Guided History Tour
Tuesday – Sunday at 11am
Learn the Personal History of this Grand Beaux Arts Country House!
Guided tours of Cairnwood Estate reveal the personal history of this grand Beaux Arts country house. Tour participants discover the private side of the family and its integral role in founding the Bryn Athyn community. Tours begin with an orientation video in the Garden House and includes three floors of the Main House, the Chapel in the tower, the Cairnwood Family Gallery, Servant’s Quarters, and the Carriage House collections of horse-drawn carriages and sleighs and a 1927 Packard. Fundraising and outreach activities proudly hosted by Cairn Club, Inc.
- Admission: Adult (Ages 18-64): $15; Student (Ages 6-17) and Seniors (Ages 65+): $12; 5 & under: Free
- Minimum 2 tickets; Single ticket – call to book.
- Cairnwood Members – please call to receive your free tour(s) coupon code.
- Tours are available Tuesday – Sunday at 11:00am
- Duration: 1.5 hours
- Purchasing tickets in advance is strongly recommended; the estate and grounds are occasionally closed for private rentals on short notice
- Parts of the estate are not fully accessible due to 1895 construction; tours require a fair amount of walking and stairs. Call for more information or to request tour modifications.
- Call 215-947-2004 or contact us at info@cairnwood.org to schedule your tour
Cairnwood Literary Guild – Book Club Meeting
Tuesday, January 28th at 7:30pm in the Garden House
Winter selection:What The Lady Wants: A Novel of Marshall Field and The Gilded Age by Renée Rosen
Meeting in the Cairnwood Garden House. Tuesday, January 28, 7:30 PM
The night of the Great Fire, as seventeen-year-old Delia watches the flames rise and consume what was the pioneer town of Chicago, she can’t imagine how much her life, her city, and her whole world are about to change. Nor can she guess that the agent of that change will not simply be the fire, but more so the man she meets that night.…
Leading the way in rebuilding after the fire, Marshall Field reopens his well-known dry goods store and transforms it into something the world has never seen before: a glamorous palace of a department store. He and his powerhouse coterie—including Potter Palmer and George Pullman—usher in the age of robber barons, the American royalty of their generation.
But behind the opulence, their private lives are riddled with scandal and heartbreak. Delia and Marshall first turn to each other out of loneliness, but as their love deepens, they will stand together despite disgrace and ostracism, through an age of devastation and opportunity, when an adolescent Chicago is transformed into the gleaming White City of the Chicago’s World’s Fair of 1893.
RSVP: lisa@cairnwood.org
Fundraising and outreach activities proudly hosted by Cairn Club, Inc.
Dreamhouse Dance Party
Saturday, February 15th at 7:00pm
“I don’t have anything big planned. Just a giant blowout party with all the Barbies, and planned choreography, and a bespoke song. You should stop by.” — Barbie, The Barbie Movie
Boogie the night away at Cairnwood’s very first Dreamhouse Dance Party! Get dolled up with your friends and enjoy libations (that are pink and good enough to drink), sweet and savory bites, and music that is sublime!
- Dance party attire! Pink and Sparkles recommended.
- $70/person
- 25% off for Cairnwood & Cairn Club members– with valid coupon code
- Duration: 3 hours
- Limited availability ~ Reservations Required
- 21+ years or older to attend.
Fundraising and outreach activities proudly hosted by Cairn Club, Inc.
Fairy Garden Party
Sunday, April 13th from 11am to 1pm
All you need is faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust! Join us for a Fairy Garden Party at Cairnwood. Your child will create an enchanted garden on the terrace, fashion a pixie wand, and sit down for a favorite fairy story in the library. Flutter around the Estate while exploring our Woodland Fairy Quest in the fountain garden and enjoy sparkling pixie-punch and bite size sweet nibbles.
- $25 per child (ages 3-12 years)
- Children must be accompanied by an adult (chaperone free of charge)
- 25% off for Cairnwood Estate members *present valid ID
- Doors open at 11 AM and close at 1 PM ~ complete at your own pace
- Duration: please allow 60 minutes
- Limited availability ~ Reservations Required
Please wear your favorite wings and fairy attire!
Fundraising and outreach activities proudly hosted by Cairn Club, Inc.
