A Secret - The Philadelphia Masonic Temple Offers Public Tours
Officially "The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania", but to us, just the Philadelphia Masonic Temple, on Broad Street, across from City Hall.
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The Philadelphia Masonic Temple itself is a closely guarded secret – in the sense that its architecture, Museum and Library represent an overlooked treasure, unknown to many native Philadelphians. You can tour the incredible building, and among other things, see the Masonic apron of George Washington and the Masonic sash of
Benjamin Franklin
- who were both members.
Philadelphia Masonic Temple - Operating Hours and Admission
Mondays through Fridays - Guided tours are available at 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM, and 3:00 PM.
Saturdays - Guided tours are available at 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and noon.
There may be additional tours during heavy visitor season - so call in advance to check.
Admission
The entire Masonic Temple - $8.00 (adults); $6.00 (students with ID); $5.00 (children 12 and under; seniors 65 and over); Masons, active military, and children under 5, free.
Philadelphia Masonic Temple Library and Museum, only
Admission, Library and Museum only - $3.00
Tuesday through Friday - 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday - 9 AM - 12 noon
Closed on Sundays, Mondays, and some legal holidays. It also is subject to closure, when a Masonic event is taking place.
If you visit only the Library and Museum, and like it so much that you want to take the entire tour, your $3.00 will be credited toward your admission fee.
Getting to the Philadelphia Masonic Temple
1 North Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA
215.988.1917
When in season, the purple
Phlash Trolley
has a stop nearby. However, it only operates between May 1 and Halloween, and will stop running at some point between 5:30 and 6 PM, depending on the day.
SEPTA
offers a ton of options to the Philadelphia Masonic Temple, given its centralized location.
You can take the
Broad Street Subway/Orange Line
to its City Hall stop. Come up from the subway, and you'll see the Masonic Temple across the street.
You can also take the
Blue Line / Market-Frankford Line / "the el"
- which are just different names for the same line - to its 15th Street Station. You will come up at 15th and Market Streets, just one block from the Masonic Temple.
If you are coming from a distant neighborhood, or from the Pennsylvania or New Jersey suburbs, you can also take
SEPTA Regional Rail
service, which is ideal for the Masonic Temple. Nearly every inbound Regional Rail train will stop at
Suburban Station
- which is just a stone's throw from the Masonic Temple. You will exit Suburban Station at 16th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard - just walk two blocks over to Broad Street, the equivalent of 14th Street, and you'll see the Masonic Temple.
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