Regina M.
Yelp
Lion was asked to deliver a presentation at the Masonic Temple, open to the public. After his talk, the organizer offered a "quick tour" of the Temple, which we eagerly accepted.
The Masonic temple is a historic building, built before Philadelphia's City Hall across the street. It's a marvel of engineering and design, with meticulously designed and decorated themed meeting rooms, a large open library and museum, offices and a large dining conference room.
That wood you see in the Norman room? It's hand painted plaster! Those tiles are hand cut glass. Even the coat racks match the theme of the room they adjoin. Throughout you will see portraits of Freemasons, some quite famous, sculptures, murals, and a stunning set stained glass windows.
During that COVID shutdowns, the Masons used their time painstakingly restoring, maintaining, and updating the rooms.
The Temple is open to the public for tours most days ($13 per person). They also are available for event rentals. The day we were there crews were setting up for a wedding that evening.
Definitely worth a visit.