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Bryn Athyn, PA

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Glencairn Museum

4.6 (15 reviews)
Closed • 1:00 pm - 4:30 PM

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The museum is set on beautiful grounds.
Jane F.

This is a wonderful and unique museum just north of Philadelphia. This museum of religious artifacts is located in Bryn Athyn, founded in the 19th century, which is a community of the Christian denomination, the New Church. The Glencairn Museum is the former home of the family of Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn, which was turned into a museum. The design of this soaring building is based on medieval Romanesque architecture. It is hard to believe this grand building was the family home. You can take a tour of the family's living quarters, including the top level chapel with its outside terrace views of Philadelphia in the distance. The tours include visits to the galleries of religious artifacts from various cultures and times. Additionally, every year around Christmas time, there is an exhibit of crafted nativity scenes from around the world that can be accessed for a modest entrance fee. Viewing these creches is a nice, peaceful way to start the holiday season as you view the creches, listen to calming recorded music and sit in the soaring Great Hall. This museum is a gem.

Jose P.

This museum was such a pleasant experience. Our tour took us through every floor and a fun elevator ride to the very top, where we were able to see as far as the Philadelphia skyline and a birdseye view of the entire estate grounds. Our tour guide was very pleasant, knowledgeable, and happily answered all of our many questions. She presented many educational snippets about the museum and the artifacts were so well presented and awe inspiring. The pictures that you'll see will do no justice to how elegant, majestic, and well maintained the museum is kept. I highly recommend this museum and it's many enjoyable experiences.

Getting closer to the fireplace
Mindy G.

Definitely a very magical building. Take it all in! Being transformed back to medevial eupoean times. Along with Egyptian artifacts.

Nativity
Tara T.

This is a beautiful castle/estate/cathedral in the unassuming town of Bryn Athen and well worth a visit if you find yourself with a free afternoon in the area. The top of the castle has a great view of the Philly skyline and surrounding woods, and the main floor had a really neat around-the-world collection of nativities -- it was super neat getting to see how other countries like China and Ghana represent the nativity scene in their own culture, people, and artistic style. The cathedral is free to visit and will probably take you 15-20 minutes, and is really thoughtfully outfitted with things like hand sanitizer, tissues, water, and well-heated bathrooms. The castle can only be visited on paid tours and there are two types of tours -- the normal year-round art tour and the Christmas tour. The tours are the only ways to see the upper floors, unfortunately -- as there is only one elevator to access the upper floors, some tours can be bogged down if they have too many people. Nonetheless, a fun way to while away a few hours in the afternoon! Parking is plentiful. Make a reservation for a tour as they do tend to book out.

This is the hurdy gurdy!
Jade H.

I went to the medieval festival and it was so good! The two high lights of the day were the musical instruments and the weaponry. They had this man who was capable of playing all the instruments he demonstrated and he knew the history of each piece. He is so exciting! Second best was the weaponry demonstration by a member of the medieval martial arts guild and he demonstrated sword play and described the history behind the motions too. Finally, the tower is a must visit especially in the autumn. Amazing colors.

Glencairn

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2 years ago

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8 months ago

Niche find, lots of cool stuff to look at. Would totally recommend for history lovers!

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2 years ago

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11 years ago

Interesting place. Will be back for the paid portion of the tour to see the rest of this giant, elaborate home.

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Review Highlights - Glencairn Museum

“It outlines the Pitcairn family and the fortune they made as Raymond grew up, and then what he did with his life, + his money.”

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Briar Bush Nature Center - Oliver the dove

Briar Bush Nature Center

4.5(12 reviews)
3.5 mi

In the heart of Abington, and about a hundred yards away from the Roslyn train station, you can…read morefind Briar Bush, a hidden nature preserve tucked away on Edge Hill road. With scenic walking trails, an outdoor classroom, day camps and a small indoor animal habitat, Briar Bush is a great spot for small children, couples on a date, or anyone looking for a brief respite from the urgency of the modern world. With free admission for locals and a small fee for out-of-towners, the preserve is accessible to all patrons provided that they are able to walk down some wooded trails that circle through the admittedly short walking routes. The centerpiece of the trails is a picturesque, secluded pond with benches for sitting and an interactive sign with information on the local fauna and flora. The indoor animal habitat has a small gift shop, pamphlets on upcoming events and information on other parks in the area, and several interesting animals such as a blind possum named Odin, a bearded lizard named Karl, and several other unique turtles and reptiles. All of Briar Bush can be walked through in an hour or so, but the low admission, interactive nature events and scenic walking trails will have you wanting to return again soon.

