Another visitor mistakes Mummer Museum for Mutter Museum

Luke Eminger had been looking forward to visiting Philadelphia for almost ten years. The heart surgeon, from Seattle, WA, has long known of Philadelphia's prominence as a US medical center. But, even more, the surgeon knows that the city is the undisputed center of American medical history.

"From Pennsylvania Hospital and the Mutter Museum to Jefferson Medical College and the University of Pennsylvania [Philadelphia] is the heart of US medical History," proclaimed Eminger.

At the center of that history may be the world-renowned Mutter Museum. Located near 22nd and Chestnut Streets, the museum's mission, as described on its website, is as follows:

Today, it serves as a valuable resource for educating and enlightening the public about our medical past and telling important stories about what it means to be human. The Mütter Museum embodies The College of Physicians of Philadelphia 's mission to advance the cause of health, and uphold the ideals and heritage of medicine.

Eminger, his wife and three children landed at Philadelphia International Airport last Tuesday at 10:03 AM barely able to contain their excitement (at least Eminger could not). So excited, in fact, that the family hopped in a cab and asked to be taken directly to the Mutter Museum even before checking into their hotel.

Twenty minutes later they arrived at 2nd Street and Washington Ave at the Mummer Museum.

"I knew Mutter was German and so I thought the double M's were pronounced like D's. Plus, I was very excited to get inside so I didn't think anything of it," explained Eminger.

The Mummer's Museum website reads:

The Mummers Museum opened in 1976, and is dedicated to the Philadelphia celebration of the new year. The museum houses a rich collection of mummers' paraphernalia and memorabilia, including spectacular costumes, a few of which date back to the turn of the 20th Century.

After the first display, the family returned to the information desk to confirm that this was, in fact, the Mutter Museum. The women confirmed that, yes, indeed, this was the Mummer Museum.

"It was not at all what I expected. I was thinking there would be more medical oddity-type things. Although it was odd, there was nothing medical about it other than the no smoking sign out front and most of the visitors tended to ignore that rule," said Eminger.

The non-smoking family took in the rest of the museum while smoking, even the children, and became even more confused at the Budweiser display that concluded the tour. The Emingers now plan to return to Philadelphia on every New Year's Day.