Philadelphia houses some of the oddest and quirkiest museums in the country. Whether you’re looking for taxidermy or glimmering minerals, here are three unusual museums in the city of brotherly love.
Explore Strange Medical Instruments at Mutter Museum
The Mutter Museum isn’t for the faint-hearted. From a corset skeleton to a collection of archaic surgical equipment, discover the vast anatomical oddities at the Mutter Museum. Walking through this museum’s 19th century-like vicinity, you’ll find brains preserved in jars and bizarre models of illnesses. If you’re curious about skulls, organs, and other oddities on display, Mutter Museum will have all of your anatomical questions answered. Located near Logan Square, it’s a short walk from the iconic Art Museum and Academy of Natural Sciences.
Discover rare specimens at the Wagner Free Institute of Science
Based in North Philadelphia, visitors can browse through taxidermy, skeletons, and rare minerals at the Wagner Free Institute of Science. Ancient specimens are displayed in glass cases, and the mahogany structure of the area exude Victorian Era aesthetics. Some describe it as a time capsule from the 19th century with labels from the specimens dating back to the 1890s. Take a trip to this museum if you’re interested in looking at bats, turtles, snakes and all kinds of creatures that are frozen in time. According to its website, the museum contains 100,000 natural history specimens and events such as sketching the collections.
Flutter around the Philadelphia Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion
The Philadelphia Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion has lush greenery with various species of insects and butterflies. Peruse through tropical plants and fluttering butterflies in the Butterfly Pavilion, which also has a fish pond and a waterfall. This science museum also includes a vast number of praying mantids, tarantulas, and scorpions. If you’re seeking an animated bee hive, the museum also houses a see-through hive, which lets visitors observe the daily routines of bees.
