again lol. Please don’t bring your children here.

I finally made it from California! I never thought I would have the chance to be here and it was such a wonderful experience. I first found out about the Mütter Museum from the show Mysteries at the Museum and that’s when I decided to look it up. I have become a huge fan and very fascinated.
The building is absolutely beautiful. There’s several parking structures around if you can’t find street parking, as it’s quite a busy area. They are extremely strict regarding pictures. No pictures once you enter the exhibit. As much as I wanted to take pictures I didn’t. They have a ton of books and post cards of many of the specimens available. I bought postcards of my favorites.
It’s not super big, but a lot is crammed in there. It’s extremely informative and interesting, especially for people who like biology, medical things, and learning about the body. There are real specimens as well as wax replicas. It may not be appropriate for some people, but it’s truly an amazing experience.
The gift shop had a ton of great things to bring back. Great prices on everything and a huge variety of goodies.

This is a pretty cool museum. I don’t easily get queasy, but I had a few moments. Overall a great experience, definitely unique, and the gift shop is hilarious.

My boyfriend and I had a couple of hours to kill in the middle of the day on a Saturday so we decided to stop here. Definitely worth checking out if you’re into weird stuff. The admission wasn’t bad and they had a coat room. The museum featured all sorts of unusual/​weird/​morbid human and medical stuff. Some of it may not be for those of you with a weak stomach but it is neat and informative.
The museum was EXTREMELY crowded so I had to take off one star. It was hard to walk through, let alone read the displays. I didn’t read most of the museum displays, just skimmed them but would’ve liked to read it all.

Do you love the human body? Do you find it fascinating? Do tumors and babies in jars not freak you out? Then come to the Mutter Museum!
A friend and I were in Philly for the day and needed something to do since the real feel outside was –10 degrees. She had been here before but said it was such a good time that she would be willing to go again. For a small admission, you get to explore a museum full of human remains. As someone who studied A&P in both HS and college, this stuff fascinates me. You need to go here with an open mind. You will see tumors, you will see bullet holes through a skull, you will see the Soap Lady, and much much more. The museum feels small but it is packed wall to wall with various items that you can easily spend 2 hours here!
There’s a cool interactive part in the Civil War exhibit that shows what would have happened to your arm in the war. Think Oregon Trail. If deceased infants freak you out, you may want to skip a chunk of the museum. Honestly as sad as it can be to see, it’s also very interesting to see how much the human body can get wrong when it comes to growing a new life. There is also a medicinal garden outside which is obviously dead for the winter but I would like to return in the spring to try it out.

This is an interesting place for medical professionals and human anatomy enthusiasts. Many displays of congenital abnormalities, oddities, rare diseases, injured and malformed organs, preserved whole bodies and body parts, plenty of skeletons of various sizes – from tallest to midgets. Their area with the babies might be sensitive for some. My complaint is that some of the displays were very poorly lit and some glass cases were old; we can hardly read the text. There was nothing to see at the special exhibit Medicinal Garden because it is the middle of Winter and the plants are dead and Winter is not the museums fault. Otherwise a good, small museum with only two floors and short flight of stairs; you will be done in 2 to 3 hours. $ 16 admission. No photos allowed inside but some have snuck a few snaps. They have lockers for a refundable 25cents. Street parking. No food area maybe because you would not want to eat for a few minutes after seeing everything.

I really could on and on about all the cool shit I got to see in here. Like, you literally get to see Albert Einstein’s brain (well, parts of it) the second you walk in the exhibit. I wanted to commemorate it with a photograph but alas, it’s prohibited.
Basically, you’ll see everything from real human skulls with cool stories (my absolute favorite part) to a giant, coiled colon to fetuses to hair balls from stomachs to gangrene hands in jars to the «soap lady» (the single most disturbing exhibit that crossed the line for me– I just had to walk away). It’s a little gross if you’ve got a weak stomach but also very cool and informative.
If you’re in the medical field or just love anatomy– this place is an experience of a lifetime and admission is only $ 16, which is nothing for all the history you get to witness. The uniqueness and oddities of the place redeem its rather annoying qualities, which I’ll get to next. You don’t have to read it, but it’s something to consider if you want to make a day trip here:
I took off a star for the way the crowd is handled. There needs to be staggered admission times or velvet rope queues or a staff member pushing the crowd along. I spent so much time next to the teeth/​jaw section waiting in the gigantic line that snaked through the downstairs exhibit, I started to memorize it. Like, I get it people, you wanna read fascinating details about the conjoined twin skeleton you’re looking at– but like keep that shit to a minimum. You don’t need to read EVERY single thing. It really backed up the crowd and you could tell people (especially those with antsy kids) were getting impatient. Also, I wouldn’t suggest bringing a toddler here as it could be disturbing for a small brain like that.
The factoids/​stories/​descriptions were cool… when they had them. Sometimes, I’d see a whole area that had no facts or diagrams and sometimes I couldn’t tell if I was looking at a REAL arm with tuberculosis or just a wax model (cause there’s tons of those)…like that little detail makes a BIG difference. One exhibit even had post-​it notes as descriptors, which seemed kind of lazy. It all kind of seemed like a work in progress for the side rooms off the main area.
The gift shop was awesome-​they had cool books and shot glasses and brain ice cube trays and plush toys for every disease you can think of. You pick up this cute pink fuzzy squiggly thing with eyeballs and you go «Aww…it’s Pneumonia!» They had HPV, Anthrax, Typhoid Fever… you name it. And all wrapped up in an adorable package! Great for fun gag gifts or stocking stuffers.
I would actually come back here to further investigate the stuff I had to graze over or skip altogether because of the crowds. Maybe during the week when it’s not so packed.

