Founder's Hall Museum

Stephen Girard – merchant, banker and landowner – was the wealthiest man in American when he died in 1831. In an unprecedented act of philanthropy, he left his fortune to establish Girard College, originally endowed to educate “poor, white male orphans.”

Housed in a magnificent Greek Revival landmark, the Founder’s Hall Museum offers a glimpse into the complex life of America’s first multi-millionaire and illuminates the legacy of a school which has fascinated visitors since the 19th century, became the focus of a key Northern civil rights case in the 20th century, and continues to educate youth today.

Museum Open Hours

Walk-in museum hours are Wednesday-Friday 10-4.
Other dates/times are available by appointment.

The museum is self guided and visitors are welcome to stop by for as long or as little as they’d like.  No appointment is necessary during walk in hours, but because Girard College is an active school, all visitors must check in with security upon entering the campus. Also note that Founder’s Hall is a historic structure and stairs are unavoidable to visit the museum.

Weekend Openings

In addition to its regular weekday hours, Founder’s Hall Museum hosts a monthly weekend open house. Visitors to the open house can enjoy special themed highlights and activities, along with the opportunity for a self-guided visit to the museum. Like our regular hours, open houses are free and walk-in, no tickets or reservations required.

  • October 26, 10-2: Halloween Highlights
  • November 16, 12-4 PM: Military Memories
  • December, 14: 12-4 PM: Hum for the Holidays

Virtual Tours

If you can’t make it to campus, you can explore the museum on your own through our virtual tour

Events

Historical Campus Tours
Join us in-person for a guided walking tour of the Girard College campus to explore its history and architecture and learn about the ongoing work of the school.

The French Connection: Girard and Lafayette: October 2: 10 AM & 6 PM (Register  on Eventbrite)

French immigrant Stephen Girard settled in Philadelphia in 1776, but he would not cross paths with his famous countryman the Marquis de Lafayette until Lafayette’s triumphant 1824 American tour. On this special tour visitors will get to see seldom-displayed material including invitations and a rare silk rosette from the Philadelphia celebrations of 1824, correspondence about Lafayette’s visit to Napoleon’s brother (and Girard’s friend) Joseph Bonaparte in New Jersey, and business correspondence with Lafayette himself. We will also zoom out to discuss the role of the French community in early national Philadelphia and the later commemoration of Lafayette at Girard College.

Archives Month Philadelphia

Every October Founder’s Hall joins with other institutions across Philadelphia to celebrate American Archives Month. Join us around town as we participate in the following joint events

  • Annual Philadelphia Lantern Slide Salon at the Wagner Free Institute of Science, Thursday Oct 10, 2024 6pm – 7:30pm
    • The annual Lantern Slide Salon showcase glass lantern slides from the special collections of several Philadelphia institutions projected from an historic lantern projector in the Wagner’s Victorian-era lecture hall. Founder’s Hall will be presenting “Switzerland by Lantern Slide: A Journey Over and Around the Alps” using original 1901 descriptions.
  • Movement & Change in the Archives: Archives Fair at Parkway Central Branch, Free Library of Philadelphia, Wednesday October 16, 6-8 PM
    • Stop by to learn about the various archives in the Philadelphia region and check out the Founder’s Hall table, which will focus on our civil rights and desegregation collections

 

 

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