August 24, 2026
Kristin Hunt/for PhillyVoice
The Museum of the Philadelphian, a pop-up ode to residents' reputation, will delve into our love of booing and raucous sports celebrations. A mocking sign from the 2025 Eagles Super Bowl parade is pictured above.
Who is the quintessential Philadelphian? A tiny, temporary museum coming to Fishtown offers several contenders — and no, they're not all from 1776.
Benjamin Franklin does grace the "register" of notable residents at the Museum of the Philadelphian, a temple to the city's character and attitude. But so does Alexander Tominsky, the man who ate 40 rotisserie chickens over 40 days. Jamele Ransom, the crossing guard witness to a Kingsessing playground crash who enjoyed an ice cream cone during an interview with NBC10, also appears. Jameka Wilson, who boasted of kicking the masked man terrorizing women in Center City this month, was the most recent addition.
"The Philadelphian does not wait for permission," head curator Brian Adoff explained. "They decide for themselves what is worth doing. They keep going whether encouraged or not. They absolutely do not care what anyone thinks and believe in their heart that the work is needed."
These qualities define the people on the register, but also serve as an ethos for the project. Adoff will welcome visitors into the 300-square-foot museum free of charge starting Sept. 25. The pop-up, located at 454 E. Girard Ave., will remain open until Nov. 1.
Along with the register of notable Philadelphians, the space will include exhibits exploring our love of booing and throwing objects. Those items, including a still-frozen snowball from 1968, will be mounted and displayed in museum-quality cases. Another section will offer theories as to "why we act like this," Adoff said. While he's found some evidence that Philadelphia never got over losing its nation's capital status to Washington, D.C., his team has also curated numerous explanations from Reddit.
"You come in because it's funny and you see the conduct, whether it's tired or it's a trope or not," Adoff said. "But that's just the on-ramp to finding belonging and connection with other Philadelphians and with this place we call home."
Adoff is encouraging visitors to engage directly with the displays as much as possible. They will have the opportunity to grease a floor-to-ceiling papier mâché pole and add people to the register of notable Philadelphians — a physical book that will eventually be posted online. The museum will also stock a gift shop with thematic T-shirts, buttons and other merchandise.
The storefront space, which can only hold about 12 people at a time, was formerly the headquarters of Adoff's Architects of Human Connection studio. He may extend the museum's run by a few weeks, depending on demand, but he has to be out by Nov. 30. While the future of the project is uncertain past that date, its creator is already considering a more permanent space.
One item that Adoff feels encapsulates the museum came from local filmmaker Ted Passon. The Emmy-winning director behind "Philly D.A." donated the rearview mirror from his car that revelers flipped on Broad Street during the 2008 World Series celebrations. Unsure how to pay for a replacement, he sought help through the website Philly Fix My Car. The community ultimately donated $4,500, allowing Passon to purchase a used car for $1,500 and give the rest to a woman whose car was also flipped on Broad Street.
"The idea of a Philadelphian, we're kind, but we're not nice, and we have this reputation," Adoff said. "But at heart, we boo because we care and we care so much. And so we're the kind of people that have your back."
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