# Lynnewood Hall History

> Mansion open after 84 years ties to Titanic and Philly art museum.
- Title: Lynnewood Hall History · PhillyVoice | Shortify
- Summary: Mansion open after 84 years ties to Titanic and Philly art museum. Lynnewood Hall, a 110-room Philadelphia mansion, opened to public for the first time in 84…
- Keywords: lynnewood hall, titanic, philly art museum, elkins park, widener family, preservation alliance, gilded age, flower show, news, local, Lynnewood, Hall
- Source: PhillyVoice — https://phillyvoice.com/lynnewood-hall-history-mansion-elkins-park-titanic-philly-art-museum
- Published: 2026-10-01T09:01:00.412+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: lynnewood hall, titanic, philly art museum, elkins park, widener family, preservation alliance, gilded age, flower show, news, local
## Lynnewood Hall history
Lynnewood Hall, a 110-room neoclassical mansion in Elkins Park, has been mostly closed to the public for 84 years.
## Recent opening
From now through Oct. 4, Lynnewood Hall will host a 10-day flower show inspired by HBO's The Gilded Age.
## Historical significance
The mansion was built for Peter A.B. Widener, a Philadelphia bricklayer who became a wealthy meat store owner and city treasurer.
## Widener's wealth
Widener gained control of Philadelphia's streetcar systems and invested in U.S. Steel, American Tobacco, and Standard Oil.
## Architectural design
Horace Trumbauer designed Lynnewood Hall in 1897, completing it in two years with master craftsmen and the best materials.
## Gilded Age connection
The mansion features 110 rooms, an art gallery, swimming pool, and formal ballroom, reflecting the Gilded Age era.
## Art collection
Peter and his son Joseph collected art from Degas, Velasquez, Rembrandt, Raphael, Titian, Monet, and Van Dyck.
## Titanic tragedy
George Widener died on the Titanic in 1912 while traveling with his family to find a new chef for the Philadelphia Ritz-Carlton.
## Modern history
The property was sold to the First Korean Church of New York in 1996 and remained unoccupied until 2023.
## Preservation efforts
The Lynnewood Hall Preservation Alliance purchased the property in 2023 to restore it as an educational tool for preservationists.
## Current status
Lynnewood Hall is now open to the public for the first time in 84 years with a flower show through Oct. 4.
## Future plans
The Preservation Alliance has a 20-year plan to restore the mansion and use it for educational purposes.
## Key takeaway

Lynnewood Hall, a 110-room Philadelphia mansion, opened to public for the first time in 84 years after being restored by preservationists.