FREE admission. Trips to the tower available for $5/person, $10 for 3 people.
Enjoy quiet reflection as you explore the grounds of the Bryn Athyn Historic District in lights. Enjoy music at Bryn Athyn Cathedral and trips to the Glencairn Museum tower.
Landmarks in Lights 2012 Press Release
See Philadelphia skyline from Glencairn Museum tower
Visitors may view ‘Landmarks in Lights’ when 3 renowned Bryn Athyn venues are illuminated for nighttime tours June 18
Three renowned and architecturally distinct structures in the Bryn Athyn Historic District, all in exquisite settings, will be illuminated during an evening event June 18 that offers the public free access to explore the sites. Rain date is Wed., June 20.
Bryn Athyn Cathedral, Cairnwood Estate, and Glencairn Museum, part of the district designated a National Historic Landmark in October 2008, will be featured during “Landmarks in Lights: A Celebration of Faith” from dusk to 11 p.m. All are located on Cathedral Road in the borough of Bryn Athyn.
The public is invited to enjoy the venues’ expansive grounds during daylight hours and explore the remarkable buildings, free of charge, from 8 to 11 p.m., all to the strains of recorded classical music.
The borough of Bryn Athyn was founded in the late 19th century by members of a Christian denomination known as the New Church. Cairnwood was home to industrialist John Pitcairn; Glencairn was home to son Raymond and family; and the Cathedral was built as a place of worship for the church.
Construction of the buildings took place between 1892 and 1938. Today, Cairnwood is an educational, cultural and hospitality center, the Cathedral serves as an active place of worship and the world headquarters for the New Church, and Glencairn is a museum of religious history, art and artifacts. The buildings are regularly open for tours and other programs.
Stained glass windows designed by craftsmen to duplicate those seen in European churches, as well as original medieval stained glass windows, are among many notable features of the structures visitors will discover at the event.
Visitors will tour Glencairn’s first floor and watch a 15-minute orientation video. For $5 per person or $10 for a group of 3, they also can take an elevator to the top of Glencairn’s 149-foot tower for a rare nighttime view of the Philadelphia skyline and surrounding area.
The Cathedral will be open, with recorded classical music filling the air and a cappella musicians performing from 8 to 9 p.m. The bookstore/gift shop will be open, and the award-winning gardens lit for exploration. Tour guides will be available to answer questions.
Visitors to Cairnwood Estate can stroll the grounds and view the newly restored Garden House. Cairnwood Mansion was designed by the pre-eminent Beaux Arts architect of the time, Carrère and Hastings, designer of the New York Public Library, and the outstanding grounds were designed by Olmsted, Olmsted and Eliot of New York City, designer of Central Park.
For more information and directions, visit www.brynathynhistoricdistrict.org or call 267-502-2600.