Mummers Parade and Mummers Museum - a singular Philadelphia New Year's tradition

The Mummers Parade is Philadelphia’s annual New Year’s Day procession with roots in 17th‑ and 18th‑century folk customs; it is distinctive for its organized String Bands, Fancy, Comics, and Fancy Brigades wearing elaborate hand‑made costumes. The Philadelphia Mummers Museum collects and displays costumes, instruments, photographs, and archival materials documenting the parade and club traditions. The museum interprets the parade’s local history and the community organizations that sustain it.