Staff are very informative when it comes to presentations but the facility is not very well…read moremaintained in some places because multiple trees have poison ivy on them. I know what poison ivy looks like, and when it's in hairy vine form, it can choke a tree and kill it. There was a wildlife sanctuary in the neighborhood that I grew up in as a child, and many of the trees almost died because they were being choked by poison ivy. Hairy vine, no friend of mine. But, on a more positive note, they have some animals that you can pet (when they are being presented by a lecturer), including rabbits, rats, and snakes, plus a turtle. In fact, now, as I am typing this, I remember coming here as a kid with school and Cub Scouts and my family as well, and I remember Boo the Rat (R.I.P!) and I remember a turtle who came to Briar Bush after being fed dog food by its owner. Eww. Bottom line, presentation is everything. One thing that I personally don't mind but that wildlife and some other visitors are probably irritated by is the fact that SEPTA's Warminster Line runs behind Briar Bush with a train going by every so often.

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Briar Bush Nature Center - Briar Bush Nature Center.

Briar Bush Nature Center.

Briar Bush Nature Center - Briar Bush Nature Center.

Briar Bush Nature Center.

Briar Bush Nature Center - A skunk

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A skunk

Other World Philadelphia - Interactive exhibit

Other World Philadelphia

3.9(72 reviews)
4.5 mi

Highly recommend!…read more Took my 11 year old and she loved it. The video game room was definitely one of our favorites. She destroyed me Weekend tickets are a little pricey, it was $115 for the 3 of us. Go on a weekday and save a few dollars if you can. The place is definitely aimed at children but you can take some cool pictures. And if you're into "sensory stuff" you will definitely enjoy yourself. You can touch pretty much everything. We spent about an hour and 10 minutes in there exploring the 40 different rooms. Don't think I would spend money on it again, but it was definitely cool to do once.

Other World is a very cool and unique experience. Its like a cross between Alice in Wonderland…read moreand The Backrooms with some gothic and sci-fi mixed in. You could easily spend two to three hours exploring all the details of the many different rooms. You will definitely come away with some cool pictures. It is a bit pricey, expect to pay around $140 for a family of four. They charge $3 extra per pair of glasses that enhance the effects. I'd recommend saving money and only buying one or two pairs for a family or group. You won't want to wear them full time anyway and can just take turns viewing specific exhibits with the glasses on. They also offer military discount. Like others have said, the staff doesn't really explain how to do the puzzle. We didn't end up doing it but, but it seems to be some clues hidden in each room to solve a mystery such as reading the Mayor's emails on the computer on his desk. Its like walking through an old school point and click computer game and finding clues. Other World is definitely fun experience for kids and adults. Its expensive but worth trying once. I am not sure why people would get annual passes but they sell them.

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Other World Philadelphia
Other World Philadelphia - One oh my favorite photo opps

One oh my favorite photo opps

Other World Philadelphia - The colorful wire room

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The colorful wire room

Morris Arboretum & Gardens - Sedums, a Pennsylvania native succulent

Morris Arboretum & Gardens

4.4(127 reviews)
9.0 mi•Chestnut Hill

Love this place so much I'm a member. The oldest fernery in the US is small but charming. The trees…read moreare impressive. I love the dawn redwoods, which remind me of my time in Northern California. There are interesting sculptures to see. The formal gardens are lovely, with lots of gorgeous roses. I've not yet taken the railroad. Beyond the carefully curated gardens and arboretum are the wetlands along the Wissahickon. You can spend a lovely day in nature exploring the trails.

My husband and I visited Morris Arboretum & Gardens last weekend when we spent about a day…read moreexploring the Chestnut Hill area, and we had a lovely time. The arboretum is the official arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, and it's about 90 acres. It was a gorgeous day when we arrived around 10am on a Sunday morning. It wasn't crowded when we arrived, but there were certainly more people when we left around noon (by that point, people were parking in the overflow parking and taking the shuttle up the hill to the arboretum). We grabbed a map at the welcome center and then just wandered and explored for a few hours. Some of the highlights were the Rose Garden, the Morris Pond, the Mercury Loggia, the Fernery, and the nature trails. Since we were there in October, they had a scarecrow walk, and the trails were littered with scarecrows created by members, locals, families, kids, etc. Some of them were incredible, some were funny; they were a joy to see. Morris Arboretum is a lovely place to explore on a pretty day. I'm a Fall-Spring girl myself, but I'm sure in summer it has its own kind of beauty if you don't mind a sweat. But I think on a crisp fall day, it was really beautiful. I'd be happy to return on another gorgeous day.

