Glencairn Museum plans reopening around new self-guided tour

Glencairn Museum reopens to the public, after a six-month closure due to the pandemic, on Tuesday, September 22. Museum members only will be welcomed into the building one week earlier, beginning on Tuesday, September 15.

“We are excited to begin to welcome visitors back to Glencairn and remain committed to doing so in a way that prioritizes the health, safety, and well-being of our visitors and staff,” says Brian Henderson, director.

Visitors wishing to enter the building at Glencairn must register in advance for “Discover Glencairn,” the newest self-guided cell phone-assisted tour of the interior and exterior. Two outdoor cell-phone-assisted tours are also available at no charge with no registration required.

To keep your group and our staff safe during your visit, these precautions are in place:

• Visitors ages 2+ and all staff must wear masks inside the building. Please bring masks for your group.
• Staff will check visitors’ temperatures before allowing entry.
• Interior tours are limited to 10 people from one family group.
• When outside at Glencairn, please continue to follow state and local safety guidelines.

Self-guided tours with cell-phone assistance

“Discover Glencairn” outdoor and indoor tour, newly created for a safe, self-guided experience, provides a themed exploration of the building exterior and cloister garden before bringing visitors inside to see the mosaic bird room, Upper Hall, and Great Hall. It includes an opportunity to view the temporary exhibition, Sacred Adornment: Jewelry as Belief in Ancient Egypt [described below]. Created as a safe and enjoyable private excursion, the tour discusses Glencairn’s art, architecture and Pitcairn family story. Timed admittance: Tu-Fri 2:00pm, weekends 1:00pm and 2:30pm. To take the “Discover Glencairn” tour: Reserve your group’s spot using the Buy your tickets button at GlencairnMuseum.org or call Visitor Services at 267.502.2990 to receive instructions to access web app narration (smartphone required) for your visit; tour is $20 per group, up to 10.

“Children’s Photo Scavenger Hunt” delivers a young person’s entertaining and educational experience of Glencairn via its exterior. A perfect excursion for homeschooling families who are looking for something new to do, the self-guided tour encourages families to explore while searching for specific architectural features, which can be photographed and posted on social media. No charge and no reservation needed; smartphone required to follow QR code onsite to a map and instructions. The grounds are open seven days a week, sunrise to sunset.

The Exterior Cell Phone Tour accompanies visitors as they enjoy the grounds, gardens, and views, offering explanations of the architecture not only of Glencairn but also of its place among the other buildings of the Bryn Athyn Historic District—including Cairnwood, built 1892-95, and Bryn Athyn Cathedral, 1913-1928. No reservation needed: call 267.470.1161 from any cell phone or landline, then follow prompts to listen to narration. The grounds are open seven days a week, sunrise to sunset.

Sacred Adornment: Jewelry as Belief in Ancient Egypt temporary exhibition

The ancient Egyptians created stunning jewelry in a wide variety of materials, from metals such as gold and copper to glass and semi-precious gemstones. This exhibition features beautiful pieces from Glencairn’s own collection that tempt visitors to explore how both the living and the dead of this ancient culture used jewelry to adorn, to protect and to express devotion to the divine.

Jennifer Houser Wegner, PhD, associate curator in the Egyptian Section at the Penn Museum, guest-curated the exhibition. She brought to this project a passion for Egyptology and an enthusiasm for the research required to understand the objects, which were purchased for the collection rather than coming directly from archeological excavations.

“With the jewelry in the Glencairn collection,” she explains, “you have to do detective work to discover the religious or spiritual significance of a piece. We look for similar excavated pieces in other collections to help determine a possible date and where the object may have originated. We can look at the iconography of the various elements in the jewelry to help identify which deities are represented, then research why they may have been important to the ancient Egyptians.”

Dr. Wegner, who has participated in numerous excavations in Egypt and is a specialist in Egyptian language, is fascinated by the subjective aspect of Egyptian jewelry.

“Not only is it beautifully made, it is also incredibly personal. Almost all of us today wear a meaningful piece of jewelry—a wedding band, engagement ring, religious pendant, your mother’s pearl earrings. If we think about what those prized pieces mean to us, it is not so hard to imagine the special meanings, whether symbolic or personal, that the ancient Egyptians held about their jewelry.”

The exhibition, which closes November 8 for the Christmas season, reopens January 19 for an extended run until November 2021.

Other Glencairn Museum activities

Henderson adds: “With thanks to the creative work of the Museum staff, I am delighted that visitors and members will also be able to enjoy our popular Medieval festival, concerts, and member lectures digitally this fall, while our education department supports remote student learning through a range of digital resources.”

Check out Glencairn’s website and social media for details on the latest virtual and in-person events. Visitor Services, 267.502.2990, can also answer your questions about the status of upcoming programs and events.

About Glencairn

The architecturally significant National Historic Landmark, which houses a collection of religious art and artifacts from around the world and across the centuries, was built in the Romanesque style between 1928 and 1939 by Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn as their family’s home. It was given to the Academy of the New Church in 1980 after Mildred Pitcairn’s death and has held a growing collection.

For four decades, Glencairn has fulfilled a new life housing a cultural and educational resource reaching far beyond its Bryn Athyn community, welcoming thousands of visitors of all ages every year.