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PHILADELPHIA, March 2, 2001 – Philadelphia Open House, administered by The Friends of Independence National Historical Park, a non-profit organization, proudly announces that its 23^rd annual tour series will begin Thursday, April 26^th and end Sunday, May 20^th, with an additional tour on June 3^rd. Philadelphia Open House, the most comprehensive series of house and garden tours in the United States, offers a unique opportunity to explore impressive private homes, magnificent gardens, and wonderful historic sites throughout the Philadelphia region.

Philadelphia Open House 2001, sponsored by Prudential Fox & Roach Realtors, will include tours of beautiful private homes and gardens in:

• Moorestown, NJ, April 26

• East Germantown, April 29

• Overbrook Farms, April 29

• Wilmington, DE, May 5

• Queen Village, May 5

• Society Hill Houses, May 6

• Medford, NJ, May 9

• Main Line, May 10

• Victorian Germantown, May 12

• Washington Square West, May 12

• Cherry Hill, NJ, May 15

• Bryn Athyn, May 17

• Cheltenham, May 19

• Old City, May 19

• Fairmount, May 20

• Society Hill Gardens, June 3

Our annual Philadelphia Open House Kick-Off Gala will be held Tuesday, April 17^th in the spectacularly renovated, four-story atrium space of the Chemical Heritage Foundation, Independence Park’s newest neighbor. The Gala will feature both a silent and live auction, with Samuel "Beau" Freeman of Freeman’s Auctioneers.

Philadelphia Open House, one of Philadelphia’s premier annual events, is more than an opportunity to view private homes and gardens. It promotes historic preservation, education and awareness in Philadelphia and its surrounding communities. Funds generated by the tour series contribute to the efforts of local, civic, historical and cultural associations that provide for the preservation of historic buildings and the beautification and maintenance of community sites.

New tours for 2001 include:

• East Meets West, April 27 – Visit Cedar Grove, a Georgian home built in 1748, and the Pine Breeze Villa, a reproduction of a late 16^th-century Japanese residence, in beautiful Fairmount Park. See the influence of trade with the Orient, learn about early American tea-time customs, and participate in an authentic Japanese tea ceremony. Refreshments. $45

• Grand Estate Gardens, May 2 – A horticulturist’s tour of Chanticleer, an exquisite pleasure garden, Appleford Mansion, with its impressive garden rooms, and Meadowbrook Farm, a testament to perfection in the art of gardening. See inside the fabulous mansions that complete these magnificent properties. Boxed lunch at Appleford. $85

• Philadelphia’s Public Art, May 4 – Get the "inside scoop" on the world’s largest collection of outdoor public art. This unrivaled collection spans 130 years with masterpieces by Nevelson, Saint-Gaudens, Remington, Rodin, and three generations of Calders. Lunch at the Union League. $65

• Wilmington Gardens, May 5 – See spectacular private gardens – from the charming and romantic to the elegant and formal – all filled with a profusion of plants, textures, aromas, and colors. Lunch at the Du Pont Country Club. $85

• Medford, NJ, May 9 – Experience this unique lifestyle, where impressive Arts & Crafts log cabins and sprawling contemporaries mix among the lakes and forests. Visit a variety of private homes and Kirby’s Mill, an important historic structure. Lunch at Braddock’s Tavern. $70

• Pre-Revolutionary Germantown, May 16 – Visit five of Germantown’s most treasured colonial sites including Stenton, RittenhouseTown, the Johnson House, Wyck, and Grumblethorpe. Lunch at the Germantown Cricket Club. $65

• Saints, Sinners, & Scoundrels, May 18 – Tour Saint Katherine Drexel’s Shrine at the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, the "residence" of sinners Al Capone and Willie Sutton at Eastern State Penitentiary, and Mt. Pleasant, owned briefly by the most notorious scoundrel of them all, Benedict Arnold. Lunch at the Torresdale Frankford Country Club. $80

Tour prices range from $25-85, and tickets must be purchased in advance. You may call 215-928-1188 to have a brochure sent to you or to make your reservations.

Artwork is available upon request.

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