Mütter Museum’s 6483 Skulls: Philadelphia’s Soap Woman and Wax Epidemics
Mütter Museum’s 6,483 specimens—486 displayed under dim lights—showcase the Soap Woman, wax tumors, and Chang and Eng’s skeletons. Curious visitors ask, “Are preserved bodies real?” and “Why did the Soap Lady turn to soap?” Senior Director Sara Ray says: “We’ve preserved everything from tumors to entire skeletons.”
Visitors marvel at wax skin diseases and a woman transformed into soap by 1790s graveyard chemistry. The museum’s controversial consent history, commercial skeletons, and yellow fever questions fuel trending queries like “Is it ethical to display human remains?” and “How did conjoined twins live?” Staff monitor humidity and ethanol levels so even the most skeptical Google user can witness a 19th-century medical time capsule sealed with a modern HVAC system.
Of 6,483 human remains, only 486 are on public view—meaning 5,997 preserved fragments lurk unseen behind the scenes, awaiting their next starring role in Philadelphia’s most surreal anatomy exhibition.
