Welcome to Cairnwood Estate

Experience the Grandeur of the Gilded Age

Cairnwood Estate was designed by Carrère and Hastings in the Beaux Arts style. The meticulous decorative elements blend influences from classical Greek and Roman architecture with French Renaissance ideas.

Guided History Tours

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, 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.

Members – please call to receive your free tour(s). Fundraising and Outreach Activities proudly hosted by Cairn Club, LLC

Tour Information:

• General Admission: Adult (Ages 18-64): $15; Student (Ages 6-17) and Seniors (Ages 65+): $12; Children 5 and under: Free
• 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

The Grounds

The grounds and gardens of Cairnwood Estate are the products of two giants in American landscape architecture: Fredrick Law Olmsted and his first apprentice and later partner, Charles Eliot. Olmsted is widely recognized today as the founder of landscape architecture in America, developing some of the nation’s most notable parks, public and private grounds. Charles Eliot was a preservationist working to establish the Trustees of Public Reservations in the 1890s.

Each year our professional landscape team fashion lush gardens that complement the manicured lawns, winding paths, and surrounding forest. Cairnwood’s enclosed side garden, with its formal plantings and sunset views, features a charming antique fountain. This outdoor room provides the perfect setting for an intimate cocktail party at dusk. The sweeping Lower Terrace with commanding views of the Bryn Athyn Historic District can accommodate up to 200 guests for elegant dining under the stars or within a customized tent.