I was disappointed.
first off, I will credit they have a coat area and lockers to use, if needed (the coat area at no charge) — the coat area is not monitored by anyone though.
I went on a Saturday and it wasn’t too crowded. You aren’t allowed to take pictures (that’s fine) or have bottled water … come on.
The font was so tiny on the displays and the glass was older, so you could barely read what it said. The displays were interesting, but like I said, you could hardly see them.
Definitely needs an update.

Go here. A true collection of medical oddities. A fun and exciting treat for anyone who enjoys the obscure things related to medical history and the body.

Holy crap, this place is soooooooo cool! Super gnarly medical oddities on display. You can’t take any photographs (boo) and the museum is pretty small and can get packed, but totally worth it. This museum has interesting things such as a huge collection of human skulls, unborn conjoined twins, skeletons with spinal deformities, preserved organs with disease, slices of brain, petrified bodies. Almost everything on display has a short explanation of what you are looking at, but if you want more information just pick up your cell phone and call the number by each artifact to get much more in-​depth information. I really appreciate that because I didn’t want to listen to information on everything, but was super interested knowing more about just a few things.
It costs $ 15 to get in and just takes a couple of hours to get through. There is a cool little gift show and I don’t believe that there is any sort of food-​maybe because after looking at all the gross medical oddities, food doesn’t go down so well? haha.
Anyway, if you have some down time in Philly, I highly recommend checking this place out!

Unique Museum.
1) It is very small but unique.
2) It is a must visit if you are in Philly.
3) Price is a bit much, but I bought the joint ticket to enter the Penn Museum as well.

This place was great! I took my boyfriend here for a daytime date and we had so much fun looking around, reading and learning about human abnormalities and the history of diagnosis and treatment of disease. If this sounds boring– I assure you it not!
Also, its in a great location so afterward we were able to walk to the markets, parks, shops, bars and restaurants in the area to soak up more philly culture.

Things to keep in mind…
*no photos allowed
*the museum allows an all day entrance
*free coat checkin, quarter lockers
As a medical student I truly enjoyed this museum, but it can be just as enjoyable to those who are not (my bf who accompanied me loved it as well). Take your time and read about all the artifacts. The main room is filled with a wall of skulls, organs with abnormalities in jars, the 7’6 man, an enlarged colon from a man who had chronic constipation, the dead cast as well as the actual liver of the twins chang and eng, slices of Einsteins brain, and the skeleton of Harry Eastlack who had FOP. I won’t lie the jars with the babies, fetus, etc were hard for me to look at. The wing that takes you out to the exit of the museum is filled with information and artifacts from the civil war, very interesting as well. Then right before the exit you will encounter the soap lady, once known as the petrified lady.

This museum is one of the coolest museums I’ve visited! Beyond even just the medical oddities and the slices of Einstein’s brain, you can really learn a lot about the human body and the history of medicine.
They had an additional art exhibit when I visited, showcasing work by Greg A Dunn. (So freaking good that I ordered one of his prints after getting home…). There’s also a garden of medicinal plants (read: many herbs) that you can visit through the gallery. I’d save that for the last part of the visit as it is pretty small.
They have an audio tour available that you can access by dialing a number of your cellphone.
Not for the queesy however. The section showcasing the tools on amputation is enough to make anyone feel uneasy.
You can easily spend 2 – 3 hours here.

Came here July 4^th weekend 2 years ago. This is definitely an odd must see when visiting the city. Upon arrival you look at the building and it doesn’t look like your typical museum. The prices are pretty standard and I believe you do get a student discount upon showing your ID.
I loved seeing the history of medicine and the old photos of the previous students that attended this school. Seeing people with weird ailments back in the day, shows how much we have evolved better thanks to modern medicine. As we proceeded to go downstairs that is where the stomach churning images began. The must see is the display of the boy with the enlarged colon and how much was stuck inside of him… they even made post cards.
Clearly do NOT come here after a big meal or you will surely vomit.
Thanks to Anthony Bourdain I made the trip to see this place.

