September 28, 2015
G. Widman/Visit Philadelphia™
The Mütter Museum is Philly's creepiest institution.
Death Salon, a community of historians, writers, artists and death professionals who discuss mortality and mourning, is bringing its fifth public event to the Mütter Museum. The two-day gathering will take place Monday, Oct. 5, and Tuesday, Oct. 6.
Programs for the Salon include talks called "Putting the Rave in Graveyard: Bringing a Cemetery to Life," "The Curious Story of One-Eyed Joe and the 1867 Anatomy Act" and "Dying Trans: Preserving Identity in Death." The long list of speakers and panelists includes representatives from the Chemical Heritage Foundation, Laurel Hill Cemetery, Harvard Peabody Museum and the Mütter Museum. Many authors and researchers will also join, including Caitlin Doughty, the New York Times bestselling author of "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and Other Lessons from the Crematory."
Each night of the Salon, the group will host activities after the "day sessions" end. Monday at 7 p.m. will see a musical performance of historic murder ballads followed by behind-the-scenes tours of the Mütter Museum at 8 p.m. Tuesday night the Salon moves to National Mechanics for Death Quizzo at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 4, before the Salon begins, the Obscura Society Philly will bring Death Salon: Mütter Museum attendees on a special tour through three historic cemeteries, St. Peter's Episcopal Church Cemetery, Old Pine Church Graveyard and Christ Church Burial Ground. Tickets for this tour are separate from Death Salon tickets and cost $35.
