CHEM IS COOL

One of the cool things about Center City Philadelphia is the hidden gems on seemingly every block. A few months back, the Inquirer’s architecture critic wrote a glowing review of the Chemical Heritage Foundation’s new exhibit space at 3rd and Chestnut. I made a mental note to check this out next I was down there, and then promptly forget about it.

But earlier this week, I happened to be down there for a work meeting, and decided to take a chunk of my lunch hour and check it out. I wasn’t disappointed. Architecturally, they have done a good job of displaying the exhibits; the translucent stairs were a particularly nice touch. And, let’s face it, chemistry is pretty cool; I especially liked the blurbs on controversial compounds through the years, like Prozac and DDT.

And did I mention that museum admission is free? All in all, it was time and (no) money well spent. In short, if your travels ever bring you to 3rd and Chestnut, I highly recommend the museum at CHF.