Gertrude’s Gardens & Home Tour
Tuesday – Thursday at 2pm or By Appointment
Working with the architects Carrère & Hastings and the landscape architects Olmsted, Olmsted and Eliot, Mrs. Gertrude Pitcairn oversaw the vision and details of Cairnwood Estate. During this focused exterior and interior tour, we will explore the architecture and intention of the historic landscape plans while wandering the garden paths and terraces, and the grand rooms for entertaining on the first floor including the Great Hall, Living Room, Library, Music Room, and Dining Room all of which were planned with sweeping views and access to the outdoors. The tour begins in the Garden House and ends in the Carriage House, weather permitting. Fundraising and outreach activities proudly hosted by Cairn Club, Inc.
- General Admission: Adult (Ages 18-64): $15; Student (Ages 6-17) and Seniors (Ages 65+): $12; Children 5 and under: Free
- Minimum 2 tickets; Single ticket – call to book
- Cairnwood Members – please call to receive your free tour(s) coupon code.
- Tours are available: Tuesday – Thursday at 2:00 pm or by Appointment (reservations required)
- Weather permitting/discretionary substitutions may be required
- Tour includes uneven garden paths and stairs; call to inquire about accessibility
- Duration: 75 minutes
- Purchasing tickets in advance is required
Mother’s Day Tea & Tours
Sunday, May 11th at 10 AM, 1 PM
Celebrate Mom while enjoying a traditional tea service. Afternoon Tea is a truly Victorian custom known worldwide, with origins in 19th century England. Take in the gardens and grounds of Cairnwood and join us for tea inside a beautiful historic landmark. Your party of 2-6 people will be seated at your own private table. Book your reservation now for this special Mother’s Day event! Reservations include docent-supported self-guided touring of the 2nd and 3rd floors from 11am to 4pm..
Tea menu includes premium teas by master blender Harney & Sons, soup du jour and seasonal salad, traditional tea sandwiches, family style petit fours, and scones with clotted cream and jams provided by Karen Spire Catering. Gluten free and vegetarian substitutions are available; please call to make dietary requests in advance.
- $70/person (tax & gratuity not included)
- Duration: 2 hours
- For groups of more than 6 people, please call 215.947.2004 to arrange a group reservation.
- NOTE: reservations are by table; if you would like to join an existing reservation, please call 215.947.2004
- Limited availability ~ Reservations Required
Fundraising and outreach activities proudly hosted by Cairn Club, Inc.
Summer Wine Tasting
Thursday, August 14th at 7 PM
The Summer Wine Tasting – an annual tradition – features live music, samplings of premium wines from around the world, and savory bites compliments of Karen Spire Catering. Get your first pour and take in some history. Enjoy self-guided tours of the 2nd & 3rd floors of the Estate available from 7pm to 9pm. Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy an evening out with friends while soaking in the stunning views from the Cairnwood terrace!
- $70/person
- 25% off for Cairnwood & Cairn Club Members
- Duration: 3 hours
- Limited availability ~ Reservations Required
- 21+ years or older to attend.
Fundraising and outreach activities proudly hosted by Cairn Club, Inc.
Emerald City Masquerade Ball
Thursday, October 30th at 7:30 PM
“Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore” – Dorothy Gale, The Wizard of OZ, 1939
Join us for a wickedly magical Masquerade Ball in the Emerald City! The Wizard welcomes you to enjoy ruby red cocktails, delectable bites, dancing, and surprises. The question is – are you a good witch or a bad witch? This event will be very very popular indeed!
- Mask required – Black tie optional (inspired by the Wizard of Oz.
- $100/person
- $75 Cairnwood & Cairn Club members– with valid coupon code
- Duration: 3.5 hours
- Limited availability ~ Reservations Required
Fundraising and outreach activities proudly hosted by Cairn Club, Inc.
Holiday Tea & Tours – Holiday 2025
Select Wednesdays and Sundays – December 2025
Celebrate the season and join us for tea and tours during our most sparkling time of year! Package includes a traditional holiday tea, docent-supported self-guided tours of the decorated Estate, and access to our seasonal vintage textile exhibition Dressing With Flair: Staff Favorites From the Pitcairn Collection throughout the second and third floors. Fundraising and outreach activities proudly hosted by Cairn Club, Inc.
