Philly's More Interesting Museums

[Matthias]

... besides the PMA.

Here are a few candidates to get things rolling:

Mutter
Wagner Free Institute
Mercer (in Doylestown, but close enough)
Eastern State Penitentiary
American Swedish Museum

[cwd22]

The Wagner Free Institute at 17th and Montgomery is pretty fascinating, mostly because it's remained pretty much unchanged for 140 years.

[phillycat]

I like the Fabric Museum.

There are some cool little galleries that sometimes have very interesting stuff, like the Art Alliance on Rittenhouse that is a gorgeous building worth seeing, even if you don't love the particular show they have going.

[Mr Morley]

The Mercer Mile (especially the house, Fonthill) are all-time favorites.

The Rosenbach Library is also also great and even if you're not into books deeply, the staff/volunteers are extremely friendly. It's worth the tour just to see the interior of a Delancey St townhouse.

Winterthur is excellent, though it is out of the city a way.

And I've always thought the Rodin was an oft-overlooked gem on the Parkway. I've spent many hours in there as the only visitor.

[TEX]

The Atwater- Kent is a good one for early city history.

[Matthias]

I only saw the Atwater Kent after they put most of their collection into storage and replaced it with gimmicky displays for grade school kids. I meant to include it with the candidates for "worst museum".

[cccamac]

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art
Penn Archeology Museum
Institute of Contemporary Art

[Mr Morley]

I only saw the Atwater Kent after they put most of their collection into storage and replaced it with gimmicky displays for grade school kids. I meant to include it with the candidates for "worst museum".

If I every win the lottery or make an absurd amount of money, I'm giving it to the Atwater Kent on the contidion that they become and stay what they should be: a museum of the history of the city of Philadelphia.

I know they have the collection. All they need is the space.