One day when my sister and I were talking about places we would like to see, she mentioned wanting to see the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia. I have to admit, I did not know anything about the Mutter Museum. She likes the show "Mysteries at the Museum" and saw the Mutter Museum featured a couple of times with some their medical historical exibhits. We were in the planning stages of our NYC journey at the time, so I just tucked that bit of information away while I started planning our itinerary to NYC. She leaves much of the planning to me when we travel.
As I worked on the sights we wanted to see in NYC, I kept thinking about her desire to go to The Mutter. I decided to look up what it would take for side trip to Philadelphia from NYC, after all it is only 95 miles from one city to the other. Here in Florida that is a nice day trip distance. So, do we go by Planes, Trains or Automobile (also a bus option)? I will admit driving in either city for me was a little daunting, I ruled out renting a car quickly. For the bus option, the fares were great but the travel time was longer and the time table would shorten our side trip by several hours. The 2 options left were plane and train. By plane, we would get to Philly quicker, once we took off, but it was the hassle of getting through the airport that would add to the time table at both ends that made that option unappealing. The air fare was also a lot more than train tickets. With the thought of a day trip by train to Philliy from NYC, I started looking into the incredible sites to be had in Philadelphia.
Of course The Mutter Museum was at the top of the list. Many people know the deep American history and historical landmarks in Philadelphia. Independence Hall a UNESCO World Heritage site, The Liberty Bell, The National Constitutional Center and the list just goes on for historical places. In addition to the American history culture, Philadelphia also has some notable art museums to include The Rodin Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. These were all great options for me to consider. I love history and art. But on this trip there was one location that garnered my interest. The Eastern State Penitentiary. My secret obsession is some of the more tame paranormal shows and ESP had been featured on a few of these.
I now had 2 confirmed places for me and my sister to visit in Philadelphia. I found a great deal on a ticket package for not only our 2 destinations, but also other attractions that we might be able to squeeze in. I purchased our train tickets, surprised my sister with the change in itinerary and on the appointed day, we boarded the early train in New York and headed to Philadelphia.
The train ride was very nice. We could chat and watch the sentry as we zipped on to Philly. We arrived in the City of Brotherly Love at brunch time. The Reading Terminal Market is right at the station. It boasts at being the nation’s oldest continuously operating farmers’ market, running since 1893. Walking into the market, we were met with a smorgasboard of sights, sounds and aroma.
We stopped by the Down Home Diner and enjoyed a nice meal to get us going. We then strolled around as we made our way toward the far side of the market to catch our transportation to first stop on "must visit list".
Eastern State Penitentiary
Eastern State Penitentiary (or Cherry Hill as it was known at the time) was in operation from 1829 until 1971 and at the time it was built was the most expensive and largest structure in the country. British architect John Haviland designed the neo-Gothic structure to instill fear into those of criminal intent.
The exterior of this U.S. National Historic Landmark structure definitely lives up to it's intent. More so on our visit, the end of October, they were ready for the "Terror Behind the Walls" event they have every year in October to help raise funds for the upkeep and future renovation of this massive structure. The gargoyels you see in the above photo are not part of the permanet structure.
Although they have guided tours, we choose the self-guided tour armed with our player and headphones, we set out.
We anticipated about an hour and a half of touring, but three hours later, our interest was still engaged in the deep rooted history of this now-defunct prison. From the entrance, through to the courtyard and grounds, into the cell blocks that once held notorious criminals like Al Capone and Willie Sutton, We were struck with the opulence of what this building once would have looked like with the detail scrolls work on the stair cases, the cathedral like vaulted ceilings, the carved massive mirrors, and the glass skylight that gives off a daunting glow of light even on the bright sunny fall day we had on our visit. I found beauty in the ruins of this building that once held the convicted. But that could just be me, I have a fondness for abandoned places with the wonder of the history that passed through their walls.
There were cells that had been renovated to give a glimpse to what they would have looked like at the time of occupancy. The cells boasted flushing toilets and running water, both things that were not found even at the White House when this prison was erected. Other cells had art installations and displays that gave a look into the prison system past and present. We enjoyed the visit to Eastern State, but we needed to move on to our other destination, as rooted in its history as this once grand prison.
The Mutter Museum!
What to say about this incredible museum that houses an impressive number of Medical artifacts. With over 20,000 specimens on file with the Museum, only about 13% are actually for public viewing. Originally the purpose of the collection, donated by Dr. Thomas Dent Mutter in 1858, was for biomedical research and education and is hosted by The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. I am not sure we were prepared for what we were about to see.
Due to the Museum's policy of restricting photography of any kind, we honored their request and did not even attempt to sneak any photos inside the museum. For a view of what to expect, please visit the museum's website at http://muttermuseum.org .
As we walked into the Mutter, there was a hustle and bustle of the curious visitors like my sister and me and those students of a more medical mind. There was a grand staircase that led up to wonders on the upper floors. There were stairs that would lead us down to the exhibits below. Each room filled with fascinating, innovating and in some cases bazar and disturbing displays of medical case studies that helped in learning more about the human body and how to heal it. A fascinating exhibit was the Grimms' Anatomy: Magic and Medicine. For the two-hundredth anniversary of the publication of The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, the exhibit showcases "real world" examples of how the characters in the stories looked and even what medical tools would have been referenced in the fables. In another set of rooms were the displays that looked at the challenges and innovations of caring for the sick and injured of the Civil War, or the Hyrtl Skull collection of over 139 skulls, and even a slide specimen of Albert Einstein's brain.
My sister was very interested in seeing the death cast of conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker. Ever since I can remember shes had a fascination with the twins, reading books on their lives and even led to an appreciation of Dr. Ben Carson's work. I think this was one of the main reason she wanted to visit the Mutter and I was so glad to have made the effort for her to see the exhibit. We wondered our was from one collection to another and we became a little overwhelmed by the vastness of what the museum had to offer. We were ready to move on and finish our day in Philly,
We got transportation to the beautiful City Hall. A beautiful building in it self, worth time spent exploring, but it was getting late and we had one last stop. I don't know how we timed it so well but off to the top of One Liberty Place we went, right at sunset. What a great way to end the day seeing the sun set over this beautiful city from the observation deck. I think I fell in love with Philadelphia and seeing the sunset was like a "kiss good night."
Philadelphia is worth more than just spending a day, but a day was all we had. It is now a city that sits in a prominent spot on my list of must sees in the future. I look forward to seeing more history and more surprises the city has. Perhaps on the next trip I will get to the Liberty Bell or even Independence Hall, but whatever the plans, I know there is an adventure waiting to happen.
Yes we did try a Philly Steak sandwich but I am not sure we got ones that represent. I ended upsetting a grilled cheese at one of the booths in the market and it was delish.
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