Mütter Museum

The Basics

Designed to resemble a huge, sprawling cabinet of curiosities, the museum contains more than 20,000 medical specimens. Popular attractions include the tallest skeleton on display in North America, slides of Albert Einstein’s brain, the shared liver of “original” Siamese twins Chang and Eng, and the preserved body parts and corpses of some of America’s most infamous circus freakshow performers. Each human abnormality featured in the museum is displayed alongside a drawing, photograph or wax model of its corresponding normality, making a visit here both educational and startling—though definitely not for the squeamish.

You can tour the museum independently—maps and scavenger hunt guides are available online to download before your visit. The museum is also a stop on many hop-on hop-off sightseeing tours, making it easy to squeeze in a visit among Philadelphia’s many other attractions and museums.

Things to Know Before You Go

• Mütter Museum is a must-do, offbeat activity in Philadelphia.
• You can save on the admission fee with the Philadelphia Pass.
• The museum is wheelchair accessible.
• Photography is strictly prohibited.
• There's discounted admission on Monday and Tuesday.

How to Get There

The closest SEPTA trolley stop is Market and 22nd Street, on the green line, just a half-block north of the museum. To walk to the Museum from 30th Street Amtrak Station, walk east on Market Street across the Schuylkill River bridge toward 22nd Street then turn right on 22nd St. It’s around a 10-minute walk. Drivers will find metered on-street parking around the museum.

When to Get There

The Mütter Museum is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. It is closed on Thanksgiving Day, December 24, December 25, and January 1.The College of Physicians hosts regular events in the building, including classical music concerts and lectures: check the calendar on the website.

The Strange and Unusual

Those with an interest in the offbeat should add a visit to The Strange and Unusual to their Philadelphia itinerary. This unique boutique is filled with interesting—and somewhat creepy and macabre—items such as voodoo dolls, preserved stillborn animal fetuses, and taxidermied animals, including such oddities as a three-headed duckling.

How much does it cost to visit the Mütter Museum?

Admission to the Mütter Museum is US$20 for adults, US$18 for seniors and Military members, US$15 for students and youth six to 17 years old, and free for members and children under 5. Visitors with a Pennsylvania ACCESS Card and photo ID receive $2 admission for up to four family members.

Can you take photos at the Mütter Museum?

No, you can't take photos in the Mütter Museum. The medical history and science museum doesn't allow photography or video of any kind out of respect for the remains of real people in its collections. However, you can take photos in the museum lobby and the Benjamin Rush Medicinal Plant Garden.

Can you bring food and water to the Mütter Museum?

No, according to the official policy, you can't bring food and water into the Mütter Museum. The museum doesn't have a restaurant or cafe, but it is in the center of Philadelphia near Center City West, Logan Square, and Midtown Village—you can find something to eat in one of these neighborhoods.

Why is the Mütter Museum famous?

The Mütter Museum is a medical history and science museum famous for holding a collection of antique medical equipment, human curiosities, and anatomical remains, including the only known samples of Albert Einstein's brain, an 8-foot (2.4-meter) long "megacolon," early artificial limbs, and more.

Is the Mütter Museum good for kids?

The Mütter Museum may not be appropriate for children under 10 years old. The Mütter is part of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia and holds collections of wax models, human anatomical specimens, and remains that may be disturbing to young children.

Is there free parking at the Mütter Museum?

No, there isn't free parking at the Mütter Museum. There is no on-site parking at the museum, but there are paid parking lots near the building on Ludlow Street and South 21st Street. There is also ample metered street parking all over the neighborhood.