Revolutionary Germantown Festival

08/26/2026

On this day in 1777 - August 25th - the Continental Army was caught off guard by the British. British General Howe and 18,000 British soldiers landed at Elk Point in Chesapeake Bay, MD - 40 miles from the capital, Philadelphia. Washington and his generals had anticipated the British landing in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, not Maryland, and Continental forces had already marched towards the PA-DE border. New defense plans were needed immediately in order to prevent the British from capturing Philadelphia.

08/26/2026

Planning a visit to Cliveden this fall? Take us right along with you—however you choose to explore. 📱

With our upcoming September 12th Spotlight Tour and Revolutionary Germantown Festival just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to check out our digital guide, "Revealing Revolutionary Germantown," on Bloomberg Connects. The app is completely free to download and lets you dive into the 1777 Battle of Germantown and the site's history at your own pace.

Prefer the paper approach? We have physical handouts featuring a hand-drawn map of the sites involved in the battle on one side and a detailed layout of each site on the other. 🗺

Search for Cliveden on Bloomberg Connects today to start exploring from home, and grab your paper map at the Barn during a visit.

08/18/2026

August 1777 was an important and stressful month for the Continental Army, for both the soldiers and Washington. The soldiers were stationed in Neshaminy, PA taking on two huge tasks: preparing to defend Philadelphia from the British and learning how to function as a unified army. Washington's duties during this time included organizing officer ranks, disciplining soldiers for infractions - such as stealing a cucumber from a local garden - and handling daily logistics, including establishiing a formal sound system to signal troops when it was time to march.

Want to walk in the soldiers' footsteps and learn about the 1777 Battle of Germantown firsthand? Join Cliveden and Concord School House and Upper Burying Ground on September 12th for our next Spotlight Tour.

Plus, prepare for the 2026 Revolutionary Germantown Festival on October 3rd! Learn more and register here: https://cliveden.org/revolutionary-germantown/

08/17/2026

Follow in the soldiers' steps as we explore what happened during and after the Battle of Germantown.

Join Cliveden on Saturday, September 12th for our next Spotlight Tour, offered in partnership with the Concord School House and Upper Burying Ground.

✨Spotlight Tour: Revolutionary Germantown✨
🕕: begins at 10:30 am and is approximately 1.5 hours
🚩: covers about 1 mile, with opportunities to stop and sit along the way
👟: please wear comfortable, appropriate footwear and bring a drink to stay hydrated

Please note: in case of inclement weather, this tour will be rescheduled. ☂

🍂Looking ahed to fall 2026: Get ready for the Revolutionary Germantown Festival on October 3rd by joining us on the September 12th Spotlight Tour to kick off your season of local history!

Register here: https://cliveden.org/revolutionary-germantown/

08/11/2026

Cliveden is part of the Garden Railway at Morris Arboretum & Gardens of the University of Pennsylvania - thank you to Josh, Morris Arboretum's Train Conductor, for inviting the staff to visit!

The model of the Chew House is part of Morris Arboretum Garden Railway's exhibition, 'Garden Railway: Revolutionary Philly,' which debuted this year for the Semi-quincentennial. The house is made of natural materials and depicts the 1777 Battle of Germantown, including figurines of Continental and British soldiers. Josh visited Cliveden in May to research the house, and it was amazing to see the final design.

'Garden Railway: Revolutionary Philly' is on view now and ends on September 30th. Plan a visit to Morris Arboretum to see the Chew House, take a tiny tour of 18th-century Philadelphia, and enjoy the model trains as they zoom through the beautiful scenery.

08/02/2026

While we are getting ready for the 2026 Revolutionary Germantown Festival in October, our regular house tour season is in full swing at Cliveden.

If you have not visited us yet this year, now is the perfect time! Come view the Chew House and our new exhibit 'Procuring Liberty in the Emerging Nation,' on view through 2028. Each tour is an hour-long guided experience.

House Tours Info:
📆: Thursdays through Sundays
🕕: 12 pm to 4 pm, beginning on the hour; last tour at 3 pm
📍: Tours start in the Cliveden Barn - 98 E. Cliveden Street, 19119

House tours run through Sunday, November 22nd. Schedule a tour today at https://cliveden.org/tours/.

08/01/2026

Spotted on the 6300 block: the new festival banners are up which means autumn in Germantown is around the corner... 🍂

The 2026 Revolutionary Germantown Festival returns in 10 weeks on Saturday, October 3rd! From 10 am to 4 pm join Cliveden, the sites of Historic Germantown, first-person interpreters and re-enactors collaborate to highlight the diverse stories of the people who experienced the American Revolution and 1777 Battle of Germantown.

Follow us to learn more about day-of activities and visit our website: https://cliveden.org/revolutionary-germantown-festival/

Thank you to our sponsors for their support: Asher's Chocolates, Elfant Wissahickon Realtors, John Milner Architects, Inc., the Cheshire Law Group, Randall & Linda Miller, Ted & Dianne Reed, and Wissahickon Landscape Design, LLC.

06/26/2026

Join Cliveden this Sunday, June 28th between 12 pm and 4 pm for Music in the Parlor.

We are thrilled to welcome back The Ministers of Apollo and Early American Music and Arts for an afternoon of Revolutionary era music brought to life on the harpsichord in the parlor.

The program is free, open to all ages, and no registration is needed - just come by and enjoy!

📅: Sunday, June 28, 2026
🕛: 12 pm to 4 pm
📍: in the Cliveden parlor - 6401 Germantown Avenue, 19144

A special thank you to The Haley Foundation for their generous support in making this program possible.

10/04/2025

It's festival day! Cliveden, the sites of Germantown , and festival participants have a great day planned with hands-on activities with craftspeople, tours of Cliveden and other historic sites, visiting with British and Continental soldiers in their camps, and more.

Grab a Guidebook or visit our website https://cliveden.org/revolutionary-germantown-festival/ for the full schedule and to plan your day. Feel free to take pictures while you're at the festival and tag us - we'd love to see them.

We will be providing updates throughout the day via Cliveden's Instagram, . We look forward to seeing you here. Huzzah! Thank you to our sponsors - 's Chocolates , the Cheshire Law Group, Elfant Wissahickon Realtors, John Milner Architects, Inc. , Randall & Linda Miller, Ted and Dianne Reed, and Wissahickon Landscape Design.

The Revolutionary Germantown Festival returns Saturday, October 5, 2024! Come and learn about Germantown's revolutionary history.

10/04/2025

248 years ago today, Washington and his troops marched into Germantown to force the British out of Germantown and then (hopefully) Philadelphia. The Continental Army was successful in surprising the British, but the resulting artillery fire alerted British Colonel Thomas Musgrave's 40th Regiment, who were camped in the fields surrounding Cliveden. Cut off from the main British line, Musgrave ordered his troops into the Main House and used it as a fortress during the battle.

On the Continental side, General Henry Knox suggested to Washington that their troops ‘reduce’ the house. They were ultimately unsuccessful; the thick stone walls protected the house from a cannon attack and fire, and American troops were unable to storm the house. After hours of intense fighting in and around Cliveden, Washington and his forces retreated to Montgomery County. 1,000 Continental soldiers lost their lives in the fight.

The festival starts in a few hours - join us at 10am to learn about the full scale of the battle and the soldiers experience.

🖼: Cliveden during the Battle of Germantown, by Edward Lamson Henry (1841-1919), 1875.