The List: 10 Tourist Attractions Not Affected by the Government Shutdown

Sure, the federal government shutdown has closed lots of the sites you came to Philadelphia to see. But don’t be sad. There’s much more to Philly  than Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. For instance:

The Trocadero: Why not take in a concert as a late-night escape? In mid-October, Comedy Bang! Bang! and Thomas Dolby’s Invisible Lighthouse Live will be hitting the venerable Troc. It is, after all, better to be blinded with science than to be blinded by the wheels flying off of our federal government, right?

Franklin Institute: Speaking of science, it’s not going anywhere during the shutdown. As if the NSA scandal doesn’t have you paranoid enough already, you can check out the Franklin Institute’s “SPY: The Secret World of Espionage” exhibit through Oct. 6. It’s just the latest reminder that your information isn’t the only thing being compromised on Capitol Hill.

Wilma Theater: If you’re losing faith in D.C., the Wilma Theater might be able to help. Starting Oct. 9 is a month-long run of the play The Convert, about a young girl, Jekesai, who flees a forced marriage arrangement and embraces Christianity under the guidance of an African teacher. Only its anti-colonial sentiments reaching a boiling point in this play, not disagreements on Obamacare. It’s Hail Mary time for both Jekesai and pretty much anybody on WIC, first-time home buyers, etc.

Please Touch Children’s Museum: Protect your kids from the perils of a government shutdown and have them pick a puppet pal instead, because it’s biz as usual for Please Touch. If you donate to the Museum, you’ll get a very special message from your own Pinky, Pickle, Melita or Gorilla. Same it as it ever was, and it still makes more sense than anything going on in D.C. right now.

Penn Museum: The Penn Museum doesn’t do shutdowns. Instead, it’s hosting a “Violence of Gandhi’s Non-Violence” lecture Oct. 2 with Penn literary and postcolonial scholar Ania Loomba that would probably put most of our federal lawmakers to shame.

Philadelphia Museum of Art: Rocky steps? Still there. Exhibits like “Chinese Armorial Porcelain for the European Market“? Still there too. It’ll keep you from thinking about… pretty much anything going on in the Western Hemisphere right now.

Franklin Mills Mall: Or if you want to go discount shopping like any red-blooded American, you can still do that, too. There are 1.7 million square feet of bargains and food courts still await you.

Reading Terminal Market: You can’t stop Oktoberfest. Drown your U.S. government sorrows in German beer this Friday if D.C. doesn’t have its act together by then.

Morris Arboretum: Why get mad at the shutdown when you can paint your own pumpkin or make your own scarecrow instead? It’s Morris‘ Fall Festival Weekend this weekend. Special guests from the Elmwood Park Zoo will be visiting from noon to 3 p.m.  Saturday and Sunday to fill the void now that the National Zoo’s panda cam has gone dark.

LOVE Sculpture: Obamacare or no Obamacare, love is forever (and for everyone). But, y’know, be careful out there.