Today's City Walk tour took me to Society Hill. I hadn't intended to visit any museums today, but when I stumbled on the Powel House, I decided to take a tour.
The Powel has been restored fairly well with close-to-the-original paint colors and period furniture. There is no standard admission price, but the suggested donation for an adult is $5. The interior of the house is truly delightful. It can boast of original wood floors and walls adorned with portraits of the Powel family. Architecturally, the house is beautiful and the gardens have been well-maintained. One of the most refreshing things about the house was the relative lack of an awkward, forced gift shop.
The Powel's best asset has to be its tour guides. These individuals can either make or break an historic house museum. The two older ladies who led myself and five others around the house were absolutely terrific. They took the time to find out from where each visitor had come and a little bit about his or her background. They also managed to effectively balance narrative and facts about the house with visitor questions. They made the experience worthwhile.
The only thing about the Powel that I found odd was that the guides never laid out any rules for the tour. Although no one tried to snap any photos, I am not sure whether or not photos can be taken inside. More disturbingly, the guides never asked the visitors not to touch anything, nor did they comment when visitors did touch some of the artifacts. Naturally, several people did put their oily fingers all over some gorgeous 250 year old furniture. However, while that violation bothers collections-oriented individuals, it does not bother the casual visitor. It terms of visitor experience, I will not hold it against the staff of the Powel.
In short, go to the Powel House. Its inexpensive. Its location is fantastic. The experience is delightful. I will leave you with some photos of the Society Hill area.
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