Where to take the out-of-towners visiting Philly this holiday

DaisyPress – Johnnie Hobbs Jr. and Wendy Scharfman in Walnut Street Theatre’s production of Driving Miss Daisy. Photo by Mark Garvin. Johnnie Hobbs Jr. and Wendy Scharfman star in Walnut Street Theatre’s production of “Driving Miss Daisy.”
Credit: Mark Garvin

Your family is coming from out of town and you’ve already shown them the Liberty Bell, the Rocky Steps and the heart at the Franklin Institute. We’ve scoured the City of Brotherly Love for some other local gems to entertain your holiday visitors.

Mutter Museum
19 S. 22nd St.
215-563-3737
www.collegeofphysicians.org/mutter-museum

If your folks give you a hard time before even leaving the airport, freak them out with a tour of deformed body parts and ancient skulls. Philly’s reputation for cultural appreciation often ignores this museum brimming with 19th century medical oddities. Go before lunch just in case Uncle Randy has a weak stomach.

Walnut Street Theatre
825 Walnut St.
215-574-3550
www.walnutstreettheatre.org

Instead of cussing in bumper-to-bumper traffic in the Big Apple, enjoy the spirit of Broadway in the comfort of Center City. The oldest theater in the country offers a more intimate setting for national productions. Shows playing this season include “Elf,” “Sophie Tucker: The Last of the Red Hot Mamas” and “Driving Miss Daisy,” in its national debut.

Reading Terminal Market
12th and Arch streets
215-922-2317
www.readingterminalmarket.org

Keep your relatives out of your kitchen by signing them up for cooking classes at La Cucina at the Market. From handmade pasta to chocolate desserts, the variety of courses matches the smorgasbord of Reading Terminal fare. You never know when special guest chef Betty Kaplan will pop in to teach the culinary arts.

Xfinity Live!
1100 Pattison Ave.
267-443-6415
xfinitylive.com

Don’t settle for “Silver Linings Playbook”’s portrayal of Philly sports fans. Hit up the six-bar epicenter of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex for crabby snacks, passionate chants and endless beer. If you get lost in the subway on the way down, just follow the crowd wearing green jerseys screaming “E-A-G-L-E-S.”

The Trocadero
1003 Arch St.
215-922-6888
www.thetroc.com

For those relatives who have already explored every nook and cranny of the city, there’s one venue with an unpredictable marquee. With burlesque, hip-hop, comedy, heavy metal, movie screenings, pro wrestling and more, you never know what’s rocking at the Troc.