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Morris Arboretum & Gardens - Nest sky walk

Nest sky walk

Morris Arboretum & Gardens
Morris Arboretum & Gardens

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Ryerss Museum & Library

Ryerss Museum & Library

4.2(10 reviews)
4.9 mi•Fox Chase

I'm so happy to find this well-kept secret on Yelp!…read more The mansion essentially contains 3 parts, the park, which the playground has just been newly renovated, the library, where you will find friendly staff who's passionate about history, and the museum, which would contains so much history and culture, and leaves you wondering why you've never heard of this place before. The history of the mansion traces back to the original settlers who came to Philadelphia with William Penn. The owners of the house were heavily involved in trade with China, India, Japan, England, and every other corner of the world. The front rooms, which is the first section in the museum, demonstrate how the original flavor of the mansion and its owners. Collective, decorative arts are everywhere from everywhere in the world. They might not contain much artistic value, but definitely exotic and contain rich history and culture. The Asian gallery is magnificent as you see a giant Buddha statue that would only exist in national museums. There are rare samurai suits and armors from Japan, exquisite ivory carvings from Indian, delicate religious collectibles from China, and stunning artifacts from all over Asia. The second floor contains all kinds of artifacts from English as well as other parts of the world. The family was evidently fond of their pets, especially dogs and horses. There are paintings of horse and dogs throughout the museum. There is even a pet cemetery in front of the house. If you're in the area, please check this historical gem out. You will not regret it.

Pretty neat museum. Only been in it a few times…read more I usually go to the playground that is on the same premises and my daughter loves it. When it comes to the museum it's pretty interesting, but their are only certain hours. You'd have to check the times beforehand to make sure they are open.

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Ryerss Museum & Library - Asian gallery

Asian gallery

Ryerss Museum & Library
Ryerss Museum & Library

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The Colored Girls Museum

The Colored Girls Museum

4.8(4 reviews)
9.5 mi

It has been years since I've visited this cultural gem located in Germantown, Philadelphia. My love…read moreof Victorian architecture, combined with an entire altar dedicated to Black girlhood and womanhood, made this visit a top-10 experience. The founder and owner of the home was so gracious, welcoming, and provided an in-depth tour of the exhibit on display, encouraging us to take as many pictures as we like, and for myself, I jotted down what seemed like countless titles of books to add to my ever-growing TBR. Over the years, I'm sure that this cultural gift has expanded, but years later I still reflect on it as one of the most affirming and personal museum visits I've ever had the honor of patronizing.

The Colored Girls museum was one of the highlights of my trip to the East coast. I lived the…read moreexhibits and explanations behind them. The museum smelled great. There are a few things to know before you go: I didn't see any ADA accessibility. There are three floors in the museum that require you to walk up steps. The steps are narrow, but there is railing. We visited in the summer and most rooms of the museum were hot. They did have window AC's, they just didn't work that well for me, but I do run hot. Space can be limited if you are a part of a large group, so be prepared for that. Overall, I loved my visit and would visit again. The exhibits change, so you'll have to go to see what they are offering!

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The Colored Girls Museum
The Colored Girls Museum - Ai art

Ai art

The Colored Girls Museum - Showcasing alternate reality

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Showcasing alternate reality

Glen Foerd on the Delaware

Glen Foerd on the Delaware

4.2(26 reviews)
7.4 mi•Torresdale

My daughter and son-in-law celebrated their wedding this past weekend at Glen Foerd, and I can…read morehonestly say--there aren't enough glowing adjectives in the dictionary to capture how extraordinary the experience was. The mansion is pure magic. Even if all you did was exchange vows beside a potted plant by the river, with this historic estate as your backdrop, it would still feel like a dream come true. But Glen Foerd offers so much more than a picturesque setting--it delivers a full-scale event that's flawlessly orchestrated. With Jamie Hollander overseeing planning, catering, and coordination, every detail of the day was handled with precision and care. You're not just booking a venue--you're placing your trust in seasoned professionals who treat your celebration like their own. We were fortunate to work with Kelly Mahoney as our Event Planner and Niyah (whose last name I regret not knowing) as our Day-of Coordinator. Their expertise, warmth, and dedication were unmatched. As someone who's worked in the hospitality industry for years, I can confidently say I've never had a more positive experience. If you're reading this, take my advice: visit Glen Foerd. Step inside its breathtaking walls and you'll be transported to another era--one where elegance reigns and every moment feels timeless. You'll fall in love with the place, and you absolutely won't regret it.

An absolutely stunning historic mansion. My friend lives in the area and took us for a neighborhood…read morewalk and I was plesantly surprised when THIS became our view! I can't speak to the inside of the house since we didn't go in, but the outside had a walking path open to the public, located right on the Delaware River so on one side you get stunning water views, and the other side you're seeing a gorgeous historic mansion. They also have lots of benches lining the walk path so you can sit back and relax and just stare out at nature or read a book if you'd like. This mansion looks like the perfect spot for a wedding or party. They had a cute gazebo on the grounds and also had an area that was clearly meant for a large tent if you were to have a party there. If I lived in the area, I would walk these grounds everyday. So relaxing and stunning.

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Glen Foerd on the Delaware
Glen Foerd on the Delaware
Glen Foerd on the Delaware

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Glencairn Museum - museums - Updated October 2026

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