Philadelphia's Mütter Museum is expanding into the adjacent Swedenborgian Church and Parish House, which it purchased for $9.3 million in 2023. Construction is set to begin in phases in early 2026, funded by $27 million raised so far. The expansion will unify the campus, add new rotating galleries, a larger museum store, and more educational spaces, allowing the museum to display more of its nearly 500,000 objects currently not on view. The Gothic Revival church, designed by Theophilus Parsons Chandler Jr., was built in 1881 and closed in the mid-1980s before being used as medical offices.
The expansion follows a two-year ethical review of the museum's policies for displaying human remains, and the previous director exited her post over the summer amid that review. The project matters because it signals the museum's commitment to innovation, inclusion, and public engagement with medical history, while also addressing longstanding ethical concerns about its collection. By creating a cohesive campus and expanding gallery space, the Mütter aims to strengthen its role as a trusted voice in medicine and public health for future generations.