Inside Philly's weird new micro museum in Fishtown
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Photos: Courtesy of the Museum of the Philadelphian
Some of the wildest theories about why Philadelphia is the way it is will soon have a home inside a micro museum in Fishtown.
- They're plucked from the most credible place on the planet: Reddit.
Why it matters: The Museum of the Philadelphian is the city's history and culture writ large — in miniature.
- Everything lovable, hateable and inexplicable about Philly is crammed into a 300-square-foot former office on Girard Avenue.
The big picture: Whether you're a lifer or a transplant looking to make new friends, there's something for you at the micro museum, which opens Sept. 25 and runs on weekends through Nov. 1.
- The dozen or so exhibits — ranging from stories about chicken man Alexander Tominsky to Philly's affinity for booing everyone and climbing poles — are threaded together by a sense of absurdity.
- But they're also handled with "complete institutional seriousness," founder and head curator Brian Adoff tells Axios.
Case in point: One of the snowballs used to pelt Santa Claus during the team's infamous 1968 game — a story Philadelphians hate because it's too often invoked as the classic example of their boorish behavior — is preserved here under museum glass.
- If you're wondering how Adoff acquired the snow without it melting, well, we've been sworn to secrecy. Wink, wink, nod, nod.
Zoom in: The museum has distilled Philadelphians down to a few core traits:
- They know what they want, are persistent in their pursuits and don't wait for permission to get it.
- If that offends you, they don't care because "nobody likes us" anyway.
What they're saying: "You need to know this stuff in order to be a Philadelphian," says Adoff, who runs the creative design firm Architects of Human Connection. "So this museum also acts as an initiation and orientation for transplants."
Flashback: Adoff earned his Philly bona fides after moving to the region in the 1990s, when he was 9 years old.
- He basically grew up on South Street and in the basement of the First Unitarian Church, where he'd soak up indie rock music.
- He later landed his first job at the iconic Spaceboy record store, which he remains convinced was "the best record store in the city" before it closed.
He's now a bit of a cultural maven — think Willy Wonka meets Andy Warhol — behind projects like the Fishtown Choir and Join Philly.
How it happened: Adoff initially planned to lease out the Girard Avenue storefront or turn it into a pop-up gift shop.
- Then he came up with something far more Philly.
Zoom way in: One of the craziest exhibits tries to explain Philly's particular brand of love: equal parts hostility and ride-or-die loyalty.
- Adoff's favorite Reddit theory? The Phillie Phanatic is secretly regulating the city's collective psyche.
The theory goes: "The economic downturn of the city post World War II means only the strong survived. But as things got tougher, people got crazier and crazier.
- "So, a crack top team of scientists created the Phanatic, which, through its psychic powers, regulates the city vibe. While it has led to a renaissance to the city with increasing crime and increased immigration.
- "It doesn't even operate on a fanatic baseline. To please him, we drink giggling as spiritual offerings."
The bottom line: Philly, man. This place can't be topped.