A Visit with the Soap Lady

There are few things more romantic than spending a lazy Saturday afternoon, visiting your local museum dedicated to human anomalies, with your Paramour. A few weeks ago, I ventured out to the famed Mutter Museum, part of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.

This was a trip that had long been on my "to do" list. The steep $12 admission fee led me to believe we'd be roaming the museum for hours so I was surprised to see that the entire museum is really only a few rooms, lined with glass cases well stocked with over 20,000 objects. Disturbing is the only word I can think of to describe this place. I saw babies in jars, a gigantic colon, every kind of terrible skin condition that's ever existed, Siamese twins, the soap lady, and all kinds of growths and tumors. Each exhibit was more nauseating than the last. And ladies, let's all rejoice that we were not around for the terrifying gynecological instruments of the past.

It was an interesting afternoon. I'm proud to be able to finally cross this excursion off of my list. While it's definitely a Philadelphia must see, I think you can skip the membership.



The Mutter Museum 19 South 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19103
http://www.collphyphil.org/visit_mutter.htm

A Pharaoh Visit with King Tut

I have an enormous to do list. No, I don't mean grocery shopping, laundry, paying bills or cleaning. What I mean is that I read about some event in Philly and then talk incessantly about how I have to go to that. What usually happens is that the event comes and goes and I'm still sitting on my couch, watching 90210 reruns on Soapnet. (I totally forgot what a bitch Brenda really was.) Anyway, when I read last February that the King Tut exhibit was coming to the Franklin Institute, I decided that I should definitely go. Naturally, I waited until last night, the week before it closes, to go.

The extensive exhibit consists of artifacts from his reign and tomb. I saw vases that held internal organs, deity figurines, King Tut childhood chairs, hieroglyphics and lots of jewelry boxes. The Franklin Institute did a great job of displaying everything and setting the mood, from the music to lights. However, I left a little disappointed. I'm not quite sure what I expected. I think I was hoping for some actual mummy action but all they showed was a video. That being said, I am glad I went. It's really neat to see all these items from the 1300s BC and I learned quite a bit about old King T, who actually was only 20 when he died mysteriously. I also recommend going on a weeknight to avoid the crowds and save a few bucks.

The exhibit closes on September 30th and moves to London. Get there fast!

http://www2.fi.edu/

Franklin Institute, 222 North 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103