Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Tours and Attractions in the City of Brotherly Love

Philadelphia Phillies, Eagles, 76'ers and the best of Broad Street the Philadelphia Flyer. Philadelphia has a rich history and mixture of many cultures. From the Italian Market in South Philadelphia to West Philadelphia where actor/singer Will Smith grew up, to the one time legendary Uptown Theater located North Philadelphia that was well known for hosting the best of the best of the Motown groups. These unique neighborhoods are what make Philadelphia one of the most visit east coast cities. As a born and raised Philadelphian, there are many off the beaten path places to enjoy while visiting the City of Brotherly Love. Here are six (6) must see attractions that made my "Best Places to Visit in Philadelphia List" from a native Philadelphian's point of view of course:

The Mütter Museum: The Mütter Museum was founded to educate future doctors about anatomy and human medical anomalies. 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. This museum is a warehouse of abnormal exhibits ranging from the plaster cast of the torso of world-famous, the preserved body of the "Soap Lady", and my personal favorite the collection of 2,000 objects extracted from people's throats. It is by far one of the most unusual places to visit in Philadelphia. If you enjoy squeamish yet educational tours, The Mütter Museum is the place to go. The tour is self-guided.

The Mummer's Museum and Parade: The museum Is dedicated to the banjo strumming, golden slipper strutting Mummers. The museum opened its doors to the public in 1976. Housing a huge collection of costumes, Mummer paraphernalia, and memorabilia these string bands perform on Broad Street to bring in the New Year. They are judged in four categories: Comics, Fancies, String Bands, and Fancy Brigades. The elaborate costumes and floats are hand made and take months to complete. Located at 1100 South 2^nd Street, the Mummer's Museum is a great place to visit for genuine South Philly entertainment. If you are in the Phildelphia area on New Years day come strut your best Mummer's strut with the rest of the wild, wonderful and weird Philadelphians.

Philadelphia Mural Arts Tour: Did you know that Philadelphia holds the distinct honor of being the "Mural Capital of the World." Run by the Mural Arts Program weekly trolley tours of the city's super-sized works of art by experienced tour guides tell stories of the rich history. They explain the complex details of mural making and take great pride in the fact that Philadelphia is now recognized as the world's largest outdoor art gallery. "Each week an experienced tour guide will explore a different neighborhood highlighting nearly 35 murals." Trolley Tours cost $25 for adults, $23 for seniors 65 and older and $15 for children 3-12. Children under 2 are free! Tours are given weekly - Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. New Guided Walking Tours of the Mural Mile is available every day, May through October are also available. The tour departs daily and the ticket price includes a headset, MP3 player, map and guide to add stories and show you the way. Costing $17 per person. You may also purchase tickets online at muralarts.org or calling the Tourist Center at 1-800-537-7676. Reservations are strongly recommended but not required.

South Street: South Street is one of Philadelphia's liveliest, artistic and eclectic streets. With over 300 stores and restaurants, South Street stays up late with many shops open from noon 'til midnight. In a 7-8 block stretch you can sample an authentic Philadelphia Cheesesteak, get a tattoo, or relax and eat alfresco at one of the many gallery/cafés or enjoy a micro-brewery. Another south street attraction is the mosaics. You will be captivated by Isaiah Zagar's mosaics that are scattered throughout the neighborhood. He has been putting his colorful mosaics on side streets, alleys and buildings for more than 20 years.

The Tastykake Bakery:"Nobody bakes a cake as tasty as a Tastykake!" I grew up humming that tune and eating the delicious assortment of this Philadelphia based bakery's products. In 1914 Tastykake opened their bakery doors and has become a true Philadelphia icon and success story. From their signature fruit pies, cupcakes, KandyKakes, to jelly-filled or butterscotch cream topped Krimpets; Tastykake products are a local indulgence in many Philadelphians' lunchbox. Having moved from their North Philadelphia location the Tastykake Bakery is now sporting a new- state- of- the- art bakery facility at the Navy Yard located in South Philadelphia. Although, they currently do not offering guided tours they may offer tours starting 2011. Contact Tastykake for more information. For those Philadelphians [like me] who've moved to a different part of the country yet crave Krimpets and KandyKakes, Tastykake ships their products all over the country. Go to their shop online section of their website to place your order.

Philadelphia Museum of Art / Fairmount Water Works: If you've seen the film where character Rocky Balboa runs up the Art Museum steps with fist raised over his head in victory, here is your opportunity to recreate your own scene. And while you're at it take a picture beside the famous bronze statue of the boxer as a souvenir. Located on 24^th and the Parkway PMA has an outstanding reputation for world class exhibitions and programs. Directly next door you'll find the Fairmount Water Works which now houses its own restaurant and lounge. Located at 640 Water Works Drive, this piece of original Philadelphia architecture was designed in 1812 by Frederick Graff and built between 1819 and 1822 it operated until 1909, winning praise for its design it's quickly becoming a popular tourist attraction.

Sources Material(s):
Wikipedia.com & Wikipedia Commons
Mummers Museum, Fairmount Water Work's websites
Southstreet.com
Tastykake.com
The Mütter Museum Website
Mural Art Program, Phila.