Every New Year’s Day when we watch the parade, I wonder what the heck a “mummer” is – today we found out at the Mummer’s Museum. This is a small museum (admission was “pay what you wish” on the cold, January day we visited, regularly $5) with videos, costumes, memorabilia and best of all… dress-ups with a video to teach the mummer’s strut. They also had a really cool old automated stereoscopic viewer showing old Philadelphia street scenes. As a bonus, it’s housed in a fun, deco-style building (unfortunately, I can’t find any history on the building). I still don’t know exactly what a mummer is – a combination of several ethnic traditions mixed with a social club… I think.
We will definitely return for one of their (free) Thursday evening summer concerts.
Tobey says: My parents are dorks, but it was kind of fun dressing up and seeing the costumes.
They are open Wednesday-Saturday and have a free parking lot adjacent to the museum (a rarity in Philly!)
Location: South Philly
Secrets of Philadelphia 