Three Stooges Legacy Lives On At Montco Museum: Phun Philly Phacts

AMBLER BOROUGH, PA — It's the house that Curly, Larry, and Moe built.

Of course, don't forget Shemp, Joe Besser, and "Curly Joe" DeRita.

They all played roles at some point in "The Three Stooges" vaudeville and comedy troupe that still leaves many of us in stitches over 60 years since their last film was released.

"The Three Stooges" live on in syndication and have been a frequent feature of marathons around the New Year's Eve and Day holidays.

But the comic icons are also celebrated at "The Stoogeum," a museum containing close to 100,000 pieces of Stoogeabilia and an array of artifacts that celebrate the legacy of the legendary comedy team.

The 10,000 square-foot, 3-story building — tucked away behind the Wawa on Bethlehem Pike at 904 Sheble Lane —houses anything and everything Stooge.

Artifacts from 1918 to the present are on exhibit, including several interactive displays. The Stoogeum also contains a research library, a 16mm film storage vault, and an 85-seat theater used for film screenings, lectures, and special presentations.

The museum also includes personal items, movie props and costumes, rare photos, interactive displays, movie posters, artwork, and other novelties.

The Stoogeum is also the headquarters of the Three Stooges Fan Club, one of the nation’s oldest and largest fan clubs with 2,000 members worldwide. An annual meeting of the fan club brings together Stooges relatives, supporting actors, impersonators, and fans.

So how did a museum dedicated to this group that pioneered slapstick humor wind up in the Philadelphia region?

The museum was created out of a home collection by Gary Lassin near Ambler and grew from there, said Michelle Squiccimara, the Stoogeum's registrar and outreach coordinator.

The museum opened in 2004 after breaking ground in 2001. Squiccimara said it was closed for over a year due to the COVID pandemic.

"We're a big business over here," she said about the comedy team of Curly Howard, Larry Fine, and Moe Howard, who were later joined by Shemp Howard, Joe Besser, and "Curly Joe" DeRita.

The comedy troupe was active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short-subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical, farce, and slapstick comedy.

Six Stooges appeared over the act's run (with only three working at any given time). The two constants were Moe Howard and Larry Fine.

"A lot of kids come here with their parents and grandparents," Squiccimara said. "The Three Stooges have an Everyman appeal. With slapstick, it forces people to realize not to take things so seriously, that we all need levity in high-stress situations."

So what keeps fans interested in this for all these decades?

"It's the slapstick comedy," Squiccimara said. "There are always going to be the Three Stooges."

The Stoogeum will be closed and unavailable for appointments in January and February as the history museum undergoes some improvements.

Click here for more information and how to make plans to visit The Stoogeum