61 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Philadelphia - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Mütter Museum

America's most famous museum of medical oddities, and home to the remains of Einstein's brain.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Eastern State Penitentiary

World's first "penitentiary," meant to be humane, drove men insane.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Mount Moriah Cemetery

An abandoned cemetery lies in ruins as the surrounding forest swallows it whole.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia's Magic Gardens

A layered tribute to the work of mosaicist Isaiah Zagar.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Wagner Free Institute

A rare view of a preserved Victorian science museum.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Cave of Kelpius

Where America's first doomsday cult awaited the end of the world.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site

Tour the dark and beloved poet's former cobwebbed basement, which may have inspired "The Black Cat."

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Shofuso Japanese House and Garden

Philadelphia boasts one of the best — and most often overlooked — traditional Japanese gardens in North America.

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Unique
Food & Drink
in Philadelphia

Pumpple Cake

Called the turducken of desserts, this multilayered cake hides two pies inside.

Clear Toy Candy

A Victorian favorite is hanging on in Pennsylvania.

Earl Grey Sriracha Ice Cream

A flavor that manages to be cool, spicy, and fruity in a single lick.

Philly Taco

Wrap a slice of pizza around a cheesesteak to create this decadent mashup.

See all 7 things to eat in Philadelphia See all 7 things to eat in Philadelphia

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Stories
About Philadelphia

Activists at the People's Fund in the 1970s.

Eat Like a 1970s Radical With 'The People's Philadelphia Cookbook'

The 1976 book included contributions from the Black Power and Gay Liberation movements.

by Reina Gattuso

January 24, 2020

The cuneiform tablets were taken from Ur in Iraq in the early 20th century.

After a Century Abroad, a Collection of Cuneiform Is Heading Home to Iraq

Some will remain in Philly, but only because they might be too fragile for the trip.

by Isaac Schultz

December 3, 2019

The pillow sham was celebratory and a little cheeky.

In the 1890s, Female Medical Students Embroidered a Yearbook on a Pillow Sham

The newly minted doctors had deft handiwork.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

Congress gets its first gander at the Declaration of Independence in this painting by John Trumbull.

The German-Language Newspaper That Got the Scoop on American Independence

On July 5, 1776, only the "Pennsylvanischer Staatsbote" reported the big news.

by Daniel Crown

A German map from 1759 shows the border between East and West Jersey, separating the pink and yellow areas.

Central New Jersey Doesn't Exist, But Don't Tell Central Jerseyans That

Exploring what makes a region distinct.

by Dan Nosowitz

A sweet sampler.

Why a Museum Owns a Chocolate Company's Embroidery Collection

The Whitman Sampler Collection is pretty sweet.

February 15, 2019

Plants grow in graves at Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia.

A Year Gardening the Grave of a Stranger

At Woodlands Cemetery in Philadelphia, green-thumbed volunteers participate in a unique program.

by Sydney Schaedel

October 25, 2018

The opah, ready for a photograph.

How Fish Meant for Market Might End Up in a Museum

Natural history curators and fishers have a deep relationship.

by Paige Pfleger

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