Founder's Hall Museum

Founder's Hall Museum Come behind the wall at Girard College to discover fascinating history, monumental architecture, and little known stories.

Founder's Hall isn't normally open on Mondays, but we are this week! Join us tomorrow as we take part in the Wawa Welcom...
06/21/2026

Founder's Hall isn't normally open on Mondays, but we are this week! Join us tomorrow as we take part in the Wawa Welcome America Free Museum Days.

Calling all Girardians from the late 1980s. This picture was taken around 1989--can you help us figure out who is in i...
06/19/2026

Calling all Girardians from the late 1980s. This picture was taken around 1989--can you help us figure out who is in it? Drop a comment if you recognize anyone.

For our series, we pull out unidentified photos from our collection and hope our community can help fill in the gaps.

Last month, we were so excited to welcome museum professionals from all over the country to our "Mission & Masonry" prog...
06/17/2026

Last month, we were so excited to welcome museum professionals from all over the country to our "Mission & Masonry" program, which was part of the American Alliance of Museums annual meeting. We teamed up with our neighbors at Eastern State Penitentiary to give everyone an inside look at both of our landmark buildings, exploring how they were each built in the 1820s/30s to serve an organizational mission and how they're still serving our missions today.

Thanks to AAM for sharing these great photos.

Did you know Founder's Hall Museum at Girard College will be open from 10-4 on Monday, June 22 as part of the 2026 Wawa...
06/15/2026

Did you know Founder's Hall Museum at Girard College will be open from 10-4 on Monday, June 22 as part of the 2026 Wawa Welcome America Free Museum Days!

We are always free to visit, but on Monday June 22 you can not only discover amazing architecture, important civil rights stories, and little known Philadelphia history, but you can chat with our curator and enjoy scavenger hunts and other activities. Plus, check out our new 250-themed temporary exhibit "A Pure Attachment to Our Republican Institutions" about civics and citizenship.

We can't wait to see you!

Do you know these people? In honor of the start of the World Cup matches in Philadelphia this weekend, for today's , w...
06/12/2026

Do you know these people?

In honor of the start of the World Cup matches in Philadelphia this weekend, for today's , we're asking for help identifying these soccer-playing Girardians.

Thanks to everyone who came out to our "Portrait of a Citizen" book event on Friday. Dr. Alex Ames gave a truly enligh...
06/09/2026

Thanks to everyone who came out to our "Portrait of a Citizen" book event on Friday. Dr. Alex Ames gave a truly enlightening talk about Stephen Girard in the context of civic philosophy and citizenship. The conversations before and after were also great, it was a pleasure to chat with all of you.

We can't wait to see you at the next event!

Photos courtesy of Tracie Van Auken

Congratulations to the Girard College class of 2026, who graduated today. You are an inspiring part of Girard history a...
06/05/2026

Congratulations to the Girard College class of 2026, who graduated today. You are an inspiring part of Girard history and we look forward to your future.

Do you recognize anyone in this image? It's , where we take a look at unidentified photos from our collection and hope...
06/05/2026

Do you recognize anyone in this image? It's , where we take a look at unidentified photos from our collection and hope our community can help fill in the gaps.

In honor of today being graduation day for the class of 2026, we've pulled out this commencement picture from the early 1980s.

Last night we were honored to accept a Grand Jury Award from the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia for the...
06/04/2026

Last night we were honored to accept a Grand Jury Award from the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia for the 2025 conservation of the ca 1890 painted ceiling in Founder's Hall.

Congratulations again to the amazing project conservators, Jacintha Kruc and Emily Elliott (shown here with Girard College Director of Historical Resources, Kathy Haas) and thanks to Girard College Alumni Association and PHMC (Pennsylvania Trails of History) for funding the work.

Congratulations as well to Nan Gutterman of VITETTA for receiving the James Biddle Award for lifetime achievement in historic preservation. An expert in historic masonry, Nan has been an invaluable friend to Founder's Hall for decades. She has been involved with numerous projects here, most recently the cleaning and repointing of the entablature in 2021/2022.

There's still time to register for our Friday evening author talk: "Portrait of a Citizen: Stephen Girard, Mariner, Mer...
06/03/2026

There's still time to register for our Friday evening author talk: "Portrait of a Citizen: Stephen Girard, Mariner, Merchant, Banker, and Philanthropist of the Early American Republic" with Dr. Alexander Ames.

Sailor, merchant, banker, public health advocate, slaveholder, and philanthropist, Girard remains one of the most consequential and contested figures in Philadelphia history. Join us as Dr. Ames explores Girard’s remarkable life, his changing reputation, and what his story can still tell us as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary.

Register today: bit.ly/AmesPortrait

Photo by Tracie Van Auken

Address

Girard College, 2101 S College Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
19121

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+12157874434

Website

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