For immediate release
PHILADELPHIA, January 15, 2021—The Rosenbach is pleased to announce that the museum and library will be reopened to the public on Thursday, January 21 with timed tickets and safety measures in place. Visitors will enjoy a socially-distanced guided tour of The Rosenbach’s historic house and library along with self-guided access to our newest exhibition Manjiro: Drifting, 1841–2020 and the literary-themed garden that reopened last fall after more than 20 years of closure.
The Rosenbach will be open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. beginning on January 21. To ensure safe capacity in our building, each 1.5-hour timeslot will accommodate up to four ticket holders per group and only one group will be admitted into the museum at a time. Visitors are strongly encouraged to pre-register for timed tickets with this link, by calling 215-732-1600, or emailing [email protected].
The Rosenbach is implementing rules and restrictions to keep visitors and staff safe. All visitors above the age of 2, and all museum staff, are required to wear masks that cover the mouth and nose at all times. In addition, sanitizing stations will be available throughout the museum and shared spaces will be sanitized after each group’s departure. Find a full list of policies and procedures at rosenbach.org/visit.
Details of the visitor experience are below.
- Enjoy a socially-distanced guided tour of the Rosenbach brothers’ 19th-century townhouse to explore our founders’ collection of rare books, manuscripts, furniture, decorative arts, and more along with newer acquisitions. Highlights of the collection include holdings from James Joyce, Bram Stoker, Lewis Carroll, Phillis Wheatley, Joseph Conrad, Charles Dickens, Cervantes, George Washington, and countless others.
- New exhibition, Manjiro: Drifting, 1841–2020. Manjiro’s epic tale begins in 1841, when, as a teenager, he left his tiny Japanese village on a fishing trip. A violent storm left him shipwrecked and set the course that would lead Manjiro to become the first Japanese person to live in the United States. Highlights include Manjiro’s own illustrated manuscript depicting his world travels, rare letters between Manjiro and the captain who rescued him at sea, and much more.
- The Rosenbach’s garden, open to the public again after more than twenty years of closure. The garden is a 1,600 square foot green oasis tucked behind The Rosenbach’s Delancey Street townhouses. The garden was carefully renovated this summer and is now filled with plants and flowers that were specially selected to connect with works of literature in The Rosenbach’s collections.
Learn more about visiting The Rosenbach along with a full set of safety rules and regulations at rosenbach.org/visit. Additionally, The Rosenbach will continue to offer a diverse series of virtual programs, courses, tours, and exhibitions. Coming up this season: Highland Heart: The Music of Robert Burns on January 21; Sundays with Frankenstein beginning on January 24; Yours Forever: Love Letters in the Archive on February 4; Radical Self-care in an Era of Activism on February 11; and much more available at rosenbach.org/events.
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About The Rosenbach
The Rosenbach creates unique experiences for broad audiences through programs inspired by its world-class holdings of literature and history. The Rosenbach is located in Center City Philadelphia and is open to the public with growing content available at all times on Rosenbach.org. The Rosenbach is affiliated with the Free Library of Philadelphia.