Welcome to the Rosenbach Museum & Library! We’re delighted that you’ll be joining us on a guided tour of the Rosenbach brothers’ 19th-century townhouse to explore our founders’ collection of rare books, manuscripts, decorative arts, and more. 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. We’re pleased to share that our new Gift Shop is also open and available to visit during regular public hours! Also, admission to our new permanent collection gallery Treasures from the Rosenbach’s Collection: Literature of Great Britain & Ireland is included with your tour ticket.
Please note, the guided tour is the only way to view the historic house during your visit. You can find additional information about visiting the Rosenbach, and purchase your timed ticket, below.
As space is limited, visitors are strongly encouraged to pre-register for timed tickets online or by calling 215-732-1600 x 110. If you have any questions or require assistance, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
We look forward to seeing you soon!
January through March 2025Please note: From January through March 2025, the east and west libraries and the Marianne Moore Room will be closed as they undergo renovations. The libraries will receive updates to their lighting systems that will allow for greater public enjoyment, and aid in preservation, for decades to come. Even though these rooms are temporarily closed, we welcome you to join us for a tour of our founders’ historic home to learn more about the family that created this singular collection. Tours will also be open for our celebrated garden and the Treasures from the Rosenbach’s Collection gallery. The Treasures gallery spotlights collection items from the British Isles and offers a welcoming place to enjoy some truly thought-provoking texts. (And make sure to explore our new gift shop when you visit!) Research appointments are also still available and open to all. From scholars, teachers, and students, to writers, artists, and inquiring minds, our expert librarians can connect you directly with materials in the Rosenbach’s collections. |
Tour times
- 10:30 a.m.
- 12:00 p.m.
- 1:30 p.m
- 3:00 p.m.
- 4:30 p.m. (except on Sundays)
Admission
- Adults: $15.00
- Seniors (ages 65 & older): $10.00
- Students (with a valid student ID): $7.50
- Children 12-17: $7.50
- Children under 12: Free
- Treasures Gallery & Garden Tour: $10
- ACCESS Cardholder: $2.00
- Rosenbach Members: Free
- Delancey Society Members: Free
- Members of AAM, ICOM, & the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Program: Free
Public Hours
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: Closed
- Wednesday: Closed
- Thursday: 10:30 a.m. — 6:00 p.m.
- Friday: 10:30 a.m. — 6:00 p.m.
- Saturday: 10:30 a.m. — 6:00 p.m.
- Sunday: 10:30 a.m. — 4:30 p.m.
The Rosenbach is closed on all major holidays including New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, President’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.
Important Information for Your Visit
- The guided tour is the only way to view the historic house during your visit and is only available when a tour guide is available.
- The guided tours start at the beginning of each timeslot.
- Tour offerings are subject to guide availability. Each 1.5-hour slot accommodates a maximum of 10 total visitors. For larger groups, please visit the Group Tours page.
- Our new permanent exhibition Treasures from the Rosenbach’s Collection: Art & Literature of the British Isles is open to visitors as a part of your guided tour ticket.
- The Rosenbach’s garden is open to the public once 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 and is now filled with plants and flowers that were specially selected to connect with works of literature in The Rosenbach’s collections.
- The Rosenbach’s Gift Shop is open during regular public hours
Museum & Guest Policies
- Visitors are encouraged to pre-register for timed tickets online, by calling 215-732-1600, or emailing [email protected]. Each 1.5-hour timeslot will accommodate up to ten ticket holders into the museum at a time. More than one group can book tickets for a time slot. Children of all ages count as a visitor.
- Please enter through the 2008 Delancey Place main entrance. If you or a member of your party would like to use the accessible entrance ramp, please call us at 215-732-1600 before you arrive. Our staff will explain to you how to access the entrance and will meet you at that door.
- There is no food or drink allowed on the tour.
- Bathrooms are available on the museum’s first floor.
- Lockers are available for you to store your personal belongings.
- You are welcome, and encouraged, to take photos and notes during your visit. If you take notes on paper, you must use a pencil. Ink pens can pose harm to the collection.
- To ensure the safety of your fellow museum visitors, please arrive as close to your time-slot start time to avoid any gathering at the front door. If you are late, you will still be required to leave at the end of your registered time slot.
- If you are unable to visit during your pre-registered time, please cancel your tickets to release your slot to another visitor.
- By visiting The Rosenbach, the guest voluntarily assumes all risks related to potential exposure to COVID-19 in or about The Rosenbach.
Accessibility
Visitors with severe disabilities may be accompanied by their government-funded paid Personal Care Attendants (PCA) at no additional cost during their visit to The Rosenbach. This applies to general admission and to all ticketed programs and events, as well as individual, membership, complimentary and group sales tickets. A request for complimentary admission for a PCA should be made at the time the visitor with disabilities who will be accompanied by the PCA purchases his or her ticket. Visitors who wish to purchase advance tickets should email [email protected] in advance to request a complimentary ticket for a government-funded paid PCA.
The Rosenbach is wheelchair accessible at our south entrance. To access this entrance, please call 215-732-1600 ext. 0 for assistance.
Directions
2008-2010 Delancey Place
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Parking
When available, street parking is free for two hours. There are also several parking garages located on 20th Street a few blocks north, near Walnut Street and Chestnut Street.
Public Transportation
Amtrak, Regional Rail, and New Jersey Transit: The Rosenbach is a short walk or cab ride south from 30th Street Station, Suburban Station.
SEPTA: The Route 17 Bus travels 19th Street and 20th Street. Other nearby routes include: the Market-Frankford Line, the Broad Street Line, the Route 2 Bus, the Route 7 bus, and the Route 40 bus.
PATCO: The Speedline stops at 16th and Locust Street.
More Info
If you still haven’t found what you are looking for please check out our Frequently Asked Questions page or Contact Us directly.