Christmas in the Bryn Athyn Historic District 2023
2023 Cairnwood Estate Holiday TOURS
Guided Christmas in Cairnwood Tour
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and select Sundays at 11 am
Enjoy the holidays with your family and friends at Cairnwood Estate. Guided Christmas in Cairnwood tours begin in the Garden House with an orientation video and include three floors decorated for the season by professional florists. Guests are greeted upon entering the Great Hall by our dazzling two-story Christmas tree—located in the same spot it once stood at the turn of the century. Tour participants discover the private side of the Pitcairn family and its integral role in founding the Bryn Athyn community while exploring this grand Beaux Arts country house and the vintage textile exhibition Variations in Vintage Velvet: Dressing for the Holidays. A visit to the Estate during the holidays will be a special treat for the ones you love! Fundraising and outreach activities proudly hosted by Cairn Club, Inc.
$25 adult, $20 senior/student
$15/Cairnwood Estate members *present valid ID
Duration: 90 minutes
Limited availability - Reservations required
Self-Guided Holiday Touring
Available in December: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & select Sundays from 2 to 4 pm
Explore the elegant rooms of the Estate at your own pace with eight professionally decorated Christmas trees, twinkling balustrades, festive mantels over nine 1895 fireplaces, and the vintage textile exhibition Variations in Vintage Velvet: Dressing for the Holidays. Learn the personal history of this grand Beaux Arts country house; Cairnwood docents throughout the mansion will enhance your visit. For a family experience, you may add Children’s Critter Quest tickets (sold separately). Don’t forget your camera! Fundraising and outreach activities proudly hosted by Cairn Club, Inc.
$10/person
Free for Cairnwood Estate members *present valid ID
Doors open from 2 to 4 pm
Duration: 2 hours to explore at your own pace
Children’s Critter Quest
Available December: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & select Sundays from 2 to 4 pm
It is during this festive season that the Cairnwood Critters venture out of their secret homes in the walls to celebrate! Families will make their way through the glittering grand rooms of the Estate while on a quest to find the hiding (and cute) little critters. This is a wonderful after-school opportunity to build family memories while learning about the history of Cairnwood. Fundraising and outreach activities proudly hosted by Cairn Club, Inc.
$5 per child ages 4 -12 years, must be accompanied by an adult
$10 Self-guided adult ticket
Free for Cairnwood Estate members *present valid ID
Duration: Complete at your own pace (approximately 45 minutes)
Christmas Cookie Stroll
Thursday, December 21st from 5 to 7:30 pm
There is nothing more magical than an evening stroll through the Estate to collect a personal selection of traditional cookies by the candlelight glow of thousands of Christmas lights inside and out! This family-friendly event is the last self-guided tour opportunity to see Cairnwood’s halls decked with 8 sparkling Christmas trees and fantasy fireplace mantels throughout the Estate. Step back in time with the special exhibition of vintage textiles, Variations in Vintage Velvet: Dressing for the Holidays. Admission includes 4 holiday cookies and a cup of hot chocolate per person—add to the fun with the additional purchase of the Cairnwood Critter Quest for the children and a holiday cocktail or beverage for the adults. Fundraising and outreach activities proudly hosted by Cairn Club, Inc.
$15 per adult/child
$10 for Cairnwood Estate members *present valid ID
Duration: 2.5 hours to explore at your own pace
Critter Quest booklets sold separately during the event
Cash bar available (21+ years of age)
Credit cards and cash accepted
2023 BRYN ATHYN CATHEDRAL CHRISTMAS TOURS
Guided Tours are available on select dates in December at 1:15 and 2:45 pm.
Reservations are required
$5 per person
Availability is subject to change due to private services.
Reservations are recommended for all groups and required for groups of 10 or more. Please call 215-947-0266 x4600 to confirm that the Cathedral will be open for tours and to make a reservation.
2023 Glencairn Museum CHRISTMAS TOURS
Guided Christmas in the Castle Tour
Available November 24, 2023, through January 7, 2024
Weekdays at 1:00 and 2:00 pm
Weekends at 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 pm
$15 adult, $12 senior/student
Free for Glencairn Museum members and children 4 and under
Reservations strongly recommended
For forty years (1940s to 1970s), the Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn family celebrated Christmas at Glencairn with a concert, a large three-part Nativity scene, a decorated tree that reached beyond the second-floor balcony, and a Christmas day meal. This guided holiday tour visits five different floors, including the tower and bedroom suite. Your guide will take you on a journey back in time to explore how the Pitcairn family celebrated Christmas in their 20th-century castle.
Join us on this 60-minute tour, which will leave you experiencing the joy and warmth of Christmas!
Access to the World Nativities Exhibition is included with the Christmas in the Castle tour, either before or after the tour.
World Nativities Exhibition
Available November 24, 2023, through January 28, 2024
12:00-4:00 pm
Expanded hours December 26 – 30 | 10:00 am–4:00 pm
Exhibition access times can be pre-booked online at 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 pm
$5 Suggested donation
Exhibition access is included with the Christmas in the Castle guided tour.
Glencairn Museum’s annual World Nativities exhibition presents dozens of three-dimensional Nativity scenes collected from around the globe. For many Christians, the Nativity scene is a meaningful expression of religious faith, providing a compelling visual focus during the Christmas season. World Nativities shows how artists adapt the Nativity scene to represent their own spiritual, intellectual, cultural, and regional environments. Original settings for many of the Nativities have been created by Bryn Athyn artist Kathleen Glenn Pitcairn.
Nativity Seek and Find
Available November 24, 2023, through January 28, 2024
12:00-4:00 pm
Expanded hours December 26 – 30 | 10:00 am–4:00 pm
Free with the $5 suggested donation to the World Nativities Exhibition.
Glencairn Museum’s Nativity Seek and Find is a wonderful way for the whole family to experience the World Nativities exhibition and spend an afternoon immersed in Christmas joy. Successfully complete the seek and find and earn a Christmas prize!
No tickets are required. Seek and Find worksheets are available in the exhibition space.
