Guided Tours

Glencairn Museum’s guided tours provide visitors with a unique and immersive experience, allowing them to explore the architectural splendor and intricate decorative details of this historic building, along with the remarkable Glencairn Museum collection. Led by friendly guides, visitors learn about the history and significance of the religious art and artifacts on exhibit, while also gaining insights into the Pitcairn family who once lived in this castle-like home.

Highlights Tour

This 90-minute guided tour presents the history of Glencairn Museum, from its origin as a family home to its transformation into a museum dedicated to religious art. It is sure to awaken your curiosity and foster a spirit of discovery.

The guided tour begins in the Great Hall, featuring awe-inspiring architecture and skilled craftsmanship. Experience spiritual beliefs and practices through the ages by exploring three galleries with art and artifacts from the Glencairn Museum collection. Immerse yourself in family spaces that have remained unchanged since Glencairn was a home, including the family Chapel and the Main Bedroom and Bath. The elevator ascent to the Tower, with its commanding view of the local area and the Philadelphia skyline, is a visitor favorite. Have your camera ready!

Available Tuesday through Friday at 2:30 pm. Saturday and Sunday at 1:00, 2:30, and 3:00 pm.

Craftsmanship at Glencairn: Five Artists

Around every corner in Glencairn, visitors encounter stunning examples of early 20th-century craftsmanship—in metal, stained glass, mosaic, stone, and wood. Craftsmanship at Glencairn: Five Artists is a guided tour and exhibit that explores the work of five artists who worked at Glencairn, the castle-like home built by Raymond Pitcairn for his family (completed in 1939). Well over one hundred artists, architects, and laborers contributed to its construction and decoration, which took more than a decade to complete. Without the efforts of all of them working together, the Pitcairns’ remarkable home could not have become a reality. 

Available by appointment.