Tours

Guided Tours for Individuals                

We are open for tours! Registration is required for all tours through TicketLeap: (https://grundymuseum.ticketleap.com/)  Two types of tours are available. 

The first are free, docent-led tours Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday tours are one-hour starting at 1:30PM in front of the Museum. Saturday tours are at 1:15pm and 2:30pm. Tour highlights include newly-discovered research about the Grundy family’s domestic staff, details about our extensive interior restorations, and collection items never exhibited before. Required reservations can be made online through TicketLeap (https://grundymuseum.ticketleap.com/).

New in 2021 is an exciting series of three (3) Thematic Tours developed by Curator Geoffrey Webster. Mr. Webster will lead two-hour Thematic Tours on the first Saturday of each month starting at 11:00AM in front of the Museum. Three Thematic Tours are offered throughout the year.

Now that’s Entertainment: The Elegant Art of the Victorian Party

“Come and see what it was like to take part in the social whirl of the Gilded Age!”

We may think of the Victorians as a dour bunch, but they loved to entertain. Our own Mary Grundy was president of the Bristol Hostess League! Take an in-depth look at the why’s and how’s of Gilded Age entertaining, from dinners and dancing to teas and table settings.Come and see the beautifully restored Grundy Museum Dining Room seasonally decorated for a grand Victorian dinner party. Learn about parlor games and popular music. Explore the different social functions of the rooms in a Victorian House. Experience the social life of a wealthy Victorian family in the Gilded age.

Manners & Mores: A Social History of the Late 19^th Century

“Explore the social construct of Victorian etiquette and propriety and its effects on daily life”

The Victorians took manners and polite behavior to an extreme never seen before or since. In an age when polite society was truly polite, failure to apply to the rules of society could easily lead to social ruin. Learn about the manners and morals of the Victorians, and learn how manners changed in the early years of the 19^th century. Discover the individual and highly specific social usages of each room of the Grundy Museum.

Learn essential etiquette for everyday occasions, the do’s and don’ts of dressing, and the lost art of paying and receiving calls. Discover why a wealthy woman would have spent so much time changing outfits every day, and learn about activity specific clothing from a bygone era.

Interior Styles of the Gilded Age: The domestic interior in post-Civil War America

“Take an in-depth look at the newly restored Grundy Museum, where we’re    putting the gilt back on the Gilded Age!”

The late 19^th century was a time of rapid change on all fronts, and the domestic interior was certainly no exception. Styles and fashions for the home changed very quickly, and drew their inspiration from an almost bewildering array of sources and motifs. Our 2019-2020 renovations have richly highlighted the Grundy family’s collection in the styles of their eras. The Grundy family’s furniture collection spans the entire 19^th century, with family heirlooms mixed with more typically “Victorian” pieces, along with the superb furnishings Mary Grundy purchased during her European Travels. 

Learn about the evolution of interior design during the gilded age. Discover how technology drove style and changed craftsmanship. Explore the social context behind the choices of decorative styles.

Check TicketLeap when each tour is offered.  A $50 pp contribution is required. Funds support Grundy Foundation’s CanDoMore Campaign. This year’s goal is the conservation, reproduction, exhibition, and storage of never-before-seen Grundy family clothing. Campaign information can be found at grundyfoundation.com/content/candomore-campaign).

When the Grounds are open, please enjoy a self-guided tour of the gardens and riverfront park as well as the Bristol History Trail. 

Guided Tours for Groups 

At this time we are not offering group tours.

Audio Tour of Historic Bristol Borough

Tour Bristol Borough's National Register Historic District on your own time and at your own pace. To learn how, click here. 

A Day in Historic Bristol Borough

The Grundy Museum can assist in planning a day in historic Bristol Borough to suit your group’s special interests. Click here to request more information.

Mansions Along the Delaware

Explore three centuries of gracious living along the Delaware River in Bucks County. Click here for details.