Visiting the Alley

Programs and Events

Past Residents & Descendants

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About the Elfreth's Alley Association

Support Us

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Museum Hours
 
March through October
Tuesday Noon to 5pm
Wednesday to Saturday 10 am to 5pm
Sunday Noon to 5pm

 
November through February
Thursday to Saturday 10 am to 5pm
Sunday Noon to 5pm 
 

 
 
Visiting Elfreth's Alley
 
 
 
The Elfreth's Alley Museum

The Elfreth's Alley Museum is located in House 126, built in 1755 by blacksmith and Alley namesake, Jeremiah Elfreth. The Museum has been restored and furnished to its c.1790 appearance and is the only house on Elfreth's Alley that is accessible to the public. The other homes on the Alley are private residences, so please respect the residents' privacy and property.

Guided tours of the museum are offered daily on the hour and half hour. Tours last approximately 25 minutes and take visitors through the first and second floors of the house and conclude in the rear yard.
Tickets are available in the Museum Shop in House 124.
 
Tours of the Museum give visitors a look at how daily life for working class people changed over the last 300 years by asking questions such as:
  • why were alleys and sidestreets built and who built them?
  • how did middle class people live and work in the 18th century?
  • how have individuals and families changed their houses over time to suit their needs?
  • how did work and family life change during the American Industrial Revolution?
  • how did immigration change neighborhoods in the early 20th century?
Self-guided Tourbooks
 
Guidebooks that tell the story of each of the Alley's 32 private homes and their residents over the last 300 years are available in the Museum Shop in House 124. Inside These Doors lets visitors experience the Alley on their own schedule, but does not let you see the inside of any of the houses.
 
Groups
Commercial and private groups are encouraged to make reservations at least 2 weeks prior to their visit. Private walking tours and special programs can be arranged by contacting the Museum at least one month in advance.
 
 
School Groups
School groups of all ages are welcome at Elfreth's Alley. Tour programs are offered on a donation only basis, though the suggested donation is $2.00 per adult chaperone, with a minimum suggested donation of $15 per group. Lesson plans and pre-visit packets are sent free of charge to all groups with reservations. Custom tours can be provided.
 
Large groups will be split into smaller groups of approximately 15 people each. Please contact the museum at (215) 574-0560 to discuss specific logistical and content considerations.
 
Reservations at least 2 weeks in advance are required.
 
Cost
 
Museum Tours
  • Adults - $5.00. Includes 20 minute guided tour and free copy of Inside These Doors, the self-guided walking tour of the Alley's private homes.
  • CHildren(6-18)- $1.00. Includes 20 minute guided tour.
  • Under 6 - FREE
Guidebooks
  • Inside These Doors, the self-guided walking tour of the Alley's private homes. This tour does not include access to the interior of any of the houses.  $3.00 
Groups (15+ adults)
  • Commercial and private tour groups can reserve private tours of the Museum for $4.00/adult including a copy of Inside These Doors for each group member. Reservations made at least 2 weeks in advance are required to qualify for the group discount.
 
 
 
Thank you to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, and the generous corporations and individuals who  support our mission with general operating support.  Click here if you would like to help us tell the world about the lives of ordinary people.
The Elfreth's Alley is a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational organization that uses the Alley as a lens to interpret the lives, lifestyles, and livelihoods of ordinary Philadelphians from the time of the City's founding through to the present day.  The Association preserves the Elfreth's Alley National Historic Landmark District as a rare example of a once commonplace working class community from the late 18th and early 19th centuries.