The Glencairn Museum - Bryn Athyn, PA - Museum of the History of Religion

The Glencairn Museum is located at 1001 Cathedral Road in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. The Glencairn Museum was originally a residence built between 1928 and 1939. It was built in the Romanesque style and was donated to the Academy of the New Church for its unique religious collection. It is a National Historic Landmark.

The Museum houses a number of diverse collections displaying the history of religion. There is the Egyptian collection, the Ancient Near East collection, the Classical collection, the Medieval collection, the Asian collection, the American Indian collection, the New Church art collection, and the Tabernacle model. Moreover, there are other collections featuring furniture and over 200 oriental rugs displayed throughout the Museum. There are also the archives that include photographs, written materials, and historical sources regarding the building and construction of both the Glencairn Museum and the Bryn Athyn Cathedral.

The Egyptian collection presents themes such as Egyptian Gods, Egyptian Mythology, and Mummy Magic. The Egyptian collection also includes dioramas that depict some of the beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians.

There is also the Near East collection, which has a relatively limited number of objects. However, the objects are of significant value to the history of religion. Examples of objects in this collection are: a terracotta cylinder illustrating the rebuilding of the renowned walls and temples of Babylon; a bronze `siren' from Syria dating back to the 8th century BC; and five reliefs from the Neo-Assyrian palace.

The Classical collection contains over five hundred objects and is divided between the Greek and Roman galleries. Objects in this collection range and include sculptures, decorated pottery, jewelry, coins, lamps, vessels, bronze objects, statuettes of bronze, clay, and ivory. One of the highlights in this collection is the near life-size marble statue of the Roman goddess Minerva.

The largest and most prominent collection at the Museum is the Medieval collection. It consists of two galleries housing more than 600 objects. Most of the objects in this collection are comprised of French sculpture and stained glass ranging from 1100 to 1300.

The Asian collection captures the values and beliefs of East Asian Mahayana Buddhism and traditional Chinese culture. The thirty objects in this collection are mainly from China. A small number are from Japan and Thailand. The objects range from Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) to the 19th century. One of the most unique examples of objects in the collection is a large Chinese bronze sculpture from the Ming Dynasty depicting a seated Taoist dignitary.

The American Indian collection displays the objects based on geographic locations. They are examples from tribes in Mesoamerica, the Northwest, the Southwest, the Plains, the Eastern Woodlands, and the Inuit regions. Most of the objects date to the 19th and 20th centuries, however, there are some artifacts ranging from 3000 to 1000 BC.

The New Church Art collection displays artistic examples influenced by the theological writings of Emmanuel Swedenborg.

The Museum is open every Saturday. There is no admission charge to visit the Museum's 1st floor, which includes the Great Hall, the Upper Hall, and the Bird Room. For visitors interested in taking the guided Highlights Tours, the admission charge for adults is $8. The admission charge is $6 for seniors and $4 for students. There is no admission fee for children four years and under. The guided tours accommodate a maximum of ten people and are one hour and fifteen minutes long. They are scheduled at 11am, 11:30am, 12:30pm, and 1pm. To ensure places, it is recommended that interested parties reserve a place in advance. Interested parties may visit the Glencairn Museum Monday through Friday, but appointments must be made in advance. The Museum can be reached by calling 267-502-2993.