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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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7 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

4.6(11 reviews)
3.5 mi

I take my 2 y. o. granddaughter nearly every week. There are so many wonderful things to explore…read moreand learn from. They have a walking path through the woods with a natural playground and sandbox, a bird house building to watch and interactive displays, a mini zoo inside a house with small animals and activities including a treehouse. They also have weekly activities and seasonal events for elementary school kids. My granddaughter calls Briar Bush "The Animal House" and loves to put a donation in the collection box before we leave.

I wish I could rate this more than 5 stars! A nature center/museum and I don't have to do the…read moredrive downtown/pay for parking...and admission is free for Abington residents/friends of Briar Bush? Amazing. (Admission otherwise is only $3 for adults and $2 for kids 2-17). There's animals/insects inside such as owls, huge cockroaches, giant turtle, snakes. And a cute reading corner full of nature books. There's also a discovery den AKA play area indoors for $1. There's animals/insects outdoors such as turkey vultures, turtles, a butterfly house and a bird observatory (cute on the inside with toys for the kiddos - be sure to read the story about the couple who opened the center). And a natural playscape outdoors. There's also a bunch of fairy houses throughout the property that girl scouts donated. And lots of trails through the forest. They also have Magic Mornings for ages 2-4 Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays - but register ahead as they only have a certain amount of spots each day (it's seasonal - they have in fall and spring but not summer - see website). It's an hour class for $10 and includes a snack, craft, nature walk etc. They usually pull out an animal each class. It's great to get some time in nature with other kids. In summer, they have a full week of Magic Mornings in their Itty Bitty Briar Camp. Ms. Heidi teaches it and she is just great. They have a different theme every day such as sun, water, clouds etc and there's an activity each day (visit pond and catch tadpoles, water play, craft pertaining to theme). They have preschool pioneers for ages 4-5 and summer camp for older kids for a week in late June. *Just beware in June that parking is limited due to school field trips and you may not fit in either of the lots; you may have to park out front of the house to the left (which is fine - she just doesn't want buses idling there) They also have field trips to gardens and to the shore, classes for seniors, family nature nights, hot smores nights... Only negative (besides parking, which they can't really control), is the "snacks" for kids at Magic Mornings aren't the healthiest. One was cinnamon sugar graham crackers with whipped cream- regular would have been fine. 2 days were cheddar gold fish. Another day was blue jello with whipped cream. And some red licorice - the kind that whips. Fruit Loops were used for colors. So, if you don't like your child eating sugar, let them know you have a dietary restriction or bring your own snack (snack time is ~10 min and probably not needed but the kids always love snack time!). Some options that would be healthier and just as easy would be pretzel sticks, fruit, crackers, popcorn, veggies, string cheese...but I guess those all cost more besides pretzels/crackers/popcorn.

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Briar Bush Nature Center - Briar Bush Nature Center.

Briar Bush Nature Center.

Briar Bush Nature Center - Briar Bush Nature Center.

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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

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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
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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.

Peggy at the mansion was so friendly and kind when we stopped today to retrieve my daughter's boots…read moreafter leaving them last Saturday. Our son had his wedding there last week and it was absolutely beautiful! Thank you!

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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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