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
Friday, Aug 28
Overcast
High: 86.1°F | Low: 67.1°F
Humidity: 67%
Wind: 8.7 mph
Rain Chance: 79%
UV Index: 7
Sunrise: 06:24 AM
Sunset: 07:38 PM
Moon: Full Moon (98%)
Visibility: 6 mi
Dew Point: 69.6°F
Cloud Cover: 79%
Pressure: N/A mb
Air Quality (PM2.5): N/A
Ozone: N/A
EPA Index: N/A
Saturday, Aug 29
Sunny
High: 81.2°F | Low: 64.6°F
Humidity: 46%
Wind: 8.1 mph
Rain Chance: 3%
UV Index: 7
Sunrise: 06:25 AM
Sunset: 07:37 PM
Moon: Waning Gibbous (94%)
Visibility: 6 mi
Dew Point: 62.1°F
Cloud Cover: 3%
Pressure: N/A mb
Air Quality (PM2.5): N/A
Ozone: N/A
EPA Index: N/A
Sunday, Aug 30
Overcast
High: 86.5°F | Low: 67.5°F
Humidity: 65%
Wind: 9.6 mph
Rain Chance: 57%
UV Index: 7
Sunrise: 06:26 AM
Sunset: 07:35 PM
Moon: Waning Gibbous (87%)
Visibility: 6 mi
Dew Point: 68.5°F
Cloud Cover: 57%
Pressure: N/A mb
Air Quality (PM2.5): N/A
Ozone: N/A
EPA Index: N/A
Weather Alerts (3)
Flood Warning issued August 27 at 9:32PM EDT until August 28 at 10:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Effective: Aug 27, 2026 9:32pm
Expires: Aug 28, 2026 8:00am
...The National Weather Service in Mount Holly has issued a Flood
Warning for the following rivers in Pennsylvania...
Neshaminy Creek At Langhorne affecting Bucks County.
For the Neshaminy Creek...including Langhorne...Minor flooding is
forecast.
* WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast.
* WHERE...Neshaminy Creek at Langhorne.
* WHEN...Until Friday morning.
* IMPACTS...At 10.5 feet, Route 413, near Bridgeton Pike in
Middletown Township, is subject to closures due to flooding.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- At 8:45 PM EDT Thursday the stage was 7.2 feet.
- Bankfull stage is 6.0 feet.
- Forecast...The river is expected to rise above flood stage just
after midnight tonight to a crest of 9.9 feet just after midnight
tonight. It will then fall below flood stage late tonight.
- Flood stage is 9.0 feet.
- Flood History...This crest compares to a previous crest of 9.9
feet on 12/11/2023.
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
Flood Warning issued August 27 at 9:09PM EDT until August 28 at 1:15AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Effective: Aug 27, 2026 9:09pm
Expires: Aug 28, 2026 1:15am
* WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is expected.
* WHERE...South Central Bucks County in southeastern Pennsylvania...
Northern Chester County in southeastern Pennsylvania...
Central Montgomery County in southeastern Pennsylvania...
* WHEN...Until 115 AM EDT.
* IMPACTS...Flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying
and flood-prone locations is imminent or occurring.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- At 907 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain due to
thunderstorms. Flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly
in the warned area. Between 3 and 4 inches of rain have fallen.
- Additional rainfall amounts up to 0.5 inches are possible in the
warned area.
- Some locations that will experience flooding include...
Norristown, Phoenixville, Lansdale, West Norriton, East Norriton,
Coatesville, Downingtown, Hatboro, Ambler, Collegeville,
Royersford and Parkesburg.
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
Flood Warning issued August 27 at 8:09PM EDT until August 28 at 3:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Effective: Aug 27, 2026 8:09pm
Expires: Aug 28, 2026 3:00am
* WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is expected.
* WHERE...Mercer County in central New Jersey...
Southwestern Middlesex County in northern New Jersey...
Southwestern Somerset County in northern New Jersey...
Southern Hunterdon County in northwestern New Jersey...
North Central Burlington County in southern New Jersey...
Southeastern Bucks County in southeastern Pennsylvania...
Eastern Montgomery County in southeastern Pennsylvania...
* WHEN...Until 300 AM EDT Friday.
* IMPACTS...Flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying
and flood-prone locations is imminent or occurring.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- At 807 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain due to
thunderstorms. Flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly
in the warned area. Between 3 and 4 inches of rain have fallen.
- Additional rainfall amounts up to 0.5 inches are possible in the
warned area.
- Some locations that will experience flooding include...
Trenton, Ewing, Princeton, Bristol, Pennington, Yardley, Newtown,
Hopewell, Tullytown and Langhorne.
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
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