Entry No. 24 — the Philadelphia file — filed under: oddities

Ryerss Museum and Library

A free Victorian mansion museum where a taxidermied Chinese alligator rears up on its hind legs just inside the door, backed by three generations of the Ryerss family's obsessive Asian-art collecting from their China trading business — set in Fox Chase's Burholme Park, which also holds a historic pet cemetery.

The move: Walk Burholme Park to the mansion, take the free self-guided tour of the crowded galleries of Asian art and Centennial-era relics, then find the old pet cemetery tucked into the grounds.

📍 Fox Chase (Burholme Park)
💸 $
⚡ Up for anything
🌗 Indoors

Where: 7370 Central Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19111

Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.

#single-collection house museum #taxidermy #Asian art #pet cemetery #free admission

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: Wikipedia · phila.gov

last checked: 2026-07-19