Gloria Dei Church National Historic Site
Designation: National Historic Site
Location: Pennsylvania
📘 Park Overview
Before Pennsylvania there was New Sweden. Discover this last historic link to a forgotten past. Visit the church's pastoral surroundings and its burial ground of patriots and ordinary citizens alike.
🌤 Weather Information
Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Snowfall is highly variable, with some winters bringing only light snow and others bringing several major snowstorms, with the normal seasonal snowfall standing at 22.4 in (57 cm). Precipitation is generally spread throughout the year, with eight to twelve wet days per month.
🚗 Directions
The Gloria Dei Church is accessed from Christian Street in South Philadelphia. As in any city, use your street smarts and do not leave any valuables visible in your car. Several SEPTA bus routes serve the vicinity of the site. Visit the website for more information.
Images
The church building at Gloria Dei 'Old Swedes' has been in use since 1700, making it the oldest church building in Pennsylvania and the second oldest in the United States. The steeple was completed in 1703.
Credit: NPS Photo
Gloria Dei Church was designated as a National Historical Site in 1942. The Gloria Dei congregation owns and maintains the church and the related buildings, its ministry and the grounds.
Credit: NPS Photo
Situated above the pulpit is the only stained glass window in the church building. Created in the mid 1800s, the window is the earliest example of American stained glass among the 3600 windows in the Philadelphia region.
Credit: NPS Photo
Hanging from the ceiling of Gloria Dei are models of the two ships that brought the first Swedish colonists to North America in 1638, the "Kalmar Nyckel" and the "Fogel Gryp."
Credit: Library of Congress Photo
This 1850s photograph shows a bird's-eye view of the Gloria Dei Church, with the cemetery in the foreground and the masts of ships visible in the background.
Credit: Library of Congress Photo
Activities
Topics
Operating Hours
Entrance Fees
No entrance fees listed.
Entrance Passes
No entrance passes listed.
3-Day Weather Forecast
Sunday, Apr 19
Patchy rain nearby
High: 54.7°F | Low: 42.4°F
Humidity: 80%
Wind: 19.7 mph
Rain Chance: 82%
UV Index: 2.1
Sunrise: 06:17 AM
Sunset: 07:44 PM
Moon: Waxing Crescent (3%)
Visibility: 5 mi
Dew Point: 47.2°F
Cloud Cover: 82%
Pressure: N/A mb
Air Quality (PM2.5): N/A
Ozone: N/A
EPA Index: N/A
Monday, Apr 20
Patchy rain nearby
High: 51.5°F | Low: 37.9°F
Humidity: 58%
Wind: 13.2 mph
Rain Chance: 88%
UV Index: 4
Sunrise: 06:15 AM
Sunset: 07:45 PM
Moon: Waxing Crescent (9%)
Visibility: 5 mi
Dew Point: 36.1°F
Cloud Cover: 88%
Pressure: N/A mb
Air Quality (PM2.5): N/A
Ozone: N/A
EPA Index: N/A
Tuesday, Apr 21
Sunny
High: 57.3°F | Low: 35.8°F
Humidity: 33%
Wind: 10.1 mph
Rain Chance: 0%
UV Index: 6.1
Sunrise: 06:14 AM
Sunset: 07:46 PM
Moon: Waxing Crescent (17%)
Visibility: 6 mi
Dew Point: 32.9°F
Cloud Cover: 0%
Pressure: N/A mb
Air Quality (PM2.5): N/A
Ozone: N/A
EPA Index: N/A
Weather Alerts (5)
Freeze Watch issued April 19 at 1:46PM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Effective: Apr 19, 2026 1:46pm
Expires: Apr 20, 2026 4:00am
* WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 27 possible.
* WHERE...In Delaware, New Castle County. In Pennsylvania, Delaware
and Philadelphia Counties.
* WHEN...From late Monday night through Tuesday morning.
* IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other
sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor
plumbing.
Freeze Watch issued April 19 at 1:46PM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Effective: Apr 19, 2026 1:46pm
Expires: Apr 20, 2026 4:00am
* WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 25 possible.
* WHERE...Portions of central, northern, and southern New Jersey and
east central and southeast Pennsylvania.
* WHEN...From late Monday night through Tuesday morning.
* IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other
sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor
plumbing.
Coastal Flood Advisory issued April 19 at 4:37PM EDT until April 20 at 3:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Effective: Apr 19, 2026 4:37pm
Expires: Apr 20, 2026 3:00am
* WHAT...Up to one half foot of inundation above ground level
expected in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal
waterways.
* WHERE...In Delaware, Kent, Inland Sussex and Delaware Beaches.
In New Jersey, Cumberland and Cape May.
* WHEN...From 9 PM this evening to 3 AM EDT Monday.
* IMPACTS...At this level, flooding begins on the most
vulnerable roads in coastal and bayside communities, and along
inland tidal waterways. Some partial or full road closures are
possible.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The greatest risk for inundation will occur
along bayside and inland tidal waterways.
Frost Advisory issued April 19 at 1:46PM EDT until April 20 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Effective: Apr 19, 2026 1:46pm
Expires: Apr 20, 2026 4:00am
* WHAT...For the Frost Advisory, temperatures as low as 34 will
result in frost formation. For the Freeze Watch, sub-freezing
temperatures as low as 24 possible.
* WHERE...In New Jersey, Morris, Somerset, Warren, and Hunterdon
Counties. In Pennsylvania, Northampton County.
* WHEN...For the Frost Advisory, from 2 AM to 8 AM EDT Monday. For
the Freeze Watch, from late Monday night through Tuesday morning.
* IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other
sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor
plumbing. Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive
outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered.
Freeze Watch issued April 19 at 1:46PM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Effective: Apr 19, 2026 1:46pm
Expires: Apr 20, 2026 4:00am
* WHAT...For the Frost Advisory, temperatures as low as 34 will
result in frost formation. For the Freeze Watch, sub-freezing
temperatures as low as 24 possible.
* WHERE...In New Jersey, Morris, Somerset, Warren, and Hunterdon
Counties. In Pennsylvania, Northampton County.
* WHEN...For the Frost Advisory, from 2 AM to 8 AM EDT Monday. For
the Freeze Watch, from late Monday night through Tuesday morning.
* IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other
sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor
plumbing. Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive
outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered.
Visitor Center & Contacts
📍 Physical Address:
916 S. Swanson Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
🏤 Mailing Address:
c/o Independence National Historical Park
143 S. Third Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
📞 Voice Phone: 215-389-1513
✉️ Email: indevisitorinfo@nps.gov