This annual event provides an extraordinary opportunity for visitors to see inside the private residences on the Nation’s oldest residential street. This year over 22 homes will be open to tour the 1st floor or ribboned to look inside. Like the house interiors themselves, some boast traditional decorations and others feature their owners’ own artistic imaginations. The celebration also features festive caroling on the alley, costumed reenactors, and wonderful refreshments.
NEW THIS YEAR is --- Making Christmas a Pop-Up exhibit focused on the history of Christmas in America from the 18th to the19th century and the story of how holiday traditions were transformed by the impact of our German immigrants. Visitors to this exhibit will experience this transformation through the stories of a variety of iconic areas including; the Christmas tree, holiday treats, Santa Claus, and the impact of retail stores. This exhibit will be open and included in your normal Deck admission!
The Elfreth's Alley Association 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.
