Quick Facts about Glencairn Museum

History

The Academy of the New Church Museum was founded in 1878. The Academy Museum collections and the Pitcairn art collections were combined, and Glencairn Museum opened to the public in 1981.

Legal Name

Glencairn Museum, The Academy of the New Church

Origin of Name

"Glencairn" is a combination of the surnames of Raymond Pitcairn and Mildred Glenn Pitcairn.

Location

1001 Cathedral Road, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009. 30 minutes northeast of Center City Philadelphia.

Admissions

21,475 (June 08 - May 09)

Scope

Approximately 8,000 objects

Size

Glencairn Museum consists of more than 100 rooms on 11 floors. Glencairn is adjacent to both Cairnwood (the original home of the John and Gertrude Pitcairn, Raymond's parents), and the historic Bryn Athyn Cathedral.

Highlights

11th century stained glass from the Abbey of St. Denis - examples of some of the earliest stained glass panels ever created.

The fifth-floor chapel, with its ceiling mosaic depicting a scene from the Biblical Book of Revelation.

Life-sized statue of the goddess Minerva-Victoria in the Roman and Early Christian gallery.

The Great Hall: the five-story high former living room of the house, featuring medieval furniture and sculpture and stained glass built into the structure.

Special Needs

Glencairn Museum is not fully handicapped-accessible. We make every effort to accommodate visitors with special needs. However, there are several areas in the building that cannot easily be reached by wheelchair.