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Have you heard of Ryerss?

The peculiar museum and library is situated at the top of a hill in Burholme Park. The 19th-century mansion tells the story of the wealthy Waln and Ryerss families, their fascination with the Eastern world, and a scandal that rocked Philadelphia at the time.

In the museum, you will find an eclectic collection of art and treasures from Europe, Asia, India, and Japan. The lending library brings the old in with the new, containing a variety of best sellers, children’s books, periodicals, and popular non-fiction that you can borrow.

The best part? The museum is free to visit! Upon his death, Robert Ryerss deeded the family estate be turned over to the City of Philadelphia to be used as a park, library, and museum, free to the people, forever.

Here are some of the most odd and intriguing things we found at the Ryerss Museum & Library during a recent visit.

Be Our Guest Meet Snapper, the Ryerss Mascot. This taxidermy American alligator is a calling card stand. Before telephones, when people visited each other, they would present their calling card, similar to today’s business card. The butler would bring it to the owner of the house who would decide whether he would receive the visitor. Although telephones were introduced in the 1870s, the custom calling card prevailed throughout the 19th century.

Giant Spider Crab

Next up is a giant papier mache oddity. Ryerss Site Director Martha Moffat says the spider crab has been intriguing and intimidating museum visitors for decades.

The Japanese spider crab (Macrocheira kaempferi) is the largest living arthropod; fully grown, it can reach a leg span of almost 13 feet and a weight of up to 44 pounds.

The papier mache version isn’t that large, but it’s still big enough to give visitors a fright! It is thought that Japanese spider crabs have a lifespan of up to 100 years, but the species itself is much older. It is often referred to as a living fossil because its fossils date back 100 million years to the Cretaceous period, when some of the most famous dinosaurs (like Tyrannosaurus rex) lived.

The Asia Collection This massive– but oddly calming– 11th-century Buddha greets you upon entering the Asian gallery, which was added to the Ryerss Museum by the City in 1921 to make room for the collection. The gallery houses a collection of artifacts gathered from China, India, and Japan that Maryann Reed Ryerss Bawn collected after her husband Robert’s death. This is where the scandal comes in, but you’ll have to visit for yourself to find out!

Temple University Professor Carol Harris-Shapiro recently completed an exciting study of the Asian gallery, where she uncovered some very interesting things about the collection. Not only does the museum house treasures from China, India, and Japanese as originally thought, but also Nepal, Java, Myanmar, Syria, and Tibet! It also covers all kinds of religions including Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto, and Taoism.

In an academic report published by Temple University, Harris-Shapiro calls Ryerss, “a testament to Philadelphia as a nexus of global trade and global interest.”

Pet Cemetery On your way out, be sure to visit the pet cemetery. Robert Ryerss was one of the founders of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). The family loved their pets dearly… so much so that they buried most of them in the front yard! Portraits of their dogs and horses also hang in the library and museum.

Plan a Visit! Ryerss Museum & Library is open Friday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Events First Saturday of every month, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Used book sale in the basement Second Saturday of every month, 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m.: Crafts activity for children

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