Amazing museum, even more amazing water fountain by the coat check. I mean one of the best, if not the most refreshing water I’ve ever drank. Cold and pure… It was crazy.
Highly recommend. You’ll want to go back just for the water fountain. $$$$$

Came here on a school trip with Rowan University. Amazing exhibits with very well written and enthralling descriptions. Much of the exhibit focuses around human anatomy and biological ailments while I was hoping for a bit more of a medical history focus, but I still had a phenomenal time. Being a small sized museum, 2 – 3 hours of your time is all you really need to enjoy yourself without getting bored or feeling like you missed stuff.
The Grimm Fairy Tales exhibit is first in the left when you enter and was easily my favorite part. Very good recaps of the stories going along with models and real skeletal parts of objects pertaining to the tales.
The civil war exhibit was also extremely interesting for anyone who enjoys history. This part had much of the medical history I was looking forward too and really hit home on field surgery and wounds.
A must visit. Bring your student or military ID for a discount.

I’ve seen this museum advertised on a lot of educational documentaries… Mainly about Philly. I’ve been wanting to there for years and finally was able to. It is definitely an interesting place. While it is 2 floors it is still small and doesn’t take very long to get through. I do recommend having something else to do afterwards so you don’t go downtown just for that. My husband and I got through the whole museum in about an hour and a half. We then went out to lunch and made about half a day out of it.
There are some really weird and interesting things there. There is a set of drawers where they have items that were removed from people’s bodies, shrunken heads, lots of skulls, rib bones of a person with rickets, human feet and a book bound in human skin just to name a few. Worth every minute in my opinion.

The Mutter Museum had been on my To-​Do list forever. Heavily featured on documentaries and shows about the macabre, the Mutter Museum promises to deliver the strange and creepy. It’s part of the College of Physician’s of Philadelphia and boasts a huge specimen collection of medical abnormalities.
It was tough finding the place, my GPS was off for some reason. Parking was also a bit tricky, but it is definitely worth it to see the museum. It’s smaller than I expected, but crammed full of exhibits. Plan on a few hours if you like reading all the information accompanying the displays. If you are just there to ogle, less than an hour should do.
If you are planning a trip to Philadelphia, this is one place you should consider, if you aren’t squeamish.

This wasn’t grotesque or off-​putting like I thought it would be. And it wasn’t intended as a museum of oddities and curiosities. In fact, many of the specimens were collected as teaching models or to visually demonstrate the differences between normal, abnormal, and diseased human anatomy.
My favorite exhibit

I’ve been wanting to come here for years. I decided to hop on a train from the burbs and take myself on a date today. I chose the Mutter Museum to do just that. 16 bucks to get in, they give you a blue tag to hold on to that you can come and go as you please until they close. I do know that they also offer discounts for students, military folk, and seniors.
I loved it. It’s small, but there’s so much information to read that it takes up a lot of time. I think I was in there for a little over an hour. I made sure to learn everything I could and get my money’s worth. I really enjoyed they’re presentations in coorelation with the Brother’s Grimm tales. I also liked the wall of skulls that each had their own story. The various medical instruments and how patients were treated for things is absolutely amazing. It can get a little dark. They have a lot of unborn babies/​fetuses in the downstairs area, which could be hard for some people who may have been through some personal things. They do have some wax replicas, but it’s stated clearly what is and what isn’t that. There’s also a gift shop with some cool stuff in it.
Definitely a cool place to check out if you’re into science, human anatomy, or things of the unknown! I’m glad I went!

I had a little too high of expectations about Mutter, or maybe I’ve just seen so many of these things online that it didn’t have the cool effect it should. Either way the Mutter is a great place to see all the cool medical anomalies that we have discovered since the birth of modern medicine. Only complaint I have is that there were a lot of wax exhibits trying to depict the real thing but that goes against the whole purpose of the museum.
Overall though it is a great place to see some cool S*%t. I would be cautious about bringing kids.

«I’m in heaven!» I exclaimed to my boyfriend while attempting to hug the glass case of a vast array of different skulls on the top floor of which he proceeded to roll his eyes at.
Okay, so before you discredit me as a weirdo (okay, maybe I am a little bit weird), know that I am an artist (whom appreciates the beauty of the human form, and has drawn many of human anatomy, including a variety of human and animal skulls). I have always been fascinated by medicine, how our bodies work, and how beautiful they truly are, not to mention I love anything macabre.
So, as you can see, this place really truly was a heaven for me: A place of interesting oddities and wonderful displays of the works of art that are apart of each and every one of us. Was my favorite part of my trip to Philly.
Don’t forget to see the medicine garden outside… each herb or plant comes with a brief description of its medical uses.

Absolutely fascinating. The banner outside the entrance that says «Disturbingly Informative» is 200% accurate. Perfect for science nerds, med students and those with an inexplicable affinity for the human anatomy, innards and bones included. But it’s definitely a worthwhile visit for anyone with an open mind for oddities and just a general interest in the human body.
Admission is $ 15 but totally worth it to explore multiple halls and various exhibits. No photography once you’re inside the exhibition area, but you can take pics in the lobby area. Medium-​large bags (eg backpacks, large totes) will be checked and stored in the reception area; they will give you a ticket to claim your bag after you exit.

Never thought I’d enjoy this! I am now a fan of science well to a degree and some horror. Be prepared to see some skulls n more. The display of fetuses in bottles definitely gave me a better understanding about life. How lucky we are to be alive and well.
Well worth the $ 15 entry