The City constructed this building in 1976 to honor the tradition of Philadelphia Mummery, a New Years Day parade with roots dating back to pre-colonial Swedish and English settlers. Participants prepare elaborate costumes and movable scenery as a grand celebration of satire and a day without inhibitions. Though the tradition is generations old, thousands of descendants of the original Philadelphia immigrant groups still attend and do the “Mummers Strut,” a dance that represents “Philly” to some just as much as City Hall and the Rocky statue do for others. The Museum holds a free string concert in the seating space in the Museum parking lot every Tuesday night from May through September. A “Summary of Mummery” mural can also be seen under the I-95 ramp just west of Washington Avenue’s intersection with Columbus Boulevard.
Website2 Washington Avenue