Menu includes premium teas by master blender Harney & Sons, traditional tea sandwiches, soup du jour and seasonal salad, family style sweets, holiday cookies, and scones with clotted cream and jams provided by Karen Spire Catering & Events.
- $70 per person (gratuities not included)
- NOTE: reservations are by table; if you would like to join a group, please call 215.947.2004
- Docent-supported self-guided tours included
- Duration: 3 hours
- Limited availability ~ Reservations Required
Guided Christmas in Cairnwood Tour
Select dates in December at 11 AM
Enjoy the holidays with your family and friends at Cairnwood Estate. Guided Christmas in Cairnwood tours begin in the Garden House with an orientation video and include three floors decorated for the season by professional florists. Guests are greeted upon entering the Great Hall by our dazzling two-story Christmas tree—located in the same spot it once stood at the turn of the century. Tour participants discover the private side of the Pitcairn family and its integral role in founding the Bryn Athyn community while exploring this grand Beaux Arts country house and the vintage textile exhibition Dressing With Flair: Staff Favorites From the Pitcairn Collection. A visit to the Estate during the holidays will be a special treat for the ones you love! Fundraising and outreach activities proudly hosted by Cairn Club, Inc.
- $25 per adult
- $20 per senior/students
- $15 for Cairnwood Estate members *present valid ID
- Duration: 90 minutes
- Limited availability ~ Reservations Required
Children’s Critter Quest – Holiday 2025
Select Wednesdays and Sundays from 2 PM to 4 PM ~ December 2025
It is during this festive season that the Cairnwood Critters venture out of their secret homes in the walls to celebrate! Families will make their way through the glittering grand rooms of the Estate while on a quest to find the hiding (and cute) little critters. This is a wonderful after-school opportunity to build family memories while learning about the history of Cairnwood. Bring your camera–family photos by the Christmas trees are welcome! Fundraising and outreach activities proudly hosted by Cairn Club, Inc.
- $10 per child (ages 4-12 years)
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- $10 per adult
- Cairnwood Estate & Cairn Club members receive FREE admission and half price on children tickets (limit 4) *present valid ID
- Doors open at 2 PM and close at 4 PM ~ complete at your own pace
- Duration: please allow 45 minutes
Self-Guided Holiday Tour – Holiday 2025
Select Wednesdays and Sundays from 2 PM to 4 PM ~ December 2025
Explore the elegant rooms of the Estate at your own pace with professionally decorated Christmas trees, twinkling balustrades, festive mantels over nine 1895 fireplaces, and the vintage textile exhibition Dressing With Flair: Staff Favorites From the Pitcairn Collection. Learn the personal history of this grand Beaux Arts country house; Cairnwood docents throughout the mansion will enhance your visit. For a family experience you may add Children’s Critter Quest tickets (sold separately). Don’t forget your camera! Fundraising and outreach activities proudly hosted by Cairn Club, Inc.
- $10 per person
- Doors open at 2 PM and will close at 4 PM ~ complete at your own pace
- Free for Cairnwood Estate members *present valid ID
- Duration: 2 hours to explore at your own pace
Christmas Cookie Stroll – Holiday 2025
Thursday, December 18th, 2025 from 5pm to 7:30pm
There is nothing more magical than an evening stroll through the Estate to collect a personal selection of traditional cookies by the candlelight glow of thousands of Christmas lights inside and out! This family-friendly event is the last self-guided tour opportunity to see Cairnwood’s halls decked with 8 sparkling Christmas trees and fantasy fireplace mantels throughout the Estate. Step back in time with the special exhibition of vintage textiles, Dressing With Flair: Staff Favorites From the Pitcairn Collection. Admission includes holiday cookies and a cup of hot chocolate per person—add to the fun with the additional purchase of the Cairnwood Critter Quest for the children and a holiday cocktail or beverage for the adults. Fundraising and outreach activities proudly hosted by Cairn Club, Inc.
- $15 per adult/child
- $10 for Cairnwood members *present valid ID
- Duration: 2.5 hours to explore at your own pace
- Critter Quest booklets sold separately during the event
- Cash bar available (21+ years of age)
- Credit cards and cash accepted