Freaky and Fascinating Philadelphia

Description:

There is no city in America that is more historic than Philadelphia, and what better time to explore the haunts of this famous city than at night? Join costumed tour guides for a leisurely stroll through Society Hill in America's most historic and most haunted city! This candlelight walking tour is based on the book "Philadelphia Ghost Stories" by Charles J. Adams III. Listen to tales of the unknown as you walk in the footsteps of famous men and women. These ghost stories are sure to delight the entire family.

Description:

All you choco maniacs will dig this place. A café dedicated to chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. Feast on the likes of Lemon-thyme burst, dark chocolate with an explosive, and tart and spicy liquid center. The frozen drinking chocolate is also quite a hit. So make Center City your haunt and keep looking for excuses, oops occasions to celebrate!

Description:

Silk City is actually two places joined together. The diner was built by the Silk City company in the 1930s. On the other side of the entrance is the lounge. It opens around 5pm for happy hour, and after 7pm there are DJ parties and the occasional live performance. Latin, hip-hop, 80s, disco; call for schedule. The diner stays open all night on Fridays and Saturdays. Try the grilled cheese, the catfish fingers, the meatloaf, or the pie. Or stay up for an early breakfast of huevos rancheros or eggs and scrapple.

Description:

This homage to footwear would even make Imelda Marcos jealous. A collection of over 500 types of shoes for various uses and from various cultures is on display: Burial sandals, Eskimo snowshoes, and European jester boots, for instance. See shoes worn by famous sports figures and celebrities include Billie Jean King, Jack Nicklaus, Reggie Jackson, Ringo Starr, Nancy Reagan and more. The museum is located close to Independence Mall, at the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine. Admission is free, but you must call in advance for appointment.

Description:

Victor's is a South Philly shrine to opera, with servers who deliver arias along with hearty Italian classics -- redefining the expression "sing for your supper." Opened in the 1930s by John DiStefano, who covered the walls with photos of Toscanini, local Mario Lanza, and the like, the restaurant still has more than 45,000 classical recordings from which to choose and hires the best voices it can find. The menu changes frequently, with such choices as meat lasagna, two fresh fish offered daily, three types of veal (including a hefty veal chop), and a filet. Pastas are homemade.

Our Local Expert Says:

This is not a museum for the squeamish. Enjoy all sorts of medical oddities here that will leave you wondering and talking for days.

Description:

The Mutter Museum is the prime spot for anyone looking for a unique and possibly disturbing museum experience. The Museum houses a collection of medical oddities that are sure to surprise visitors. It was started in 1858 by professor Thomas Dent Mutter, who hoped to use his collection of specimens to educate future doctors. Among other oddities, the collection includes thousands of objects extracted from people's throats, a plaster cast of Siamese twins joined at the liver, and the cancerous tumor extracted from President Grover Cleveland. Located at the northwestern edge of center city, the Museum offers a perfect – if unusual – start to a day of walking through center city.

Description:

Dentistry is usually a subject most people don't care to even think about. This exhibit is a testament to human technological advancement. Visitors can see how far we've progressed after viewing early 19th Century drills, forceps, and other instruments, which would be considered barbarous by today's standards. Another display was created courtesy of Edgar "Painless" Parker, a colorful West Coast dentist. Pulling the tooth was usually the only way to cure a toothache at one time. A bucket containing the thousands of teeth he pulled remains as a monument to his gentle methods.